Unpasteurized honey containing glucose oxidase (enzyme that generates hydrogen peroxide — the primary antimicrobial compound), methylglyoxal (MGO — in Manuka honey, with specific antibiotic activity against MRSA), defensin-1 (bee-derived antimicrobial peptide), flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol), and antioxidants that vary by floral source. Contains small amounts of propolis and bee pollen with additional antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory compounds.
Available at all grocery stores. Raw honey at health food stores, farmers markets, and directly from local beekeepers. Manuka honey at health food stores and online. Local honey (from bees in your geographic area) may also support local allergy desensitization.
Raw honey's antimicrobial mechanism operates through five independent pathways simultaneously: (1) hydrogen peroxide (generated by glucose oxidase); (2) methylglyoxal (in Manuka honey — bactericidal against MRSA, E. coli, and H. pylori at therapeutic concentrations); (3) defensin-1 (bee antimicrobial peptide); (4) high osmolarity (desiccates bacteria); (5) acidic pH (3.5-4.5 — inhibits bacterial growth). No single pharmaceutical antibiotic operates through five simultaneous pathways — making honey uniquely resistant to bacterial resistance development. A 2012 Cochrane review found honey more effective than standard care for acute cough in children. For H. pylori (which drives gastric cancer — higher rates in Black Americans): multiple clinical studies document Manuka honey with significant H. pylori inhibitory activity. For sleep: 1-2 tsp honey at bedtime stabilizes liver glycogen overnight (preventing the 3am cortisol spike from hypoglycemia) and provides small tryptophan for melatonin synthesis — this is the mechanism behind the grandmother's hot milk and honey before bed.
Eat raw — do not heat above 104°F (destroys enzymes and antimicrobial activity). Add to warm (not hot) teas, oatmeal, yogurt, or eat by the spoonful. Topical wound healing: apply raw honey directly to minor wounds or burns and cover with gauze. Manuka honey (UMF 10+ or MGO 263+) is the most therapeutically potent type for antimicrobial use.
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