Indian Honey : A Natural Antibiotic

Honey has been under use in human civilization since pre- historic period as mentioned in a religious literature. Honey is a nutritionally rich food product and consumed by human populations throughout the world. Honey is held in high esteem next only to AMRIT the Ambrosia. Although it has been used as a medicine since ancient times initially it was just known to be an effective remedy. Now it can be seen that the effectiveness of honey in many of its medical uses is due to its antibacterial activity. Honey is produced from many different floral sources and its antimicrobial activity varies with origin and processing. Ayurveda (Indian medicine) describes honey as the nectar of life and recommends its use in various ailments. There is renewed interest in honey treatment as evidenced by the number of reports appearing in the scientific literature. Honey has been useful in the treatment of surgical wounds burns and decubitus ulcers. Antibacterial and anti-fungal properties of honey have been well documented.