“HONEY IS A TRUE ‘ANTIBIOTIC’”: THE RESULTS OF A STUDY ON THE ANCIENT REMEDY FOR CURING AILMENTS CONDUCTED BY ROBERTO BARALE PRESENTED AT ‘HONEY WEEK’ IN MONTALCINO

When grandma used to say to eat honey in order to soothe a soar throat she was really on to something because this ancient remedy has now been confirmed by science.
According to a recent study conducted by Professor Roberto Barale at the University of Pisa, some types of honey, especially those made from chestnut, eucalyptus and fir flowers, have shown to possess a powerful antimicrobial and bacterial activity. The preliminary results of this study were presented at ‘Honey Week’, one of the most important events in Italian apiculture held every year in Montalcino (this year from 12 – 14 September).

The study was created in order to verify whether the long time use of honey as a home remedy for sore throats could be verified through science. Professor Barale, together with microbiologists at the University of Pisa, then conducted a series of experiments to test the efficiency of different types of honey in combating pathogenic bacteria. In particular, the bacteria fighting capacity towards varieties of staphylococcus, one of the most common causes of infection in humans, was demonstrated.

The experiments showed that only some varieties of honey were capable of killing bacteria, in particular, chestnut, eucalyptus and fir. And preliminary analyses demonstrated the potent anti-bacteria activity of the honey against even other microorganisms responsible for various human ailments.
The study is still in progress and will aim towards a preliminary mapping of the types of honey produced in Italy based on their anti-bacterial properties.

As well, the study hopes to verify whether other factors influence these properties, like the production zone or the production processes that the honey undergoes.
The interests in the “pharmacological” properties of honey have been confirmed at an international level as well, with other studies occurring in Pakistan, USA, South Africa, Turkey, and New Zealand. Researchers are evaluating whether honey possesses other useful activities for humans like, for example, the capacity to block degenerative processes linked to inflammation and ageing.

The confirmation that honey, as well as being a tasty and natural food, may also represent a precious ally for our health could be an incentive to increase its consumption, which in Italy is already high compared to other countries. 400 grams are eaten per person per year in Italy, while it is generally about 35% less than this in the rest of Europe. It may be because, Italy, with all of its very different regions, is the only country in the world that produces such a wide variety of different honeys.