We're always on the look-out for information supporting the use of Manuka honey. We came across these study abstracts that showed significant anti-viral effects for Chickenpox, Shingles, and Influenza.
Chickenpox and Shingles (VZV: Varicella zoster virus):
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3401066/
"For centuries, honey has been used in traditional medicine. In recent past, honey has gained significant attention from the scientific community to explore its potential applications to treat various clinical conditions. Honey has a wide range of therapeutic properties including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal and antineoplastic activity. [24, 25] Our results suggest the presence in honey of compounds possessing anti-VZV activity, the identity of which is yet to be determined. Honey is convenient for application on skin, readily available and inexpensive...Our results showed that honey has significant in vitro anti-VZV activity."
Influenza:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24880005
Our results showed that honey, in general, and particularly manuka honey, has potent inhibitory activity against the influenza virus, demonstrating a potential medicinal value.
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