Scientists Are Saying This Sweet Remedy Might Help Treat And Prevent Breast Cancer
by The Candidly Team
A preliminary study from UCLA has recently led researchers to believe that a certain sweet, sticky substance might have the potential to help treat and prevent breast cancer.
In the study, this item you can find in many a health food store led to an 84% reduction in tumor growth in mice with ER-positive breast cancer cells.
Yes, the study was done on mice and yes, more research is of course needed, but an 84% reduction in tumor growth!?!?! That’s not something to sneeze at. Naturally, we needed to know more.
So here’s what we know.
First and foremost, what is this magical substance?
We won’t make you scroll - it’s manuka honey.
Ok, so what is Manuka honey?
This is going to sound a little like folklore, but Manuka honey is a very specific honey created by bees in New Zealand and Australia who pollinate the very specific flowers of the very specific Manuka bush. The resulting formula is already talked about for its antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory properties.
A lot of this honey’s benefits have to do with the its high concentration of something called methylglyoxal - MGO for short. MGO is known for its antibacterial powers, which are about 100 times that of other honey according to The Cleveland Clinic. And these are the same powers researchers believe may have contributed to the tumor reduction seen in the recent UCLA study.
What are the benefits of Manuka honey?
There are five main possible health rewards of Manuka honey, according to The Cleveland Clinic. Now some of them are not things you should take into your own hands as they need more research and your doctor should absolutely be consulted about what’s best for you, but things like a little Manuka honey in your tea when sick? Why not?
Anyway some of the potential benefits include:
Healing wounds: It’s all thanks to those antioxidant and antibacterial properties we talked about, which may even help prevent infection. However, it’s best to follow your doctor’s advice on how and what to use. You want to make sure anything you put on your skin is sterilized and for medical use. So please don’t go lathering supermarket honey on your open wounds.
Keeping up oral health: There’s some evidence it could help with plaque and gingivitis. Crazy considering the sweetness, no? We’ll keep tabs on this one.
Soothing a sore throat: Ok, this one we knew. But we didn’t know it could also help fight inflammation and Strep. We just knew how goooood it feels going down our throats when they’re on fire.
Treating ulcers: Both gastric and diabetes-related ulcers specifically. Another one to watch.
Getting rid of acne: Inflammation and bacteria be damned. But again, don’t go dipping your face in golden goo just yet. Talk to your doctor or dermatologist about if there’s a product that could work for you.
Now about that breast cancer study. Estrogen receptor or ER-positive breast cancer is “the most common subtype of breast cancer that accounts for about 70–80% of all breast cancer cases,” reported UCLA Health. The study which was done at UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center “found that Manuka honey could potentially be an alternative, natural option for breast cancer prevention and treatment— particularly for estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer.” They also found that “higher concentrations of Manuka honey led to a greater reduction in cancer cell growth.” And it did all this “without affecting normal breast cells or causing major side effects.”
So once again, we’re gonna be watching this closely.
Should I try it?
Are we at the point where doctors are sounding the alarms and telling people to go out and immediately start taking Manuka honey to prevent breast cancer? No. Are we at a point where keeping a jar in your cupboard for when you get sick or want a sugar substitute with other health benefits? Yes!
We, of course, should remember that honey is still an added sugar, and according to the American Heart Association, most women should not consume more than 25 grams of added sugar per day.
And when we do consume it, quality reaaaally matters. We’d been hearing amazing things about THIS one, which is non-GMO, comes straight from New Zealand, and tastes delicious. We now keep it on hand to drizzle over yogurt, sweeten our tea, and replace any other added sugar whenever possible. The sweetness and flavor goes a lot further than sugar, so we consider it a real win-win.
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