Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: cancer doctor + heal cancer + cancer  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/5/2008)

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Cancer doctors turn to the honey that can heal

A cancer hospital is importing honey from New Zealand to test its healing power on patients.

Doctors have turned to manuka honey to see if it can help treat mouth and throat cancer patients after surgery.

They hope the honey will reduce the patients' chances of contracting the MRSA superbug and help lessen inflammation of the wounds.

The pioneering initiative is taking place at Christie Hospital in Manchester.

Although it is a fresh approach there, the healing properties of honey have been known for thousands of years.

It was revered by the ancient Greeks and Egyptians as a powerful medicinal agent and used to help heal burns and sores.

In recent years, scientists have increasingly highlighted the powers of manuka honey, which is distinctively flavoured and darker than normal kinds.

Scientists believe its healing properties are due to the presence of the enzyme glucose oxidase, which produces hydrogen peroxide - an antiseptic - and its high sugar concentration, which inhibits bacterial growth.

A study in 2003 reported that manuka honey outperformed conventional antiseptics and antibiotics in the treatment of infected post-operative wounds after Caesarean sections and hysterectomies.

And for a number of years, scientists at the University of Wales Institute in Cardiff have been researching its potential to fight hospital superbugs such as the deadly MRSA bacteria.

For the past two months, nurses at Manchester Royal Infirmary have been using special honey-coated dressings to treat patients.

Now 60 patients at Christie Hospital, an international leader in cancer research and development, are taking part in a study to see if the honey can prevent infections which can be resistant to antibiotics.

Concern over MRSA

Over the last 15 years, survival rates for throat and mouth cancer patients have improved because of the effective combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

But side-effects include a condition called mucositis, an inflammation and infection of the tissue which lines the mouth, throat and digestive system.

Concerns have also intensified in recent years over the spread of the MRSA superbug which has already become resistant to most common antibiotics.

Once it gets into the body, through wounds or tubes, it can cause an infection that can prove fatal to someone already weakened by illness.

In the UK, it is estimated that MRSA and other infections such as clostridium difficile kill up to 5,000 patients every year, despite a massive government drive to clean up hospitals.

Other estimates claim the real figure may be twice as high.

Christie Hospital has the fifth-lowest rate for MRSA infections in the country. The honey is being trialled on the mouth and throat cancer patients because they are one of the most susceptible groups to hospital-acquired infections after undergoing surgery and radiotherapy.

Dr Nick Slevin, the specialist leading the programme, said yesterday: "Manuka honey has special anti-inflammatory and anti-infection properties and is believed to reduce the likelihood of MRSA infection."

The honey is produced by bees which mainly feed on the manuka bush, native to New Zealand.

Small jars cost around £12 each in health food shops but Christie Hospital is buying in bulk - so far importing 400kg for the clinical trials. The hospital is relying on donations to fund the research.

Children's drinks a sugar timebomb, experts warn

Many 'healthy' children's fruit drinks are more sugary than Coca-Cola, experts have warned.

Parents often believe that the fruit content makes the juices a healthy alternative to fizzy drinks. But in reality, popular children's drinks such as Ribena and Capri-Sun contain little fruit - but lots of sugar.

Ribena, which is billed as containing real fruit juice and being free of artificial colours, flavours and sweeteners, contains a shocking eight teaspoons of sugar per 330ml bottle. This makes it more sugary than Coke.

The blackcurrant drink, which is made by GlaxoSmithKline, also boasts just six per cent fruit juice.

Capri-Sun orange juice - which is packed in space-age freeze packs aimed at children - contains 10.8g of sugar per 100ml, while cartons of 5 Alive have up to 13g of sugar packed into each 100ml.

Coca-Cola, which is much maligned for its lack of nutritional value, contains 10.6g of sugar per 100ml - or seven teaspoons per can.

Health and diet experts accused the manufacturers of duping parents into believing the juices are healthy options for their children.

Joe Harvey, of the Health Education Trust, said: "There are an awful lot of drinks that purport to be terribly good for you that are actually very low juice drinks with huge amounts of added sugar.

"There is a very clever strand of marketing that adds the word juice to an awful lot of products which have little juice in them.

"It is not so obvious for someone who isn't aware of it or someone who doesn't carefully read labels. The details are often not easily understood and presented in very small print.

"There is no doubt there is a lot of advertising that is very deceitful. It is very difficult for the average parent to have the time and the knowledge to interpret this sort of food labelling which is not designed to be honest."

He said that such sickly drinks can lead to children developing a sweet tooth - and affect their eating habits for years to come.

"They are producing something which mimics and habituates a sweet taste in a child but gives them nothing in return."

Sugary drinks can also cause tooth decay, weight gain - and may even put children off eating real fruit, which isn't as sweet.

Mr Harvey warned: "We are going down the road to very overweight and obese kids at a rate that is very scary and accelerating all the time."

The British Nutrition Foundation advises children swap fruit drinks for water, milk, or small quantities of pure fruit juice.

Nutritionist Brigid McKevith said: "It is about habit forming and trying to get children to plant healthy choices early on. Trying to instill that at an early age is very important."

The drinks companies defended their products, saying nutritional information was clearly displayed.

GlaxoSmithKline, which makes Ribena, said the drink is aimed at adults rather than children.

It added that a low-sugar variety was also available.

Coca-Cola, which makes both 5 Alive and Capri-Sun, said: "We are committed to ensuring product nutrition information is clearly and attractively communicated to enable consumers to make informed dietary choices.2

The spokesman added: "Capri-Sun can play a nutritious role in a child's overall drink intake.

"Our research shows that kids enjoy Capri-Sun as it gives them the hydration they need with a great taste and the energy to be active. Mums know that there are no preservatives and no arguments to get kids to drink it."