Manuka Honey Organic

Mānuka Honey and Sinus Infections: A Look at the Evidence

By Bart Magera
Manuka Honey For Sinus Infections

Pilot research has examined honey-based irrigation for chronic rhinosinusitis. The evidence is preliminary but suggestive, and the products tested are typically purified or medical-grade preparations rather than retail jars.

What the research has shown

Singhal, Foreman et al. (2008, Current Opinion in Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery) reviewed the rationale for honey in sinus applications, focusing on its antibacterial activity against bacterial biofilms commonly found in chronic rhinosinusitis. The mechanism is the same as Mānuka's wound-care reputation: MGO-driven non-peroxide antibacterial activity that survives the moist environment of the sinuses.

Subsequent pilot studies have tested honey-based nasal irrigation in chronic rhinosinusitis patients with mixed but generally positive results. Sample sizes have been small, and irrigation protocols have varied.

What the evidence does not establish

The evidence does not establish optimal honey grade, dilution, frequency, or irrigation protocol. The trials used purified preparations specifically formulated for nasal irrigation, not retail food honey.

Self-administered honey nasal irrigation is not the same as the protocols in published trials. Improperly prepared nasal rinses (using non-sterile water, for example) have caused serious infections and deaths.

What this means for buyers

  • The mechanism is plausible. The evidence is preliminary.
  • Self-administered Mānuka nasal irrigation with retail honey is not the protocol used in research and carries infection risk if water is not sterile.
  • For chronic sinusitis, established treatments (saline irrigation, intranasal corticosteroids, antibiotics where indicated) have stronger evidence bases.
  • Talk to an ENT specialist before pursuing any nasal irrigation protocol.

Sources

  • Singhal D, Foreman A, Bardy JJ, Wormald PJ. Honey: a real cure for sinusitis? Current Opinion in Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery. 2008.
  • Carter DA, Blair SE, Cokcetin NN, et al. Therapeutic Mānuka Honey: No Longer So Alternative. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2016;7:569.