Immune system activity

The clearance of infection may not only be the result of the antibacterial action of honey. Recent research indicates that honey may work by stimulating the activity of the immune system. Honey at concentrations as low as 0.1% has been found to stimulate proliferation of peripheral blood ß-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes in cell culture and activate phagocytes from blood. Also, honey at a concentration of 1% has been reported to stimulate monocytes in cell culture to release the cytokines TNF-1, IL-1, and IL-6, which are intermediates in the immune response. In addition to the reported stimulation of leukocytes, honey has the potential to augment further the immune response by supplying glucose. This is essential for the ‘respiratory burst’ in macrophages that generates hydrogen peroxide, the dominant component of the bacteria-destroying activity of these cells (see Molan, 2002).

Back to top