Can Manuka Honey Kill H Pylori?

Since I had H pylori in 2007, I have worked with over 2,000 clients who also have H pylori.

Unfortunately, in my experience, it’s actually quite rare to find too many people who have had great success using manuka honey. Despite this, I believe it works for some people and if you have read many of my articles or my book you will know that I am of the firm opinion that different methods work for different people.

While it appears to have some antimicrobial properties against H. pylori, we must always remember that honey is essentially sugar. This is very important because when we do extensive stool testing on our clients, we often find fungal and yeast overgrowth along with H pylori.

Since yeast and fungus thrive on sugar, I don’t like to use honey. By using honey, you can work against H pylori but at the same time worsen yeast and fungus overgrowth. In many cases, this will make symptoms worse rather than better.

Yeast and fungal overgrowth is a big problem in its own right and can cause the same symptoms as H. pylori infection. Yeast and fungal species include Candida, Geotrichum, Aspergillus and Rhodotorula, all of which we frequently see when testing our customers.

Studies have shown that the standard treatment of triple therapy for H pylori and antacid medications such as Nexium, Prilosec, Pantoloc (generic names such as esomeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole) are used, yeast and fungal organisms can proliferate in your stomach very quickly, leading to excessive growth.

In my opinion, the last thing we want is for any form of treatment to make the problem worse, which is why I don’t recommend Manuka honey to people until we know exactly what’s going on in their digestive systems.

If we’re smart, we can take steps to eliminate yeast and fungal organisms while dealing with H. pylori because several products work against H. pylori and yeast/fungal overgrowth.

In short, try Manuka honey if you have H. pylori, but be aware that if your symptoms worsen, you may be inadvertently promoting fungal and yeast overgrowth, which is certainly undesirable.

If you experience a worsening of your symptoms while using Manuka honey, seek alternative methods or consult a physician versed in treating the bacteria.