In both ancient Greek and Norse mythology, the gods and warriors frequently imbibed mead. As it turns out, this elixir created from honey may have contained billions of antibacterial microbes that helped boost the immunity of the drinker and stave off infections, the Tech Times reports.
A growing body of evidence shows honey is a potent antibacterial microbe that can promote wound-healing. The major medicinal property in honey is lactic acid bacteria, or LAB. According to a study cited in the report, fermenting honey multiples LAB from 100 million per gram of honey into 100 billion per gram of mead.
The author of the study, Swedish microbiologist Tobias Olofsson, is currently working on obtaining grants to further his clinical studies into mead and its medicinal qualities. In the interim, he has also started brewing traditional honey wine that does not sterilize all the LAB out of the drink before bottling.
According to the Tech Times report, the research that suggests honey can fight superbugs resistant to antibiotics is just one reason humans should do what they can to help the world's dwindling bee population.
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