The Medicinal Uses of Sugar

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on an item you might wish to have available if needed so that a physician can treat you and your family as best as possible.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.  A qualified, licensed physician or other medical provider should be consulted before beginning any herbal or conventional treatment.

Here we are on Christmas Eve; our society still hasn't totally collapsed.  Yeah!!  With any luck, as you and your children and grandchildren go to sleep, you'll all have visions of sugar plums dancing in your heads.

However, after celebrating the birth of our Savior, when it's time to return to the daily grind and learn and prepare more, hopefully you'll remember the little tidbit of information shared here today.

Sugar, regular white granulated sugar, has a clinically researched and proven medical use.  The study came about because an African physician working in a hospital in the UK noticed several patients for whom conventional drug therapy had failed to treat acute and chronic exuding wounds.  And he wondered why the treatment he had seen his tribal doctor grandfather use in Africa was not being employed here.  Didn't everybody know about using sugar to treat such wounds?

Apparently, such knowledge had been long forgotten in a world where we have lots of money and can afford expensive drug therapies.  Unfortunately, some of those very expensive antibiotic therapies are failing the fight against MRSA.  Sugar, however, has been shown to work.

If you have a wound, such as a diabetic ulcer on the legs or feet or a burn or cut, you can apply sugar to it.  If you apply some and it immediately soaks up the fluid in the wound, apply more until you still have some dry sugar on top.  Apply a non-adherent bandage and secure in place.  Change the dressing every other day.  Do not wash away or remove the old sugar when changing the dressing; that will also remove the very delicate new tissue that is forming.  Just add more sugar on top.  Keep doing this until the wound is healed.

In the case of a large wound, you may wish to put a ring of petroleum jelly around the edges to better contain the sugar.

So why does sugar work here?  Well, there are a couple of reasons.  First, the sugar draws the fluid in the tissue out, keeping it dry and better able to heal.  Second, it creates an acidic environment, which is very hostile to bacteria.  Third, it also helps relieve pain, which contributes to greater sense of well-being in the patient and less stress in the body.  

(This research was conducted using granulated sugar in the UK.  In the United States, well over 90% of sugar beets are GMO.  You may wish to use only cane sugar.)

Our personal experience with using sugar to treat a wound is ongoing.  About a month ago, one of my daughter's French angora rabbits somehow got some fiber wrapped around his back leg and pulled tight.  By the time my daughter discovered this, he had chewed off hair and skin, we assume in an effort to relieve the pain associated with having the blood supply constricted.  Everything around his foot and up to an inch above his ankle was completely gone.  Because we couldn't ascertain the extent to which his circulation had been compromised, my husband and I gave him less than a 1% chance of survival.  Surely infection would set in.

We discussed options with our daughter, who of course was feeling horrible, it was all her fault, etc.  Coal didn't seem to be in pain, as long as we didn't touch that leg.  We could try to treat him, but we were sure he wouldn't make it.  Did she want to try?  She did.

We tried honey, once.  Honey and angora rabbits aren't a good mix anyway, and it was hard to get the honey on his foot without hurting him.  Next we tried a mixture of usnea, juniper, and yarrow.  In retrospect, I think I should have applied more than I did.  We had a hard time getting the wound powder to stay with the wound, even with bandaging.  During this entire time, the bunny was getting fresh greens from the yard, until hard freezes killed them, as well as usnea tincture in his water.  Rabbits are extremely sensitive and conventional antibiotics often do more harm than good.  Some healing was occurring, miraculously, but it also smelled bad--not gangrene bad, but still bad.

About eight days ago, we decided to try sugar.  That was the ticket.  We poured it on as best we could, trying to cover all sides.  We decided it was easier to dip his foot in a bowl of sugar.  The smell dissipated almost immediately.  We think healing has accelerated.  We're pretty sure he's going to make it.

(Update:  I write my blog posts about a month in advance.  I so wish we had taken pictures of Coal's foot and leg from the beginning, but I didn't think there was a point.  There was no way this bunny was going to survive.  However, survive he did and is doing.  I now think he had chewed off all his skin and was left with nothing but muscle and bone when we began treatment.  Today, seven or eight weeks after his injury, he has almost all his skin grown back.  And it's growing hair as well.  I'm still blown away by that.  I figured even if skin did grown back it would all be scar tissue and no hair at all.  He still has a few bandage changes in his future before he is fully healed, but man, what a difference.  I'm amazed.) 

(And another update:  That bunny lived another two years, until dying of old age.)

Below, I pasted in the link to the article as well the pertinent portions of the abstract.  I encourage you to read it.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21647066

Use of granulated sugar therapy in the management of sloughy or necrotic wounds: a pilot study.

Murandu M¹, Webber MA, Simms MH, Dealey C.

In the in vitro studies three types of granulated sugar (Demerara, granulated beet sugar and granulated cane sugar) were tested to determine their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against 18 Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria in a micro-titre broth dilution assay; growth inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in different concentrations of sugar (0.38-25%) was also tested over 12-hours in an agar diffusion assay. The pilot clinical study selected patients from a vascular surgical ward and a vascular outpatient department. All had acute or chronic exuding wounds, some of which were infected. White granulated sugar was applied to the wounds. The following parameters were assessed: surface area; wound characteristics including pain, malodour, appearance (slough/granulation); exudate level; pain level and bacterial load. Patients with diabetes had their blood sugar levels checked daily. All patients completed a short health questionnaire at the start and end of the study. Staff completed a satisfaction questionnaire at the end of the study. The study period was 21 days.

In vitro tests demonstrated that sugar inhibits bacterial growth. All three types of sugars had MICs ranging from 6-25% in the bacterial strains tested. The diffusion tests showed that strains were able to grow well in low concentrations of sugar but were completely inhibited in higher concentrations. The two granulated sugars were found to be slightly more effective than Demerara sugar, so the latter was excluded from the clinical pilot study. Twenty-two patients (20 inpatients and two outpatients) with sloughy or necrotic wounds were recruited into the clinical study. Two patients had MRSA and two had Staphylococcus colonisation at baseline. Blood sugar levels remained stable in the seven patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. All wounds were clean/debrided in a mean of 11.13 days. Pain and malodour reduced markedly. Patient and staff surveys revealed overwhelming support for the sugar therapy.

The pilot study achieved its aim of developing a protocol for a RCT. Preliminary data suggest that sugar is an effective wound cleansing and is safe to use in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes. In vitro studies demonstrate that sugar inhibits bacterial growth.

© 2019, PrepSchoolDaily.blogspot.com 

20 november 2022

22 september 2019 

Reviews: Prescription for Herbal Healing, Backyard Medicine for All, Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs

Over the past few years, I've acquired at least a dozen books on herbal medicine.  A couple are what I consider must-haves (like Herbal Antibiotics which I reviewed last month), some that are okay, and three that I really wish I hadn't gotten.  It is those three that I will review today, and the reasons why, so that when you select your herbal medicine books, you can buy with confidence.

First off, I'd like to communicate that I'm not saying any of these books are bad, or poorly written, or authored by quacks.  However, from a prepper or survivalist point of view, which most of this blog's readers are, to some extent, they are not the best use of our resources.

Phyllis Balch, author of Prescription for Herbal Healing, according to the back cover of this book, "...has been a leading nutritional consultant for more than two decades, and has spent more than twenty-five years researching natural approaches to health and healing...."  Her book appears meticulously researched and includes coverage of Chinese and ayurvedic (traditional medicine from India) herbs and therapies to treat over 150 common disorders.  However, with 544 8.5 x 11" pages, it's quite large and focuses heavily on herbs that are only going to be found in herb stores or online, neither of which are going to be an option when society collapses.

Backyard Medicine for All, by Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal, is a sequel to their first book, Hedgerow Medicine.  Had I done a little more research, I would have clued into the fact that the authors live in the United Kingdom.  Sounds a bit bigoted, right?  Well, think about the climate and growing conditions.  Are the plants that grow in Britain and Scotland going to be the same as those that grow in the deserts and mountains of the western US?  That's a big "no, not really."  This book may work very well for those living in New England or the Pacific Northwest areas of the US.  Another strike against this book, were I looking at several side by side in a bookstore, is the layout.  While I appreciate the color photographs, the organization is just too jumbled.  Most pages have three columns of text, a photograph or two, and then text boxes as well.  I think it contributes to sensory overload.

Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs:  A Beginner's Guide is an excellent resource.  Rosemary Gladstar, an herbal teacher and practitioner for 35+ years, very clearly introduces the medicinal uses of thirty-three common herbs.  Unlike many herbal medicine writers, she explains terms that the others just throw around, provides detailed instructions for making her healing formulas, and offers helpful suggestions for growing these herbs in the garden.  She includes photographs of the plants and the text is well-organized.  It's an excellent resource for a beginner.  I appreciate the author's work; however, I'm not sure I will keep this book.  Being able to treat coughs, colds, fevers, and minor joint pain is nice, but it stops there.  Other books cover much more serious medical issues and include information on treating these minor conditions as well, though perhaps lacking the introductory explanations.

In summary, when it comes to purchasing your own herbal medicine books, what factors should you keep in mind?

• Find books that use herbs that you will actually have access to.  Chinese medicine and Ayurveda have their place, but a lot of the herbs they use grow in the Eastern hemisphere, not here.
• Along the same lines, the Peterson Field Guide to Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs or Linda Kershaw's Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies aren't going to be of much benefit to folks living on the East Coast.  
• Decide how far down the herbal medicine rabbit hole you are going to go.  Do you want to learn the basics through free online searches and then spend the money for more comprehensive books that will cover diseases we're likely to encounter after TEOTWAWKI?

 Hope this helps you in making your choices!

Book Review: Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner

Make sure to get the 2nd edition.  Trust me on this.

I selected Stephen Harrod Buhner's Herbal Antibiotics:  Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-Resistant Bacteria, because I think if I had to bug-out (perish that thought!) and could take only one of my dozens of prepping books with me, this would be The One.  Steve Solomon's Gardening When It Counts would likely rank second, probably only because I've already had several years to practice gardening and cement his ideas into my little brain.  Having some bacterial infections and thus the opportunity to apply knowledge gained from Herbal Antibiotics would be quite ideal for learning how to use the natural remedies, but no one here is volunteering to be guinea pig.  Again.

First off, Herbal Antibiotics is quite unlike the majority of other herbal medicine books that are more fluff or vagueness than substance.  Buhner clearly and logically discusses each herb, with its Latin and common names, how it has been used throughout history, how it is used in other parts of the world, and how to prepare and dose it for specific illnesses.  The only possible flaw, and it's not a deal-breaker for sure, is that there are no pictures of the plants.  However, there's always Google Lady, and sometimes one species of plant looks quite different from another of the same genus.  

Buhner explains what's happening with the current health dilemma we face regarding increasing antibiotic resistance and takes a matter of fact approach to the doom and gloom of the end of the antibiotic era.  A gifted writer, he goes into great detail about twenty great antibiotic herbals, including usnea, juniper, honey, the berberines, etc., that are pretty much widely available.  But he also includes a section on some lesser known plant-sourced antibiotics.  Sprinkled throughout are brief forays into biochemistry, which can be daunting to non-sciency readers, but they're easily passed over.  Buhner also informs us about where these plants can be found in the wild and offers recommendations for online sources.  And unlike the vast majority of herbal medicine books on the market, for each herb he includes pages of references to technical journals so you can do your own research. 

Stephen Buhner could have come from the same gene pool as Gary Larson (The Far Side).  You can see it throughout the book.  It's really very entertaining.

I appreciate the more research-based, scientific approach to herbal medicine, as opposed to the more common, vague approaches lacking any scientific explanation or basis.  Many, (way too many) moons ago I earned a degree in zoology, and spent a few years as a Russian-English translator of life sciences material.  Although I have a somewhat technical background, I didn't find this book to be beyond the ability of the average Joe to understand.  Yeah, Buhner does go into some detail about how these herbals work in the body, but it's not entirely necessary to read all that to figure out how to treat yourself.  I've read it three times, so far.  It's that interesting.  And I understand more and remember more each time, so that's a really good thing.

Buhner's intended audience was probably those who understand that antibiotic resistance is poised to create a worldwide crisis and who are looking for tools to defend themselves.  However, this book is especially valuable for preppers who recognize that even a substantial supply of traditional antibiotics will be exhausted.  And because Big Pharma just isn't doing the research to develop new antibiotics, and because bacteria are so effective at defeating new antibiotics when they come out anyway, we need to be prepared to manage bacterial infections. 

Herbal Antibiotics is definitely not a book to borrow and take notes on or make copies of a few good pages.  You really want the whole thing for your own reference.  It's one of precious few books that is worth every penny and every precious inch of shelf space.

Links to related posts:
Alton's Antibiotics review
Herbal Antivirals review 

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Alternative Medicine: Introduction

I'm someone who always likes to be learning something and will pursue the current passion for a few years before moving on to the next interest.  Serious food storage (beyond the long-term basics), gardening, history, and clothing production (sewing and knitting so far--weaving is in the future), among other interests captured my attention in the past and I continue to apply what I have learned to my life.

Alternative medicine is my current focus for personal education.  Unfortunately, the actual practice isn't something that you can just decide to do each day, or any day for that matter.  I can get up in the morning and decide to try a new food storage recipe, read about events leading up to the Civil War, or start spinning some wool and angora for a sweater.  But no one here is volunteering to find a rattlesnake and get bitten (rightly so) so that we can try out some herbal treatments.  Tumbleweeds are reputed to have been used by the Native Americans for treating smallpox.  Did a tumbleweed wash actually work back then?  Would a tumbleweed wash work on the current strains of smallpox should they somehow escape the laboratories where they are studied?

Who knows?

Information presented here in the alternative medicine section of the blog is only a springboard for your further research.  You should verify everything you read about alternative medicine.  I can present results of studies conducted mostly in other countries (Big Pharma doesn't like us using plants in this country) and anecdotal accounts of herbal remedies used by Native Americans.  Plant-based medicines can be very powerful.  There is a reason why pharmaceutical companies pour a lot of money into researching plants and isolating compounds from them.  Throughout all of human history, our medicines have come from plants.  But Big Pharma can't patent plants and make money.  Big Pharma can only patent synthetic compounds, so they isolate the active constituents of a plant and reproduce it synthetically.  And charge big bucks.

Poorer countries can't afford Big Pharma's prices for their designer drugs.  So they are more likely to do research on alternative folk remedies that have been used for hundreds and thousands of years. 

Someday the United States is going to become one of those Third World countries.  And when we collapse, we won't even be able to research alternative treatments.  We need to do that now.  Or perhaps, we need to study what has been done, and learn how to use it.  Plants are sources of incredibly powerful antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, antihelminths, etc.  And they're renewable and sustainable, unlike the fish or leftover antibiotics that you've squirreled away.  And bacteria can't develop resistance to them.  Awesome, huh?

And now for the standard disclaimer:  As you read these posts on alternative medicine, keep in mind that all of this is for entertainment and informational purposes only.  It's to help you decide whether the uses of any given plant will be of benefit in your future and whether it's something you need to research more on your own.  Plant-based medicine can be extremely powerful (opium or foxglove (digitalis), anyone?) and can interact with traditional pharmaceuticals.  Do not take any herbal without consulting your physician.  There may be contraindications, especially during pregnancy.  Just because it is a plant does not mean it is perfectly safe.  And, anyone can experience an allergic reaction to anything at any time.

My husband has wanted me to do this for years, mainly as a means of additional income for the family.  With my professional writing experience and years of living and teaching a self-reliant lifestyle, he figured it was a no-brainer.  I opposed the idea for at least a few reasons:  I definitely did not want to attract the attention of the bad guys; seven or eight years ago when my husband first started suggesting this idea I was sure our societal collapse was imminent, and therefore encouraging people to prepare through my writing would be pointless; and writing takes time and any project I undertake (especially one that will have an audience) must be done very well.

So what's changed?  Nothing.  I still don't want to attract unwanted attention (or any, really--I loathe the limelight).  I still feel collapse is imminent.  Few people will be encouraged to prepare through my writing and there are already loads of other blogs out there.  Writing still takes me forever; I think a preparedness blog should be done every day--after all, preparedness is a daily way of life--not something that happens weekly or monthly or whenever.  And blogs are supposed to have pictures.  Lots of pictures.  I loathe taking pictures and taking the time to insert them and I don't have a good camera or good lighting for it most of the time.

And I hear a friend's voice advising me not to let the great be the enemy of the good.  My goal is to provide a good source of information and ideas for preparing better.  I'll take pictures when absolutely necessary.  Because we are busy people and because many learn and retain information best when it is presented in small amounts more frequently, this will be a daily blog, Monday through Saturday, with most posts that can be read in just a few minutes.  If you have questions, post a comment and I will answer ASAP. 

If collapse is imminent, I shouldn't attract too much unwanted attention, so it is ok to begin this project.  As I write this with the purpose of educating my children and grandchildren and getting my brain on paper for them--and doing it on a daily basis, I have to let go of perfectionism in my writing.  And I'll have to let readers use their imagination or the internet when most writers would let pictures do the talking.

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