Thursday 8 September 2022 12:05 AM Manuka honey experts find trendy spread can help tackle deadly drug-resistant ... trends now

Advocates believe it can soothe toothaches and burns, and even ward off a runny nose and sore throat.

But manuka honey may have another health power — the ability to fight superbugs.

Researchers found the trendy spread, which can sell for up to £1,300 per pot, could kill one particularly drug-resistant infection. 

Experts behind the tests, done in petri dishes, claimed manuka honey holds 'great promise' in fighting Mycobacterium abscessus, the nasty bug it was tested on.

Made by bees that feast on manuka trees located only in New Zealand and Australia, the product often warrants sky-high price tags.

A-listers Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson and Katherine Jenkins have all extolled the virtues of this 'liquid gold' in the past few years.

Mycobacterium abscessus is dangerous to people with weakened immune systems or those with existing lung conditions like cystic fibrosis.

It comes from the same family as tuberculosis and requires a cocktail of antibiotics — known as antimicrobial chemotherapy — to treat.

Patients can experience severe side effects from the drugs, including hearing loss, vomiting, diarrhea, hives and fatigue.

But Aston University in Birmingham experts found using the honey in combination with lower doses of one type of antibiotic could help treat the infections.

This could pave the way for new drugs combining the two substances that would improve the quality of life of patients in the future, they said.