Kuwait honey sales rise on swine flu fears

Honey sales in Kuwait rose 20 percent last month as people concerned about the spread of swine flu attempted to boost their immune system naturally.

Traditional medicine expert Youssef Al-Faresi told KUNA news agency that people were taking honey to ward off the H1N1 virus because of a lack of official vaccines.

"Honey is commonly known for its stigmatisation of the antibodies; it is useful for schoolchildren who could get in touch with swine flu patients," he said.

"Recent studies conducted by western scientists proved traditional concepts on the positive impacts of honey on immunity.”

Al-Faresi estimated that honey sales in Kuwait had risen by 20 percent in August from the previous month.

"Honey is an affordable natural way that could help man to lead a healthy life when it taken in its raw form on regular daily basis," Al-Faresi said.

There have been 1,779 confirmed cases of swine flu in Kuwait since April, KUNA said, including 443 last week.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Health said 99 percent of swine flu patients made a full recovery.