Would you lick your own wound?

Have you seen animals lick their wounds? I’m sure you have, but have you ever wondered why? Logically it points to the fact that there are wound healing properties in saliva, but how do animals know this? It must be instinctive, however we human beings need to know more than what our instincts can tell us. It is actually proven by research that there is a compound in your saliva that greatly speeds wound healing by 30% compared to a wound not treated with saliva.

This compound is actually a small protein called histatin. Previously this protein was thought to  be just an antibacterial substance in saliva but now people know that it can actually heal wounds. This is also why wounds in your mouth, for example from an extracted tooth, or a burnt tongue will heal much faster compared to wounds on other parts of your body. Histatins are easy to synthesize in laboratories and it could potentially be mass produced to make creams, ointments or infused in gauze for the treatment of wounds. 

Your saliva contains more than 200 compounds and they have many functions such as for preventing cavities, preventing fungi and to protect against HIV transmission. 

So go ahead, lick your own wound! 

Shared by Melissa
Guest Blogger