Not to the be purveyor of bad news, but every thirty seconds someone somewhere in the world undergoes amputation for a diabetic foot ulcer. Because people with diabetes often have poor circulation and a diminished ability to battle against infection, diabetic ulcers typically form in areas with open sores -- ending in many cases with the need to amputate.

But, this may all be changed in the future, thanks in large part to researchers at the University of Wisconsin Health Eau Clair Family Medical clinic, and to a very natural cure: Honey.

The first randomized, double-blind controlled trial examining the efficacy of treating diabetic ulcers with honey is soon to take place at the UW clinic. The researchers are hopeful that their results will prove favorable, as honey was used by one of the UW doctors to successfully treat a patient years ago who was facing amputation after all other medical options had proved unsuccessful.

Currently, diabetic ulcers are treated with antibiotics. But, the problem is, after a while the ulcers become colonized with drug-resistant organisms, thereby rendering the antibiotics ineffectual. Honey, however, is essentially immune to resistance, making it a powerful agent against infection.

Doctors hope that the use of honey may help prevent the exacerbation of diabetic ulcers, but also stress that successful care also involves avoiding walking and putting weight on the sore, and also the sterile removal of dead skin and bacteria from the wound.

Botox, anyone? No? You're gorgeous as you are, you say? Okay, then how about a shot for your feet? Research is under way to discover whether or not Botox could be used to treat the foot sores that so many diabetics suffer from. The injection used to smooth out facial wrinkles is being tested by scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine. They are looking for an alternative treatment to the usual method of putting affected feet in casts to let them heal. The problem is that the ulcers are extremely slow to heal in diabetics and they often recur down the road.

Mary Hastings, one of the scientists involved in the experiments, says it's possible the ulcers are so persistent because the skin of the feet of those affected is not tough enough to bear the pressure of walking as does normal, healthy skin. It is thought that Botox could help by being injected into the calf, above the ulcer, in a way that relieves the pressure on the foot throughout the critical healing process, which lasts several weeks. Hey, you don't know till you try. And if it's successful, maybe diabetics in the future will be identifiable by their beautiful, shapely calves!