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Too much sugar can be a bad thing if you are watching your weight. However, pouring granulated sugar over wounds can speed up the healing process, according to a latest research from the U.K.

The research is being carried out by Moses Murandu who grew up in Zimbabwe, where wounds are treated with sugar, says Birmingham Press.com. Murandu is a senior lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton.

One of the patients who got the 'sugar treatment' is Alan Bayliss, who had recently undergone an amputation due to an ulcer at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham and wasn't responding well to standard post-operative care.

In just two weeks, the wound showed significant reduction.

"When Moses first did the dressing he almost used the whole pot of sugar, but two weeks later he only needed to use 4 or 5 teaspoons," said Bayliss, a 62-year-old electrical engineer. "I am very pleased indeed. I feel that it has speeded up my recovery a lot, and it has been a positive step forward. I was a little sceptical at first but once I saw the sugar in operation and how much it was drawing the wound out, I was impressed," Birmingham Press.com quoted him as saying.

The sugar helps in wound recovery by drawing up the water around the wound and not allowing bacteria to grow in the wound.

Jonathan Janneman, a staff nurse, said that the sugar helps build up the morale of the patient which is an important factor in dealing with wounds.

"It is amazing that something as simple as sugar has given him a morale boost - the psychological benefit is up there with the physical benefits. The patient is ecstatic with the results," Janneman said, Birmingham Press.com reports. 

About 35 patients have been treated with the sugar treatment and none have reported any side-effects.