Manuka Honey - information and top tips to know about.

The past few years has seen growing awareness and publicity of the unique healing properties of active manuka honey from New Zealand. It has been found to greatly help people with digestive disorders, stomach ulcers, wound healing, and leg ulcers.

With much anecdotal evidence from success stories of people who have used this honey, now there is growing scientific and clinical research to back it up. The honey research unit at Waikato University in New Zealand has been leading the way with published papers on the use of active manuka honey for wound care, healing of leg ulcers, and digestive problems. They are the ones who first identified the unique properties that are found in the active versions of manuka honey.

You should have an understanding of what makes active manuka honey special, and that not all manuka honey will contain these properties. Last year in New Zealand, the home of manuka honey, there was a case of a supplier ‘passing off’ standard non-active manuka honey as containing the active properties. They were successfully fined by the New Zealand Commerce Commission.

So what is it that makes active manuka honey special? All honey contains a level of hydrogen peroxide, which provides a level of antibacterial power from the actions of the enzyme glucose oxidase that is also found in honey. But this can be adversely affected by other enzymes found in wound fluids and body tissue. However, active manuka honey also contains what is referred to as the ‘unique manuka factor’ (UMF). It is this that creates the special properties, including the extra antibacterial and antibiotic properties, that is found in UMF active manuka honey, as the UMF is not affected by the other enzymes, and is much more stable and active in a variety of conditions. The existence of the UMF in manuka honey is found by testing for its level of antibacterial activity.

If you want ensure that what you are buying, whether from a high street store or online, is the proper UMF active manuka honey, then there are the following guidelines as issued by the Active Manuka Honey Association.

Genuine UMF Manuka Honey complies with all five of the following criteria:

1. It has the name UMF clearly stated on the front label.
2. It is packed into jars and labelled in New Zealand.
3. It is from a New Zealand company licensed to use the name UMF.
4. It has the UMF licensee’s name on the front label.
5. It has a rating of UMF10 or more.

For some additional information on its uses, and an example of genuine product see Active Manuka Honey for internal use. There is also the option of a sterilised manuka honey specifically for external uses such as wound care and leg ulcers.

So whether you are purchasing manuka honey from your health food store in the high street, or online, keep the above points in mind, and you can make sure you are getting the proper active manuka honey that you are expecting.