Manuka honey

Written By Admin
Dated: October 29, 2007

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Manuka honey, the healing honey.

With increasing awareness around the world, Manuka Honey from New Zealand is becoming famous for its natural healing and antibacterial properties, and usefulness as a natural remedy for a variety of conditons.

However much of the publicity and coverage of it in the media has been generalist and can omit important points. There are a few key facts and points that you should know.

First and foremost, and maybe most importantly, NOT ALL manuka honey is the same, and certainly not all of it contains the same levels of healing properties that it has earned its fame for.

This is simply as it naturally is produced. Some of it is only the equivalent of standard honey but with the (great) manuka taste - quite unique and flavoursome, and some of it only has low levels of the extra healing properties. That leaves only a portion of the manuka honey produced in New Zealand each year that actually contains the same levels of extra antibacterial and healing properties as that used in the research studies.

Yes, this is a natural remedy that actually as some research to support it.

So how do you know which is the genuine active manuka honey?

The below criteria come from the New Zealand Active Manuka Honey Association:
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.

The term 'UMF' stands for Unique Manuka Factor, which represents the extra antibacterial properties found in some manuka honey over and above the hydrogen peroxide that is common to all honey. Each batch of honey needs to be properly tested to find its level of antibacterial activity.
Unfortunately the UMF term is now frequently misused in advertising, so you should look for it on the actual jar if you want manuka honey for therapeutic use.

Note for parents: Honey, that is any / all honey, should not be given to infants under two years old. This is simply as their digestive systems are still developing, and aren't necessarily able to process honey yet. Actually there is some debate whether it should be a minimum of one or two years old before honey is given, so we have gone cautious and said two here. Discuss with your medical professional if you have any concerns over this.

For those very minor cuts and scrapes that children tend to get - where you would normally simply wash the area and cover with a sticky plaster - use whichever honey you have in the house and add a dash over the cut after it has been washed, plus some to the sticky plaster. This will just aid the healing process, and one of the benefits of using honey is the layer it leaves over a wound acts as a barrier to prevent further infection entering.

With more significant wounds, the unique natural antiseptic and antibiotic properties of proper active manuka honey aid with healing, and have a growing amount of research to support its use.

What are some common uses for active manuka honey?

Where the majority of research has been done, is for wound care / treatment. Not only can it fight any existing infection in a wound, but by creating a 'honey barrier' over the wound it prevents further bacteria getting in. Very useful when subsequent infection can be a problem with wounds.

Plus the amino acids, vitamins and trace elements and natural sugars contained in it have a beneficial nutrient effect on new tissue growth. Equally important is during dressing changes. A layer of honey prevents direct contact between the dressing and new tissue, thereby reducing damage or disturbance in the tissue that is trying to grow.

Two other styles of wound - leg ulcers, and burns, are further common uses for active manuka honey.

When it comes to internal things, the two most common uses would be for digestive problems, and coughs. A good UMF factor honey can help with stomach or peptic ulcers, bacterial infections in the digestive system, and is even quite useful for diarrhea.

You can find Genuine UMF labelled Manuka Honey in the UK here. The New Zealand Honey Shop website also contains further information and research on manuka honey.

Using honey as a medicine has been done since ancient Greek and Egyptian times. Now some modern research and clinical trials are able to offer supporting evidence for this very natural remedy.