Active Manuka Honey

Manuka groves can be found cloaked with an array of dazzling white flowers every year for a short six-week period in the lush valleys of Waikato New Zealand. Buzzing among these flowers, honeybees can be found in great abundance tapping the sweet nectar from the hearts of the Manuka flowers to create a very rare and extraordinary therapeutic grade honey known as UMF active Manuka honey

It takes more than two million Manuka flowers with bees carrying their own weight in nectar and pollen to make just one pound of this golden Manuka honey. Extremely rare, less than two percent of all of the Manuka honey per year is considered active enough to be certified UMF.

Honey is produced from a variety of floral sources and its natural antimicrobial activity varies greatly with origin and processing. Generally it is the naturally occurring hydrogen peroxide produced by enzymes in the honey that is slowly released in sufficient enough levels to be effective against bacteria but not enough to cause damage to the tissue.

UMF active Manuka honey has an added benefit specific to its floral source known as UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) that gives it an extremely powerful edge over other honeys. It is so powerful that scientific studies have shown the anti-bacterial activity of UMF active Manuka honey to be more than 100 fold stronger compared to other honey. This sweet treat even has the ability to kill antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria.

In order to determine the antibacterial activity of honey, laboratory testing must be undertaken. Currently only New Zealand Manuka honey as well as an Australian variety are tested and rated for activity. Although honey must have a rating of at least 4 to be considered active, medical professionals in New Zealand and Australia use active Manuka honey with a rating of UMF 10 or higher. A higher level of UMF is preferred for maximum potency. Active Manuka honey is compared with a standard reference antiseptic (phenol) for potency. For example, a honey with a rating of 15 would be equivalent in antiseptic potency to a 15% solution of phenol (carbolic disinfectant).