Information
A few facts about Manuka Honey
Last Updated (Wednesday, 20 February 2008 17:08)
Written by Helix
Wednesday, 20 February 2008 08:37
In recent years honey has begun to enjoy something of a renaissance in its use as a therapeutic treatment for many internal and external ailments, both serious and minor. Honey is an ancient luxury food but also played a central role as a traditional wound dressing used by many cultures throughout history including the native Maoris of New Zealand. It is only in the last decade that the world's medical establishment has begun to take more seriously the possible clinical benefits of Active Manuka Honey and consider it as a first line treatment in a number of serious skin surface applications. The discovery of a unique antibacterial property has led Active Manuka Honey to be considered for both external and internal digestive uses. Previously, this valuable natural resource has been disregarded by conventional medical wisdom to be no more important than any other 'traditional' or homeopathic remedy. Much of the credit for the advancement in our understanding must be given to Dr. Peter Molan of the Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand. Dr Molan has been involved in studying and cataloguing the effects of honey on the healing process leading to a fuller appreciation of the factors at play in the treatment of a persistent bacterial skin infection. All honey has some level of the antibacterial chemical hydrogen peroxide, which is produced by enzymes in the honey. These enzymes are easily destroyed by exposure to heat and light and also by contact with body fluids. It is now understood that some rare honeys have an antibacterial action that is separate to the peroxide effect, resulting in a much more persistent and stable antibacterial action. Such valuable honeys are resistant to losing their antibacterial activity when used in wound treatment and even have strong activity when heavily diluted by body fluids in a wound dressing. Furthermore, such honeys are now known to have a synergistic antibacterial effect with the hydrogen peroxide activity, producing a very powerful weapon against bacterial conditions. Since 1991 it has been recognized that not all honey is effective in its non-peroxide anti-bacterial action and in its promotion of healing - in fact the variability between different batches of honey can be as much as 100-fold. In 1996 an organization called TradeNZ, in conjunction with the Honey Research Unit, set about to establish a standard for the classification of antibacterial honey activity. This led to the creation of the UMF® industry standard - UMF standing for Unique Manuka Factor. The Honey Research Unit developed a procedure for rating honeys which has now been in place for some time. Tested batches of Manuka Honey are given a UMF® rating, depending on their tested antibacterial activity. A UMF® rating of 10 is the minimum activity to gain the UMF rating and thus be considered useful in serious applications. Honey achieving this rating is commonly referred to as Active Manuka Honey, although Manuka honey is often marketed as being 'active' even though it is not. While Manuka honey is fairly widely available, it is considered that only that which carries the UMF® registered trademark should be chosen if the intended use is for therapeutic purposes, and the majority of recent medical trial have predominantly used Manuka honey with a UMF strength of 10 or more UMF rated Active Manuka Honey is produced by honey bees from the flowers of the Manuka bush (leptospermum scoparium). As a result of extensive screening it is now known that honey produced from the Australian leptospermum polygalifolium also has a useful antibacterial action. The Manuka bush grows uncultivated throughout New Zealand and its Australian counterpart can be found in some parts of Australia - also uncultivated. Active Manuka Honey and its Australian cousin is the only honey available for purchase which is tested and verified for its antibacterial activity. There have been many observed beneficial external effects of using the honey topically. There are many case studies and research articles written by the New Zealand medical establishment. Active Manuka Honey has been reported to be effective when applied to fungal skin conditions including dermatophytes. A common feature of fungal conditions is that there is also a strong presence of bacterial infestation. While antibiotics can often provide an effective remedy, they are often inneffective at clearing up the fungal infection. The use of Active Manuka Honey is not restricted to skin applications alone. It has also been widely used for a number of internal uses and is regularly recommended in the alternative medicine columns in the popular press. For further reading of press and media coverage of the honey then please click the 'news' link in the navigation buttons to the left.
see http://bio.waikato.ac.nz/honey/contents.shtml for further reading:- SEE ALSOhttp://www.nursing-standard.co.uk/archives/ns/vol15-11/v15w11p6368.pdf
http://www.wounds1.com/news/mainstory.cfm/45/1 http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-6882-1-2.pdf
http://www.honeybalm.com/diseases/wound-healing-honey.php
and many many more…Article compiled by Helix (February 2008) from various reliable internet sources
