What is Manuka Honey?
Manuka honey is typically harvested in Australia and New Zealand and derived from the manuka tree (Leptospermum scoparium). Bees in these regions are very specific when foraging for the Manuka flower nectar. The forager bees collect the nectar and when they return to their hive, they pass the nectar to the younger bees which creates a cycle of movement from the workers to the honeycomb. While doing this, they leave deposits of nectar and enzymes. The incoming honey is still about 70% water and must be condensed down to 20% or less to become what we know as honey. Through the process of breaking it down, the bees start moving their wings over the honey cells, assisting the evaporation process turning sucrose into glucose and fructose.
Is All Manuka Honey The Same?
The 2 types of Manuka honey are monofloral or multifloral honey. Multifloral Manuka Honey consists of nectar collected from multiple flowers, whereas Monofloral Manuka Honey is made from predominantly manuka nectar. Monofloral is more potent than multifloral manuka honey. Therefore, monofloral manuka honey tends to have more health benefits, and attracts a higher price. This is important to know when shopping the market for honey.
When choosing which Manuka Honey I always look for higher UMF and MG/MGO numbers. The MGO number identifies the rating and shows the strength of the honey’s Methylglyoxal Level in mg/kg. In other words, this number shows the level of antimicrobial medicinal activity. This number ranges from 0-2000.
The UMF number is more of a grade on how pure the honey is, and this grade scale is between 5 and 30. If there is no grade on the label, it is considered 0-4. A grade of 0-4 honey is bought to be used as a sweetener. The UMF of 5-15 is considered to be a more therapeutic grade and is exceptional for healing acute symptoms. When the UMF rating is 15-30, it is the most potent form and can fight more powerful bacteria and viruses.
The highest numbers for both is obviously the best quality and is what I recommend to keep around the house for all seasons. If the price is too high at least try to find Manuka Honey in the mid-range for both UMF and MGO ratings.
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Did you know that high grade Manuka Honey can kill those stubborn “superbugs” that are resistant to common antibiotics? It is as powerful or more powerful than antibiotics and guess what? There aren’t side effects. You won’t wipe out the microflora of the gut that takes years to get back to normal. You won’t have gastro issues or yeast infections. Manuka honey works with the body to overcome illnesses, the common cold, viruses such as COVID, the Flu and it’s excellent for throat bacterial/viral illnesses. It can also be used as a preventative measure around flu season or in areas where there will be higher levels of germs, bacteria, and viruses.
