It is the beautiful flower of the Manuka bush that produces the sweet and incredibly valuable nectar. This unusual plant with the Latin name Leptospermum scoparium is a related species of the Australian tea tree, but it can only be found in New Zealand. The healing power of their honey is known worldwide and has been for quite a long time. More precisely, for thousands of years. New Zealand natives used the leaves, bark and ultimately the sweet elixir not only as a dietary supplement, but also as a remedy for countless ailments. Applying honey to diseased areas of skin and taking the tasty honey alleviated the respective symptoms. Even today, or especially today, Manuka honey is considered a particularly nutritious and wholesome elixir that, despite advanced conventional medicine, is still used successfully to relieve various ailments.
Manuka nectar mixed with pure honey
The quality of Manuka honey in its unadulterated form is initially extremely pure and, above all, rich in important ingredients that are ultimately used to relieve a wide range of ailments or serve as a dietary supplement. When buying honey, it is even more important to pay attention to very good quality. The bottling process plays an important role here, as does where the honey is bottled.
Quality standards should be absolutely adhered to and not compromised. If honey is bottled in Germany, for example, consumers should pay attention to the so-called MGO content of the honey. This methylglyoxal value is one of the most important components of honey and at the same time also the main active ingredient in honey. The honey's high or low antibacterial effect is ultimately certified based on this value. If this is high, it will automatically be rewarded with a high quality award. The quality and also the MGO value must be evaluated and finally certified by a well-known and independent honey laboratory using special analysis technology. This value can generally be read on the respective honey jar. If this is not the case, the consumer can even contact the honey bottler using a control number and find out the MGO analysis values of this honey. In principle, every consumer should be able to trace back to the bottler; this is the only way to ensure complete research.
Manuka honey comes directly from New Zealand
The Manuka honeyis harvested and bottled in New Zealand. If you would like to buy this as an imported product that was also bottled directly on site, you can also do this conveniently online. When the honey is bottled, it undergoes an analysis, just like in this country, to determine the respective MGO value. In New Zealand, however, it is the UMF value, the Unique Manuka Factor, i.e. the real Manuka value. This value is only determined for Manuka honeys that were actually bottled in New Zealand. In order for this value to appear on the honey jars, beekeepers must pay a license fee. There are some MGO guidelines that certify and distinguish the quality of the honey. For example, if the MGO value is over 400 or its UMF value is almost over 20, the honey is said to be of exceptional top quality.
Methylglyoxal is the active ingredient that is particularly concentrated in Manuka honey
In chemistry, methylglyoxal is also known as 2-oxoprpanal. It is actually a byproduct that organisms produce during metabolic processes, especially in combination with glycolysis. At the same time, this component is a reduced form of pyruvic acid. This active ingredient is found in the honeycomb itself and is created through a natural drying process. The antibacterial effect of this active ingredient has been consistently proven, as has the fact that this active ingredient is particularly concentrated in Manuka honey.
Honey as a natural remedy
Even in ancient times, honey was considered a true miracle cure and valuable elixir. Ulcers and open wounds were rubbed with honey and the healing process was often quicker and less painful. The Maoris, the natives of New Zealand, already recognized that Manuka honey is and was special. They first used the leaves of the myrrh bush and placed them on wounds, cut off the bark of the bush, boiled it as a decoction and administered it as medicine against gastrointestinal problems. The Maori also saw the miraculous effects of the plant and ultimately also of honey on colds.
The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory active ingredients of honey and the plant were only recognized and finally made public after the 18th century by the botanist Joseph Banks. Even New Zealand farmers swore by the healing powers of honey and gave it to their cows to make them more resistant to disease. TheAreas of application of Manuka honeyare very different and rarely fail to have their effect. Starting with skin diseases such as acne, neurodermatitis, skin fungi, cracked skin, right up to alleviating the symptoms of psoriasis. The antibacterial effect of honey is ideal for promoting healing in acute injuries,
• like burns,
• abrasions,
• cuts,
• for chronic and recurrent wounds,
Even with diabetic foot syndromes, where the healing process is very difficult and lengthy, honey works surprisingly quickly and well. But also for gastrointestinal complaints, reflux esophagitis, the so-called heartburn, and also for acute inflammation of the digestive tract. These and many other areas of disease and their symptoms have been proven to provide significant relief of symptoms and even complete healing in some cases when using honey.
Manuka honey is particularly effective for gastrointestinal complaints
Taking this honey has proven to be particularly effective for complaints of the entire digestive tract. For example, New Zealand's University of Wakaito researched that honey works wonders in combating the insidious bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which only resides in the gastrointestinal zones and is proven to be the cause of gastritis. Manuka honey is also the enemy of the bacterium Escherichia coli, which also infects the human digestive tract. The Maori knew instinctively that honey only did good things and that its beneficial effects were particularly evident in these ailments. The sweet medicine was not only extremely digestible and nutritious, but was also considered a miracle cure from nature.
Where conventional medicine fails and honey works
What is particularly worth mentioning is the fact that honey is able to equally combat stubborn strains of bacteria that demonstrate antibiotic resistance. And this could be or become of perhaps unspeakable importance for humanity in the near future. Since more and more people are taking antibiotics too carelessly, they are prescribed too quickly for even mild illnesses such as colds, and antibiotics are also used in meat production, more and more resistant ones are forming. The bacteria mutate and are immune to common antibiotics - a dangerous undertaking, because if these people become seriously ill, no antibiotic will work.
However, honey manages to destroy very specific strains of bacteria. An example is the pus bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. It often affects people with a weakened immune system who may struggle with wound healing after operations or accidents. The insidious bacterium causes the classic wound infection, which is very difficult to get under control even with medical and clinical observation and treatment measures. Here too, honey works wonders and manages to contain and even destroy these bacteria. Compared to synthetically produced antibiotics, Manuka honey does not promote the growth and spread of so-called super pathogens, mutated forms and variants of pathogens and bacteria that have clear resistance to antibiotics. It is not for nothing that this honey is becoming increasingly popular and respected, even in the subversive treatment of burns and other sensitive skin diseases, even in conventional medicine.When using this honey externallyIt should be said that, thanks to its extraordinary concentration of the active ingredients typical of honey, it shows its effect excellently and very quickly. No honey can compete with it and no ointment for wound healing, for example, has such a high concentration of the natural active ingredients listed here as this honey.
Manuka honey for teeth cleaning?
In fact, honey, no matter what type, is sweet and sticky and few people can imagine that honey is actually supposed to be beneficial for your teeth. Manuka honey also protects against plaque thanks to its antibacterial effects. Honey also works in a similar way to the use of the chemical chlorhexidine solution, which is used as a mouthwash to prevent tooth decay. The difference is that compared to chemical mouthwash, Manuka honey consists of 100 percent natural substances. This makes it the absolute favorite among natural remedies, especially as a healthy remedy.
Manuka honey is recommended for external use for diabetics
Manuka honey is highly recommended for external use by people who suffer from diabetes. However, you should not choose this honey for internal consumption. Diabetes is a metabolic disease and since these people have high MGO levels due to their illness, they should not consume honey. Scientists still do not agree on whether the MGO value could also be involved in the development of diabetic neuropathy. People who do not suffer from diabetic disease can taste and enjoy this honey safely.
More and more beekeepers in New Zealand because of the precious Manuka honey
Due to the constant demand for the valuable honey, beekeeping also grew on New Zealand soil. As a result, just a few years ago a kilo of Manuka honey cost around 37 New Zealand dollars and just five years later, in 2015, the price per kilo of honey soared to over 100 NZD. With around 20,000 tons of honey, 2015 was one of the most profitable years for beekeepers there. Where a lucrative source of income can be opened up through relatively simple handling, criminal activities also followed in the Manuka beekeeping scene itself. The food plants for the bees were guarded and protected, feeding areas were contested and the bees suffered the most. During this time, hundreds of bee colonies were not only simply stolen, but also poisoned. Origin and producer certificates, which are shown on the honey jars with the respective MGO or UMF value, ensure safety.
