Manuka honey is used for treating different diseases.
One of the most important nutrient that’s responsible for its potency is the Methylglyoxal (MGO).
In other honeys, this nutrient is only in low concentration and that’s one of the reasons manuka honey is so expensive.
It is also the reason why we have many fake products of this honey.
Manuka honey contains about a hundred times more mgo than other honeys.
For fake manuka honey, the concentration of methylglyoxal by means of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) can be determined.
Raw and quality manuka honey has anticancer properties and studies are already on the positive side on its positive effects on liver and breast cancer when it’s not in the advanced.
How to use Manuka Honey
With one to two tablespoons of manuka honey daily, it will help against digestive problems and bacteria like Lyme, H pylori and others causing stomach upset.
Manuka honey can be taken on an empty stomach in the morning or at night and you can eat it with warm water.
Two spoonful of manuka honey daily can relieve you from acid reflux.
Diseases like ulcerative colitis, fibromyalagia, diarrhea, crohn’s disease can be addressed too.
It can as well help in relieving you from symptoms of gum diseases.
For positive result in taking manuka oil, you can add one spoon in cold or lukewarm water and drink in the morning, also repeat it at night about an hour before sleeping.
Note that manuka honey may lose some active ingredients if added to hot water, rather use very warm water.
It can be used with cinnamon, apple cider vinegar as natural treatment for most of these diseases mentioned.
For the internal application, the normal manuka honey can be used and only sterilized honey should be used.
For skin wound treatment, eczema, acne, MRSA boils, staph in nose, manuka honey with the European Conformity (CE) seal from the pharmacy that is specifically approved as a medical product should be used.
How to Buy Quality Manuka Honey
While manuka honey is a natural remedy for these diseases, there are fake products everywhere and it’s important to know the source before buying it.
Fake manuka honey is usually made by pruning it with other honeys and syrups or of low-quality honey.
It is not produced everywhere because the bees pollinating the manuka tree is most common in New Zealand than any other places, including Australia.
If you’re buying manuka honey, kindly take a look at the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF). This determines the quality of the honey among other factors.
It is advisable to buy manuka honey with at least UMF 15. For effective result, UMF 20+ would be recommended.
The Unique Manuka Factor can speak so much in the difference between various products.
Other grading systems used are MgO, which stands for the Methylglyoxal concentration in mg per kg of honey, and KFactor.
The consumer can therefore use this information on the pack to see at a glance how high the Methylglyoxal content of the manuka honey is.
For example, manuka honey MgO 100 is preferred if the company’s product you’re buying used this grading system.
You can buy100g honey MgO 100 + around 10 dollars while for MGO 400 + , it’s around 25 dollars.
However, If the information about the Methylglyoxal concentration is not there, then you’ve to think twice before buying the Manuka honey
In New Zealand for example, there are about 1,800 tonnes of manuka honey produced every year while about 10,000 tonnes are traded.
This means that low quality manuka honey are sold in the market more than the quality honey.
Where you buy your medical grade manuka honey is very important so you don’t get fake products.
Therefore, make sure that you pay attention to the two protected trademarks MgO + ® and UMF ®. These quality marks only show the real Manuka.
Some popular brands selling quality manuka honey are Wedderspoon, Comvita with certified UMF 15+ products, Wildcape, Kiva, Whole Foods, Steens and many others.
Where to buy Quality Manuka Honey
You can buy Manuka honey in natural food stores, health stores, pharmacies and online retailers.
Between the values UMF and MgO, the relationship is defined by the unique Manuka Factor and Honey Association as it applies here:
UMF
- 5 +
- 10 +
- 15 +
- 20 +
- 25 +
MgO
- ≥ 83
- ≥ 263
- ≥ 514
- ≥ 829
- ≥ 1200
How to store Manuka honey
Like other honeys, the manuka honey should be stored in a cool and dry place where there’s no direct sunlight.
This will ensure the ingredients don’t lose quality.
You can buy manuka honey in a colored container and use clean spoon whenever you want to take it.
This way, you’ll be able to prevent germs and contamination which may reduce the quality of the product and lessen its positive effects.
Ensure the container is well covered and sealed and you should cork it well after each time you take it so that the valuable ingredients are not reduced when reacted with atmospheric oxygen.
Manuka honey can last for more than two years if stored properly but you should follow the expiry date stated by the producer.
During storage, liquid honey is often noticeably creamier and firmer. This consistency change is completely normal, you can continue to take the manuka honey without any doubt.
To get the manuka honey to become liquid again, simply put the amount to be used on a hot plate or put in a lukewarm water while.
Possible Side effects of Manuka Honey
There’s no serious side effects in using manuka honey but because it’s toxic to cells and can kill bacteria, some special populations are to be careful with it.
Warning against children intake
Children that are less than a year for example are not to be taking manuka honey since the honey can be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum bacteria.
This particular pathogen can release Botulinum toxin which can cause harm to children digestive tract.
However, for children more than a year and adults, the small amount of the Botulinum toxin can not be harmful to them.
Warning against diabetic patients
So also for diabetic patients, they’re advised to consult their doctors before taking manuka honey because they’re mostly likely to have high level of MGO level in their blood already.
MgO has been suspected to be one of the catalysts for the emergence of diabetic neuropathy.
Conclusion
Manuka Honey is probably the most versatile and delicious antibiotic ever!
It is suitable for a wide range of applications, available in many dosage forms and convinces with its positive effects, for example, in the case of inflammation of all kinds.