UMF - Active Manuka Honey

The Infection Fighter

It is a well-known fact that honey was used as a wound dressing for thousands of years up until the advent of antibiotics. Recent research done by Dr Peter Molan of the University of Waikato, has shown how honey is effective in the treatment of wounds. In all honey, the glucose-oxidase enzyme introduced by the bee to the honey, slowly releases the antiseptic, hydrogen peroxide, at a level effective against bacteria but not tissue damaging. The hydrogen peroxide content varies from honey to honey and is the first factor that made honey effective as a wound dressing until it was replaced by antibiotics. But this action lasts for only a certain period of time before it needs to be replaced with a fresh dressing. With further research, Dr Molan discovered that some honeys, especially some Manuka honeys, have another property that takes over when the hydrogen-peroxide stops working, thus giving it additional anti-bacterial inhibiting abilities, and makes the honey more stable as a wound treatment. It is this additional factor that separates table Manuka honey from Active Manuka Honey, as it has twin-action, anti-bacterial property which can work with the dilution of body fluids.

So why use honey instead of antibiotics? With the wide and common use of antibiotics during the last 50 years, many strains of bacteria have become and are becoming antibiotic resistant, hence the need for something else. They say history repeats itself and with the research on the anti-bacterial properties of honey, which began six years ago, and the scientific proof of its ability to inhibit growth in the seven main bacteria, doctors are beginning to use honey again. But it is not just any honey off the supermarket shelf, but Active Manuka Honey with the Unique Manuka Factor that increases its ability to fight bacteria, and thus heal wounds a lot quicker. Dr Molan commented that, "We found active Manuka honey has a very potent anti-bacterial activity and wounds we worked on were found to be sterile after one week. Sloughs and gangrenous tissue separated painlessly from the wounds, oedemas subsided, exudation ceased, bad odour was removed and re-growth of the skin around the affected area was rapid with no adverse reactions." Active Manuka honey was also found to be an ideal medication in the treatment of infantile gastro-enteritis for babies over six months, shortening the life of bacterial diarrhoea. (N.B. Honey should not be given to children under six months old,). Active Manuka Honey was also found useful in drawing the foreign matter from serious grazes; acting as an agent for drawing out prickles and poisons from the flesh, and also as a substitute for glucose and oral re-hydration fluids.

This added activity has recently been trademarked as the Unique Manuka Factor or UMFTM and is the registered trademark of the Active Manuka Honey Industry. UMFTM may be present in Manuka honey as well as other honeys. To determine this, it has to be tested by qualified scientists. When used in relation to honey, the trademark must have a number following it to indicate the extra antibacterial strength of the honey in terms of the equivalent percentage strength of phenol. This value must be no less than 10 according to Dr Peter Molan to be a super effective treatment in comparison to the activity of regular honeys.

Our honeybees have been very clever and have produced some Active Manuka Honey, which has a UMFTM property with a phenol strength percentage of more than 12. Active Manuka Honey can be even more safely and confidently used to treat wounds, cuts, burns, abscesses, skin ulcers, and varicose ulcers. Also, diluted with a sterile saline solution, it can be used to treat eye infections. Active Manuka Honey with a UMFTM rating can nourish the skin tissue, speed healing and minimise scarring.

To learn more about honey as a medicine