Manuka Honey

The Source

The manuka bush (Leptospermum scoparium) from which manuka honey comes from is native to New Zealand and more recently a honey with the same properties has been found to be produced from Leptospermum polygalifolium which grows in southeast Australia. Manuka honey, produced when honeybees gather nectar from its flowers, is distinctively flavoured, darker and richer in taste than clover honey. The finest quality Manuka honey with verified antimicrobial activity is produced from hives placed in wild, uncultivated areas with abundant growth of Manuka bushes.

It is a prolific scrub-type tree typically growing up to 5 m tall, but it can grow into a moderately sized tree of up to 15m in height. It is evergreen, with dense branching and small leaves up to 20 mm long and 6 mm broad, with a short spine tip. The flowers are white, occasionally pink around 15 mm in diameter, with five petals. The wood is tough and hard, and was often used for tool handles. Manuka sawdust is used for smoking meats and fish.

We’ve all heard the saying ‘busy bees’ …but what about ‘brainy bees’?

These clever little insects are also responsible for making Propolis – the ingredient bees use to protect their hives Legend has it that the Egyptians used Propolis, honey and other resins to mummify their pharaohs preserving them, as far as possible, for the next life!

As well as producing a purely functional role in sealing and reinforcing the hive, Propolis also performs the role of immune system for the hive keeping it sterile and free of microbial invaders.

But don’t just take our word for it! Being made up of waxes, resins, fatty acids and even amino acids, Aristotle reputedly coined the name Propolis meaning "defender of the city". And it's because of Propolis that it is assumed bees are the only living organism that are absolutely bacteria free – amazing!

Propolis is the glue-type substance which bees use to sterilise and seal parts of their hive, protecting it from bacterial, viral and fungal infections. It starts life as the sticky resinous sap which seeps from the buds and bark of various trees. The bees gather this resin and carry it back to their hive where it is blended with wax flakes and enzymes to create Propolis.

What’s so great about Propolis is that it has antioxidant properties as it is rich in flavonoids - powerful, free-radical scavengers. When free radicals are in excess they can be problematic to our health so anti-oxidants play a major part in our body's health.

While the bees deserve most of the credit for producing Propolis we should also thank the bee-keepers of olden days. After all, if they hadn’t recommended keeping a piece of Propolis in the mouth as a remedy for a dry tickly throat, we might never have discovered it!

See our Propolis Products >>

The History

For centuries honey has been used for its sweetening and nutritional properties and ancient cultures such as the Egyptians used it for wound dressing. However, the antibacterial properties of certain honeys have only been more fully understood over the last century. Manuka products, especially honey, have a unique antibacterial activity and are widely available in New Zealand. These properties led the indigenous Maori to use parts of the plant as natural remedy.

The University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand has formed the Waikato Honey Research Unit to study the composition of honey and its antimicrobial activity. The Active Manuka Honey Association (AMHA) is the industry association that promotes and standardizes the production of Manuka honey. They have created the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF® ) standard which grades honey based on its anti-bacterial activity. A honey may only use UMF® in its label if it has a UMF of 10 or more and is packed and labeled in New Zealand.

UMF Manuka Honey Products >>

The Science

In all honey, bees play a major role in introducing hydrogen peroxide a well known antiseptic with antibacterial properties.

The Honey Research Centre at Waikato University has undertaken extensive research into manuka honey and believes it has an antibacterial action that is separate to the peroxide effect giving it a more persistent and stable antibacterial action.

UMF Manuka Honey Products >>

To get the best Manuka Honey for you and your family, you need to understand a bit about UMF® - otherwise known as the 'Unique Manuka Factor'.

Now, while we don’t want to blind you with too much science, it’s important to know that the UMF® standard identifies and measures the antibacterial strength of Manuka Honey.

To become a licensed UMF® user, Manuka Honey has to be laboratory tested by the Honey Research Unit of the University of Waikato in New Zealand and achieve a UMF® rating of 10 or more. Honey with a UMF® below 10 is called Active Manuka Honey.

Laboratory tests have shown that UMF® Manuka honey is effective against a wide range of bacteria which includes the strains present in wounds and the stomach (helicobacter pylori)

So now you know! If you want Manuka Honey with guaranteed levels of antibacterial activity, only purchase honey with UMF® 10 or higher written on the label. If the label states ‘Manuka Honey 10+’ or similar, it is not UMF® rated honey.

We have a high quality range of UMF® Manuka Honey and Active Manuka Honey as well as some great Manuka Honey & Propolis products.