What Happens When Manuka Honey is Exposed to Air?

The healing properties of honey are well known, and most people will readily down spoonfuls of the stuff to cure a cold or sore throat. But Manuka honey has something extra. Already a super food, it's an efficient antiseptic and a popular treatment for all kinds of infections and skin complaints. The magic of Manuka honey is not just that it comes from one small region of New Zealand, but what happens when it is exposed to air.

History

More than 20 years ago professor Peter Molan from the University of Waikato in New Zealand identified the extraordinary healing powers of Manuka honey. The Manuka bush grows only in certain areas of New Zealand, and the honey produced from the flowers of this bush contains a nonperoxide antiseptic, a host of antioxidants and a unique, and so far unidentified, ingredient. Other honey loses its potency when exposed to light and heat, but the special ingredient in Manuka honey means it is resilient to dilution from air. Professor Molan called this ingredient the UMF, or Unique Manuka Factor.

Uses

Professor Malon claims Manuka honey is effective on every type of infection, including ulcers, sores, fungating cancer wounds and post-operative bacteria. Manuka honey is also an effective treatment for acne and other skin complaints because of its hygroscopic qualities. When exposed to air, the honey absorbs moisture and so keeps the treated skin moist. This speeds healing and prevents scarring. Clinical trials have shown that the antibacterial properties in Manuka honey are so powerful they can successfully tackle MRSA and Staph infections.

Quality

There are now so many brands of Manuka honey available, all at different prices, that it's difficult to know which one is the best. Professor Molan's UMF used to be the only reliable method for rating the potency of the honey: 10 being the lowest score at which the honey was effective and 25 the highest. Now a new method measures the methogloxyl content of the honey, or MGC. Kerry Paul, chief executive of Manuka Health, prefers this system. The MGC of Manuka honey is up to one hundred times that of ordinary honey.

Warning

Ken Allen, a National Health Service supplier, says no Manuka honey needs a high rating to be effective. He claims that a shop-bought jar of honey with a rating of 10 is a strong enough antiseptic to heal leg ulcers but warns the public to be wary of using shop-bought Manuka honey on serious burns or wounds, because unlike the honey used within the health service, it has been neither sterilized nor purified.