Unique Manuka Factor or commonly known as UMF is the only worldwide standard in identifying and measuring the antibacterial strength or quality of some strains of Manuka. It is a guarantee that the honey being sold has the special UMF antibacterial property and a UMF rating of 10 is the minimum recognised. Ordinary manuka has only the hydrogen peroxide antibacterial property which is common to most types of honey, whereas UMF Manuka has both the natural hydrogen peroxide antibacterial property and its own natural UMF antibacterial property, giving it increased antibacterial potency. The UMF property is very stable, unlike the hydrogen peroxide antibacterial property common in most honey which is easily destroyed by heat, light as well as certain enzymes in body serum.
UMF Manuka, also known as "Medihoney" in some pharmacies, is the preferred honey for wound dressing and other special therapeutic uses and studies are showing Manuka with high levels of UMF could be very effective in helping relieve stomach ulcer symptoms and gastritis, and sore throats, and when applied topically, in assisting the natural cure of skin ulcers, wounds, burns, boils, cracked skin. That is also why many skincare products also contain UMF manuka as a special ingredient and promise positive benefits from their regular application on the skin.
UMF is not in the nectar of all Manuka flowers, which are known as Leptospermum scoparium and belong to the the Tea Tree bushes found only in New Zealand's coastal areas. Some Manuka bushes do not produce honey with the UMF property every year, and the concentrations of UMF can vary from batch to batch and year to year. The reason why only some Manuka honeys have the unique UMF antibacterial property is not yet known. It could be from a subspecies of Manuka or due to some environmental factor such as soil type. In the shop, you will find the varying UMF strengths - UMF 10, UMF 15, UMF 20, UMF 25, and the higher the UMF, the more expensive is the honey. All genuine UMF manuka honeys from New Zealand are packed into jars and labelled with a registered trademark UMF® by licensed companies, and have a rating of UMF 10 or more. These licensed users of the UMF® label in New Zealand have to meet standards of regular monitoring and auditing of their honey quality. So if you come across an UMF honey which is packed in New Zealand and is labelled UMF 8, you should know something is amiss.
Another reason why Manuka honey, which is available in most Kiwi homes, is favoured by so many honey fans is that it has a higher than normal conductivity, which is an indirect measurement of mineral content of a honey -- about 4 times that of normal flower honeys. I particularly love the taste of Manuka - it has a lot of depth and a unique unforgetable foresty aroma stands out amongst the honey varieties. I often find myself mixing a tablespoon of the honey with warm water or hot tea whenever I experience sore throat, cough, cold or flu symptoms, or when feel "heatiness" in my body. Now, the honey shops here (in Singapore) also sell New Zealand made Manuka honey lozenges for soothing the throat. I paid about 9 Sing dollars (about 6 US dollars) for a pack of 20 such honey drops with UMF 20+ and propolis which contained very high level of bioflavonoids. Its ant-inflammatory properties worked perfect in curing my phelmy throat and it was delicious despite that it tasted a bit bitter due to the propolis, and it gave me a slight numbing effect on my tongue as I sucked it.
Copyright (c) 2008 Ruth Tan
Benefits Of Manuka Honey
A good facial contributes a lot in revitalizing your skin. A facial pack that includes honey works wonders. It's indeed a unique experience to get a honey facial done. Not only honey is a great cleansing agent but it also makes the skin soft. Honey, is rich in antioxidants, therefore, this natural product can work as a great moisturizer helping you in eradicating blemishes, acne etc.Thus, considering the great nourishing features of honey, a honey facial is definitely worth giving a try. You can always get started with a manuka honey face gel.
Manuka honey products are presently considered the prime natural healers amongst the few that are in this world. In fact medical research has backed active manuka honey as a potent cure for several disorders. This honey has its origins in New Zealand. A few of the ailments that find a cure in these honey products are wounds, leg ulcers, peptic ulcers, and digestive problems.
The Waikato University in New Zealand has conducted several researches in assessing the medicinal properties of active manuka honey and has concluded that they have several healing properties in excess usual honey that we find in the market. The University of Auckland and the University of Wales Institute Cardiff are trying to find the usefulness of these special active honey in the treatment of leg ulcers and MRSA respectively.
The common usage of the term 'UMF' or unique manuka factor for general honey products or lesser manuka honey products often is the chief source of confusion in the promotion of these honey products. The general public still has to learn of the curative properties of the actual active manuka honey and at the same time learn about their potency.
Like all other honey products, the manuka variant also has hydrogen peroxide with its anti bacterial power. The enzyme glucose oxidase is another thing that is contained in these honey. What happens when the honey is applied on wounds and incisions is that these compounds found in common honey are rendered weak by human enzymes. In manuka honey products off course there is the added unique manuka factor that enhances the antibacterial and antibiotic characteristics of usual honey. Hence, manuka honey facial products such as the common manuka honey face gel presents a lot of anti-bacteria as well as healing properties which is perfect for skin with problems.
This UMF is hardly affected by the human enzymes in wounds and cuts. Off course the UMF label should only go to specific laboratory tested samples of manuka honey. This test differentiates the ordinary manuka honey that has similar taste but lesser healing capacity from the extremely potent variety of manuka honey that gets the UMF label. The test also specifies the level of potency for specific samples of these honey before they are launched in the market in packaged form. In fact UMF is a registered trademark with the state's sanction. Thus the government helps you in identifying the correct sample of manuka honey that you need. So do not fall for lesser products by way of advertisement.
The Active Manuka Honey Association provides you with guidelines that help you choose the right kind of product in stores or online websites. The AMHA offers 5 criteria as requirement for the sale of UMF manuka honey products. These are:
* A rating of UMF10 or higher is required. * The UMF licensee's name should be clearly visible on the front of the bottle. * The UMF label should similarly appear on the front of the bottle. * A New Zealand company with the UMF license should package the bottle. * The packaging and labeling should have been done in New Zealand.
So now that you know about the benefits of Manuka honey facial products, go check out their most popular product - Manuka honey face gel!
Both Ruth Tan & Christy Smith are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Ruth Tan has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Dieting and Health. Ruth Tan runs the popular website Benefits of Honey which is an immensely rich, quality resource on honey and its benefits, and a plethora of health-related issues. Discover the amazing health benefits and all the positive spin-offs super-food honey can b. Ruth Tan's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.
Christy Smith has sinced written about articles on various topics from Skin Care, Health and Wrinkles. Christy S endorses Cher Sern Lim who is a natural skin care researcher with more than 7 years of experience in . Please visit. Christy Smith's top article generates over 165000 views. to your Favourites.
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