Manuka Honey

Ever heard of Manuka Honey? I was fascinated to learn about it. Not only is it richer and darker than regular honey, it also has antibacterial and antifungal qualities. The Manuka is a shrub that grows in New Zealand and parts of Australia; the honey is made by bees from the nectar of the flowers of this shrub.

In the past, the antibacterial level of Manuka honey was measured by the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF®) a rating system developed by an Associate Professor at the University of Waikato in 1981 and adopted by the Active Manuka Honey Association to rate Manuka Honey. But more recently (2008), Manuka Health New Zealand Ltd teamed up with Dr. Thomas Helne, University of Dresden's Head of the Institute of Food Chemistry in a research program where they discovered that Manuka Honey actually contains a dietary compound called Methylglyoxal (MGO) which gives it its antibacterial properties.

As a result Manuka Health New Zealand has developed a line of Manuka Honey products using the improved scientific MGO™ rating system. The higher the level of MGO™ in the product, the greater its health-giving properties. For example, the highest rated Manuka honey certification is MGO™ 550+ which means there's more than 550 milligrams of dietary Methylglyzoxal per kilograms of Manuka Honey.

To see Manuka Health New Zealand's complete line of MGO™ rated products, go to http://www.manukahoneyus.com/product.html. What a deal! A delicious product with healthy benefits.