Nowadays, Australian Manuka Honey has reached the peak of its popularity, it has gained much attention and not only because it tastes really good. We live in an era in which people rely more and more on natural cures in order to treat their ailments. Created by bees that have pollinated the native Manuka tea tree bush, around 95% of the world's Manuka Honey supply comes form New Zealand. Australian Manuka honey has undergone many studies and scientists have established that it has medical qualities which can not be found in other types of honey. Therefore, studies have shown that it has many uses; when applied topically - it increases the speed of healing and fights infection, it treats burns and it has anti-inflamatory and antifungal properties. With Manuka's many uses, it could be hard to decide which one to buy and how to differentiate between the various types of ratings that are given to the products. To make it clear, there is only one Australian Manuka honey, but the potency of any individual batch depends on the quantity of the floral nectar used by the bees to make the honey. Laboratory tests are used to determine the amount of phytochemicals present, which tells us the antibacterial potency of the honey. The question that rises is: Why are there different rating systems and which one is the best? There are different rating systems because various Manuka honey producers have different beliefs when it comes to which elements in the honey create its potency. Manuka's non-peroxide activity (NPA) as well as its high levels of hydrogen peroxide are what makes this honey different from others. Therefore, you need to try and ascertain the level of NPA in the Manuka honey which should always be laboratory tested and proven as being 'active' because the inactive one is not medicinal. The most common rating system that is used today is the “Unique Manuka Factor” (UMF). The general rule is that Manuka with a potency of 10 or higher is considered 'active' and able to use medicinally. This number is used in comparison to a 10% solution of antibacterial phenol. Scientists have come to the realization that the antibacterial qualities of Australian Manuka honey come from many factors, the UMF takes them all into consideration and rates them. These ratings are regulated from the Manuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA) in New Zealand where all the honey is analyzed and tracked from the apiaries right through to packaging. The most common ratings range from UMF 10+ to UMF 20+. The ‘+’ sign is added because after storage the amount of antibacterial activity can increase over time. The UMF rating system is independently audited, so no producer can use this rating unless they have complied with the strict UMF auditing process. Keep in mind that a very high number on a Australian Manuka honey label or a high price does not automatically mean that it is the most medical option. You need to make sure that the rating system which is used is regulated, the numbers have not been combined and the product has not been heated.
Since the numbers of Australian Manuka Honey containers range form 5+ to 550, people are often confused as to which level of potency is most suitable for their needs. Also, there are a number of different acronyms used with these ratings such as MGO, UMF, NPA and so on. Therefore, it is important to know that MGO ratings are numerically much higher than those of the UMF system (E.G. 550+), and although it is argued MGO is not the only factor causing antibacterial activity, a rough comparison would be: UMF 5+ = MGO 100+; UMF 10+ = MGO 250+; UMF 15+ = MGO 500+; and UMF 20+ = MGO 800+ (all MGO numbers are approximate).
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