Although it costs millions, manuka honey is being sought after by many people, so what makes it so “hot”?
Ginger soaked in honey, lemon and peach soaked in honey,… are probably folk remedies for coughs that are very familiar to Vietnamese people. Not only is it effective in treating coughs, with the use of natural ingredients, this remedy is also suitable for all ages, especially for children, pregnant women and the elderly.
However, not all types of honey are the same because it is greatly influenced by the type of flower the bees collect honey from, for example: Xuyen Chi Flower Honey clear yellow color, sweet taste and suitable for mixing with drinking water; Chrysanthemum Honey It has a dark color, suitable for soaking herbs; Longan Flower Honey It has a clear yellow color suitable for food processing and drinking water…
And there is a type of honey that housewives are “crazy” about because of its uses and sky-high price, which is honey. Manuka Honey. With prices up to millions of dong for a small bottle, manuka honey is the most expensive type of honey on the market.
So what is manuka honey that is so expensive? And what is the use that makes many housewives hunt to buy it? Join Websosanh to find out and give yourself the answer:
1. What is manuka honey?
New Zealand is an island nation isolated from the rest of the world and possesses rare flora and fauna, which is why it is the birthplace of many rare products, including the Manuka flower. This is a type of wild flower, has 5 white or pink petals and blooms in spring. With a height of over 2 meters and growing in large bushes, Manuka possesses great powers and is famous for its ability to heal wounds.
According to research, Manuka pollen contains the antibacterial compound methylglyoxal, and when bees collect nectar from Mannuka flowers, the pollen will mix with the honey, and transform the methylglyoxal into dihydroxyacetone – an antibacterial compound that has antibacterial properties. Treats infections, kills bacteria, germs and heals wounds very well.
Manuka honey, or more accurately, manuka flower honey, is not simply a food but also a rare source of medicinal herbs that is exploited and brought to consumers by large honey manufacturers.
One thing to note is that manuka flowers also grow in the south of Australia, so manuka honey can originate from New Zealand or Australia.
2. What is MGO 250+ manuka honey? Meaning of UMF and MGO index
Pictured is a standard jar of manuka honey. The number 1 indicates that this is standard manuka honey, and the number 2 represents the UMF index of manuka honey.
When buying manuka honey, you often see names like:
BlueHill 250+ Manuka Honey
Doctor manuka honey 15+
Manuka honey UMF 10+
Manuka Honey Blend 30+ MG ….
Quite complicated, isn’t it? So what are these UMF 10+, 5+, or MGO 250+, 700+ indexes?
In fact, to manage the quality of manuka honey, producers around the world have established an organization called Unique Mānuka Factor Honey Association to evaluate the quality of different types of manuka honey.
Initially, Unique Mānuka Factor Honey Association launched UMF® index system – is an acronym for the phrase Unique Manuka Factor (roughly translated as Special Manuka Factor) to evaluate the antibacterial quality of manuka honey.
UMF score scale ranges from 0, 5+, 6+,… to 26+, the higher this index, the higher the antibacterial ability of manuka honey, or in other words, the better the quality of that honey.
Later, the Unique Mānuka Factor Honey Association added more MGO index – that is, the index of methylglyoxal content in honey (calculated in ppm). With this index, we can better digitize the antibacterial ingredients contained in every milliliter of manuka honey sold. And below is the conversion table between UMF and MGO index:
In the conversion table above, Current MGO is the index currently in use, New MGO is the index that will be used from 2020, and UMF is the standard coefficient that has been used for a long time.
Thus, both UMF and MGO refer to the composition of antibacterial substances in manuka honey. The higher this index, the higher quality the honey is and of course the price is also very expensive, for example, the same 250 grams of honey. manuka bee, but the price of each type is as follows:
– Price of manuka honey 5+: 290,000 VND
– Price of manuka honey 10+: 575,000 VND
– Price of manuka honey 15+: 1,350,000 VND
– Price of manuka honey 20+: 2,200,000 VND
Of course, this is equivalent to the dosage when used, assuming the same inflammation you only need to apply a little bit of 20+ manuka honey, but with 5+ manuka honey you need, for example, 1 spoon.
However, you do not necessarily need to buy manuka honey with a high UMF index, but depending on the intended use, you should consider the balance between economic factors and effectiveness.
3. What effects does manuka honey have?
In addition to the basic effects of a type of honey, manuka honey with its antibacterial compounds is also used as a medicinal herb. Therefore, the effects of manuka honey are quite wide, specifically:
– Wound healing: In 2007, the US FDA certified manuka honey as one of the safe ways to treat wounds. Manuka honey is used by people to treat wounds, burns, ulcers, pimples,… even ulcers caused by diabetes. For anti-inflammatory and wound healing functions, you should use manuka honey grade 10+ or higher.
– Prevents tooth decay and keeps gums healthy. In addition to reducing bacteria in the mouth, manuka honey also helps reduce the formation of plaque on teeth, and helps prevent bad breath.
– Good treatment for sore throat: manuka honey helps reduce inflammation caused by bacteria that cause inflammation inside the mucous membrane, making the throat healthier.
– Helps support the treatment of stomach diseases and stomach ulcers. You should use manuka honey with a UMF index of 10 or less, mixed with warm water to drink.
– Acne treatment includes acne for women and pimples in other locations on the skin.
– Beauty: manuka honey helps slow down the skin aging process and rejuvenate the skin.
– Supports treatment of symptoms of cystic fibrosis.
Of course, you can still use manuka honey like other types of honey: to drink, add to food, or soak herbs… however, with its expensive price, perhaps few people use it for these needs. such a daily request.
4. How to use manuka honey for children?
As mentioned above, manuka honey has many uses, and for different purposes, you can have different ways to use manuka honey. You can soak manuka honey with herbs, or drink it, or apply it directly to the wound depending on your needs.
Here we want to talk more about how to use manuka honey for children. When using manuka honey for children, you should note:
– DO NOT use manuka honey or any type of honey on children under 12 months of age Because the baby’s digestive system is still weak, using honey can cause poisoning in children.
– For children 12 months and older, you can use manuka honey with a UMF index of less than 10 to give your baby a moderate dose, or apply it topically.
Of course, for children 6 years and older, using manuka honey may be more comfortable, and children 12 years and older can use it as adults.
For adults, using manuka honey also requires moderation and knowledge, specifically:
– Manuka honey UMF 5 -10: suitable for enjoying, including eating with other foods, mixing with drinks…
– Manuka honey has a UMF index of 10 – 17: suitable for soaking herbs and treating external wounds
– Manu honey with UMF index of 17 or higher: for medicinal uses that users need to research carefully to use properly.
5. Which brand of manuka honey is best to buy?
Currently on the market there are many brands involved in producing manuka honey, and these brands are mainly from Australia or New Zealand.
Reputable, good quality manuka honey brands that buyers can rest assured about include:
– Berringa manuka honey from Australia
– Comvita manuka honey
– Enzergen manuka honey from New Zealand
– Tasmanian manuka honey from Australia
– Airborne manuka honey
– Barnes manuka honey
– Manuka Doctor honey
– Wedderspoon manuka honey
In general, the important thing is still the UMF index and the origin and genuine label, but in reality, the difference between manuka honey from different brands is not much.
Hopefully with the above information, you will understand more about manuka honey and give yourself useful information to use it properly to protect your health.
