Mānuka honey

A native bee visits a mānuka flower (Leptospermum scoparium).

Mānuka honey is a monofloral honey produced in New Zealand and Australia from the nectar of the mānuka tree. It has in vitro antibacterial properties, but there is not conclusive evidence of benefit in medical use. It has been classified as a Therapeutic Good in Australia, and has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration in 2007.

Identification

Mānuka honey is produced by introduced European honey bees (Apis mellifera) feeding on the mānuka or tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium and/or Leptospermum polygalifolium), which grows uncultivated throughout New Zealand and southeastern Australia.

Mānuka honey is markedly thixotropic and has shown the highest viscosity among a range of studied honeys. This property is due to the presence of a protein or colloid and is its main visually defining character, along with its typical dark cream to dark brown colour.[2][3] To be labelled mānuka honey, at least 70% of its pollen content should come from Leptospermum scoparium.[3]

The mānuka tree flowers more or less at the same time as Kunzea ericoides, another Myrtaceae species also called Kānuka, which often shares the same growing areas as the former species. Some apiarists cannot readily differentiate these two species from each other. Both flowers have a similar morphology and pollen differentiation between the two species is very difficult. Therefore, melissopalynology as identification for the type of honey is valid only in association with other identification tests. In particular, L. scoparium honey is dark, whereas K. ericoides honey is pale yellow and clear, with a "delicate, sweet, slightly aromatic" aroma and a "sweet, slightly aromatic" flavour, and is not thixotropic.[3]

Heather (Calluna vulgaris) honey is also thixotropic, but the plant flowers in late summer and its montane distribution area does not correspond with that of Leptospermum scoparium. Therefore, its harvest cannot be mistaken for that of Mānuka honey.[3]

Food

As awareness about Mānuka honey continues to grow, many health food stores, online vendors, and even grocery stores and supermarkets are beginning to carry products claiming to be medical Mānuka honey. So how can you identify which varieties of Mānuka honey are truly medicinal and contain high levels of powerful UMF?

The Unique Mānuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA), which independently tests and certifies Mānuka honeys to verify their legitimacy, has created an official UMF trademark to verify the legitimacy of products claiming to be Mānuka honey. There are currently 44 UMFHA members, 29 of which hold separate licenses for using the UMF trademark.

Professor Thomas Henle of the Technical University of Dresden, Germany, whose team identified the presence of methyglyoxal as the key antibacterial ingredient in Mānuka honey, argues there is a strong case for regarding it as more than a health food. “Mānuka honey should be one of the few food items for which ahealth-promoting property beyond the basic nutritional function can clearly be documented,” he says. In a research case, the Technical University of Dresden, took suffers of Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common intestinal disorder that affects up to a quarter of the population, and gave them Mānuka honey. Jodine Arnold, from Somerset, UK. stated “I suffered with uncomfortable bloating for so long it never crossed my mind to try to do anything about it,” She said. “After eating any kind of food I would experience painful stabbing sensations and going to the toilet was often painful.” After taking six teaspoons of Mānuka honey daily for a month, Jodine’s symptoms had gone. “My entire digestive system seems to be working better and I feel so much happier,” she says.

Medicinal properties

Honey has been used since ancient times to treat multiple conditions. It wasn't until the late 19th century that researchers discovered that honey has natural antibacterial qualities. Mānuka honey is the most researched, most powerful medicinal honey known today. It has the ability to penetrate skin tissue and treat infections beneath the skin. Clinically proven to cure wounds, infections, ulcers and other skin conditions. Its antibacterial, antiseptic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory properties are unchallenged. Honey protects against damage caused by bacteria. Some honey also stimulates production of special cells that can repair tissue damaged by infection. In addition, honey has an anti-inflammatory action that can quickly reduce pain and inflammation once it is applied. But not all honey is the same. The antibacterial quality of honey depends on the type of honey as well as when and how it's harvested. Some kinds of honey may be 100 times more potent than others. Hydrogen peroxide is a component of honey. It gives most honey its antibiotic quality. But some types of honey, including Mānuka honey, also have other components with antibacterial qualities.

The major antibacterial component in Mānuka honey is methylglyoxal (MG). MG is a compound found in most types of honey, but usually only in small quantities.

In Mānuka honey, MG comes from the conversion of another compound -- dihydroxyacetone -- that is found in high concentration in the nectar of Mānuka flowers.

MG is thought to give Mānuka honey its antibacterial power. The higher the concentration of MG, the stronger the antibiotic effect.

Honey producers have developed a scale for rating the potency of Mānuka honey. The rating is called UMF, which stands for Unique Mānuka Factor.

The UMF rating corresponds with the concentration of MG. Not all honey labeled as Mānuka honey contains significant levels of MG. To be considered potent enough to be therapeutic, Mānuka honey needs a minimum rating of 10 UMF. Honey at or above that level is marketed as "UMF Mānuka Honey" or "Active Mānuka Honey."

Medicinal Uses

The main medical use for Mānuka honey is on top of a wound. It is generally used for treating minor wounds and burns.

Mānuka honey is also marketed for use in many other conditions. These include: Preventing and treating cancer Reducing high cholesterol Reducing systemic inflammation Treating diabetes Treating eye, ear, and sinus infections Treating gastrointestinal problems

The honey used to treat wounds is a medical-grade honey. It is specially sterilized and prepared as a dressing. So the jar of Mānuka honey in the pantry should not be considered part of a first aid kit. Wounds and infections should be seen and treated by a health care professional.

Mānuka Honey has also been used to treat burns on animals. In September 2009 a dog which was pulled from a house fire in Cornwall, UK was treated with Mānuka honey pads to help heal her wounds. The Dog was found stuck under burning ceiling tiles after a fire at her owner's home. The treatment of eight-year-old dog, who suffered severe burns down one side and on her back, includes pads impregnated with Mānuka honey. The dogs owner Cyril Bond, said her condition improved because of the treatment. As part of the treatment, her bandages which contain honey-coated dressings, are replaced several times a week. Vet Amanda Manley, from the Cornwall Animal Hospital, stated that "she believed the honey had greatly improved Lady's condition. I'm very impressed and I'd use it again in this situation." Mānuka dressings for wounds were licensed for use in NHS hospitals in 2004.

Scientific Research on Mānuka Honey

Several recent studies show Mānuka honey is effective when used on top of wounds and leg ulcers. Studies also show it's effective in fighting infection and promoting healing. A recent study suggests that Mānuka honey may be effective in preventing gingivitis and other periodontal disease by reducing the buildup of plaque. And in 2010, the scientific steering committee of the National Cancer Institute approved a proposal for the use of Mānuka honey for the reduction of inflammation of the esophagus associated with chemotherapy.

Mānuka Honey and MRSA Staph Infection Superbugs

In April 2011 the University of Wales Institute Cardiff found that Mānuka honey could be used to combat some of the most hard-to-treat infections that are resistant to powerful antibiotics. Lab experiments show it can clear bacteria found in festering wounds and contaminated hospital surfaces. "Mānuka honey has an extra component that isn't found in any other type of honey, which gives it an extra kick," said study team member Rowena Jenkins of the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff. "It works by breaking down the defences bacteria use against antibiotics, making it useful in treating superbug infections such as MRSA." MRSA, or multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, infections occur in hospitals and healthcare facilities, with a higher incidence rate in nursing homes or long-term care facilities. When infections occur in this manner it is known as healthcare acquired MRSA or HA-MRSA. These Rates of MRSA infection are also increased in hospitalized patients who are treated with quinolones. Healthcare provider-to-patient transfer is common, especially when healthcare providers move from patient to patient without performing necessary hand-washing techniques between patients In a new experiment, Jenkins and colleagues grew MRSA in a lab with and without mānuka honey for four hours. The team also grew batches of MRSA with and without sugar syrup, to check whether the honey's high sugar content was solely responsible for fighting the bacteria. In general, many bacteria can't grow in high-sugar environments, since the sugars tie up water that the bacteria need to survive.

Jenkins and colleagues found that the MRSA bacteria treated with Mānuka honey more often lacked a particular protein necessary for synthesizing fatty acids, which are required for building cell walls and internal structures. "This indicates that existing antibiotics may be more effective against drug-resistant infections if used in combination with Mānuka honey." The crippled bacteria "don't have the necessary proteins to complete their life cycles," Jenkins said, "so they are unable to reproduce and eventually die." Since the sugar syrup didn't have the same results, the researchers think some other, unidentified component must be disabling the bacteria that isn't affected by many common antibiotics.

"What we need to do now is look at more combinations with antibiotics and do some clinical work in patients. It could be applied topically to wounds and used in combination with antibiotics to treat resistant infections."

But they warned people not to try the same at home with honey bought from the supermarket. "Not only is it messy, it wouldn't be advisable. We have been using medical grade honey, not the stuff you buy in shops." said study team member Rowena Jenkins.

The results were presented on September 7 at the annual meeting of the Society for General Microbiology in Edinburgh, Scotland.

See also

• Beekeeping in New Zealand

External links

• What's special about Active Mānuka Honey? from Waikato Honey Research Unit
• "Honey can reverse antibiotic resistance, study suggests". Science Daily. 13 April 2011.