Honey has been known for its healing properties for thousands of years - the Ancient Greeks used it, and so have many other peoples through the ages.
Even up to the second world war, honey was being used for its antibacterial properties in treating wounds. But with the advent of penicillin and other antibiotic drugs in the twentieth centu
ry, honey's medicinal qualities have taken a back seat.
But that might be about to change - thanks to one New Zealand based researcher. Working in his Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato Professor Molan has shown that honey made from the flowers of the manuka bush, a native of New Zealand, has antibacterial properties over and above those of other honeys.
Mystery ingredient
He said: "In all honeys, there is - to different levels - hydrogen peroxide produced from an enzyme that bees add to the nectar".
"In manuka honey, and its close relative which grows in Australia called jellybush, there's something else besides the hydrogen peroxide."
"And there's nothing like that ever been found anywhere else in the world."
That "something else" has proved very hard to pin down. Even now, after more than twenty years of research, Peter Molan admits he still has no idea exactly what it is that provides these Manuka honey benefits. But he has given it a name: Unique Manuka Factor, or UMF Honey.
He has found a way to measure its antibacterial efficacy, by comparing UMF manuka honey with a standard antiseptic (carbolic, or phenol) in its ability to fight bacteria. The results are astonishing. He said: "We know it has a very broad spectrum of action".
"It works on bacteria, fungi, protozoa. We haven't found anything it doesn't work on among infectious organisms."
New Zealand Manuka Honey
But that might be about to change - thanks to one New Zealand based researcher. Working in his Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato Professor Molan has shown that honey made from the flowers of the manuka bush, a native of New Zealand, has antibacterial properties over and above those of other honeys.
Mystery ingredient
He said: "In all honeys, there is - to different levels - hydrogen peroxide produced from an enzyme that bees add to the nectar".
"In manuka honey, and its close relative which grows in Australia called jellybush, there's something else besides the hydrogen peroxide."
"And there's nothing like that ever been found anywhere else in the world."
That "something else" has proved very hard to pin down. Even now, after more than twenty years of research, Peter Molan admits he still has no idea exactly what it is that provides these Manuka honey benefits. But he has given it a name: Unique Manuka Factor, or UMF Honey.
He has found a way to measure its antibacterial efficacy, by comparing UMF manuka honey with a standard antiseptic (carbolic, or phenol) in its ability to fight bacteria. The results are astonishing. He said: "We know it has a very broad spectrum of action".
"It works on bacteria, fungi, protozoa. We haven't found anything it doesn't work on among infectious organisms."
New Zealand Manuka Honey
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