Manuka Honey
For many years now researchers at the University of Waikato have been investigating what many local New Zealanders have accepted as common wisdom: our local Manuka honey is a superior and effective treatment for wound infections.
Manuka Honey is gathered in New Zealand from the Manuka bush, Leptospermum scoparium, which grows uncultivated throughout the country.
What Makes Manuka Honey Special?
Research at Waikato University has shown that all varieties of honey have some anti-bacterial activity. Manuka Honey tested as having a much higher level of activity, up to 30 times greater than the other honeys tested.
How does honey prevent bacterial growth?
There are four main components that explain the antibacterial activity.
• Osmotic effect: The high sugar content of honey means that there are very few water molecules available making it difficult for micro-organisms to establish. In fully ripened honey no yeast species are able to grow and the growth of many species of bacteria is completely inhibited.
• Acidity: The pH of honey is characteristically quite low (3.2-4.5), which is low enough to inhibit many animal pathogens and therefore be a significant antibacterial factor.
• Hydrogen Peroxide: When bees are turning nectar to honey they secrete a glucose oxidase enzyme. One of the by products of the resultant reaction is hydrogen peroxide. When honey is diluted enzyme activity increases giving a ’slow release’ antiseptic at a level which is antibacterial but not tissue damaging.
• Phytochemical Factors: The above factors can not account for all of the antibacterial activity observed. There have been several chemicals with antibacterial activity isolated in honey (see Waikato Honey Research Unit’s website