Honey is an ancient food, appearing in Indian and Egyptian writings as early as 2100BC. Cave paintings in Spain from 7000BC show the earliest record of beekeeping, however, fosssils of honey bees date back around 150 million years!
Throughout history honey has been used not only as a food, but also as a medicine, and a gift to placate the gods. It wa
s thought to have ‘magical’ properties, and bees were considered to have special powers.
Today it has been found that honey has certain antibacterial properties that could go a long way to explaining its apparent health benefits. Honey made from flowers of the Manuka tree, unique to New Zealand, has been found to contain antibacterial properties not found in other honeys. This has been attributed to a property known as Unique Manuka Factor.
UMF Manuka Honey
The best quality Manuka honeys are tested to demonstrate their level of ‘Unique Manuka Factor’ or UMF, and these are rated numerically, for example: 5+, 10+ or 15+. The higher the number, the greater the amount of UMF present in the honey.
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Here at NZ Health Food Co we stock a range of Manuka honeys from a Manuka multifloral blend, through to our premium 15+ UMF Manuka Honey