What Do the Ratings Mean for Manuka Honey?
When buying manuka honey, some good things to look for are a UMF rating, MGO rating, and NPA (non-peroxide activity). Each of these displays a certain potency level as each rating is a different percentage of manuka. Don’t be fooled by labels with total activity counts that combine non-peroxide and peroxide activity to hide a low NPA value. There is plenty of honey around the world with high peroxide activity — it’s the non-peroxide activity that makes manuka honey unique.
Not sure what all that means? We’ll explain.
Breaking Down the Ratings of Manuka Honey
Different antibacterial strengths of Manuka honey are characterized by a rating called the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF). The UMF is a guarantee that the honey is of medicinal quality. A UMF rating of 5 is the minimum amount; however, it’s generally not considered beneficial unless it caries a UMF 10+ rating.
As a general rule with these products, you get what you pay for. Manuka honey contains nutrients, including amino acids, B vitamins, calcium, zinc, and potassium. UMF 10-15 is useful; however, if you want to treat something, a UMF of 16-20+ is generally of superior quality and much more effective.
Here’s a quick breakdown of UMF rating for manuka honey:
UMF 0-4 Non-therapeutic
UMF 4-9 Maintenance level with general honey benefits
UMF 10-14 Antibacterial components to support healing and bacterial balance
UMF 15+ Superior levels of phenols that are highly therapeutic (but don’t exceed 1 tbsp at a time) – especially if you are sensitive to honey/sugars
There are many grading systems that exist for manuka honey, including the highly respected and widely accepted UMF grading system by the Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association. The UMF Honey Association, which licenses the UMF quality mark, is an incorporated society with over 130 licensees. It is independent and can be trusted, while most other grading systems are just marketing exercises by single companies.
This refers to UMF as the gold standard consumers can trust, as it independently certifies the presence of three key compounds that ensure honey is genuine manuka: leptosperin, dihydroxyacetone, and MGO.
UMF also ensures it has been sourced, packed and labeled in New Zealand and meets strict government standards. UMF-certified products are available from UMF 5+ intended for daily wellness, all the way up to a rare UMF 20+, containing the highest concentration of unique compounds.
The MGO rating for manuka honey should be a minimum of 100 milligrams per kilogram for basic everyday use. Higher MGOs are for more acute conditions and not always good for everyday use. Any honey lower than 100 MGO should be labeled as a multiflora manuka.
Other Uses for Manuka Honey
Now that you understand the rating system, the benefits of high-grade manuka honey are just as vital. Ingesting manuka for your health can offer you solutions to many different internal issues, like:
- Ulcers
- Gingivitis & Tooth Decay
- Stomach/Digestion Problems
- Colds & Sore Throats
- Staph Infections
- Weak Immune System
- Fungal Infections
- Antibiotic-Resistant Viruses
Some of the incredible and versatile benefits for your skin include:
- Wound healing
- Scar Repairing
- Treats Acne
- Relieves Symptoms of Eczema, Psoriasis, & Shingles
- Ultra-Moisturizing
- Anti-Aging
With a powerful arsenal of properties to treat you inside and out, it’s worth taking a look at skin care with manuka honey. For the best natural products, check out Wild Naturals skin and hair care line featuring manuka honey! With a handful of other remarkable natural ingredients like shea butter, blue-green algae, coconut oil, hemp seed oil, and cehami flower extract, you’ll see your skin renewed like never before! Shop the Wild Naturals store today and transform your skin with manuka honey!
