From Active Honey to Mānuka Honey to Active Mānuka Honey to honey from herb fed bees to Antiseptic Honey and acronyms including UMF and MGO as well as talk of hydrogen peroxide content...who knew this oh so sweet product could be oh so confusing.

Here we share the low down on the meanings behind all the jargon, some of the amazing benefits and a few of our Victoria Health favourites:

Active Honey 

Active honey is honey that has been tested and certified by an independent laboratory to possess "antibacterial activity."

Mānuka Honey 

Mānuka honey is produced by bees from the nectar of the native New Zealand Manuka tree (Leptospermum scoparium). Mānuka Honey is world renowned for its unique characteristics. Mānuka honey is the first honey to be extensively researched and recognised for its remarkable qualities.

Antiseptic Honey 

The healing property of honey is due to the fact that it offers antibacterial activity, maintains a moist wound condition, and its high viscosity helps to provide a protective barrier to prevent infection. Its immunomodulatory property is relevant to wound repair too.

Herb Fed Bees 

Unique to Life Mel, their product is made by honeybees fed on a specially formulated diet which includes selected herbs such as Siberian Ginseng, Echinacea and Uncaria Tomentosa. Life Mel is natural product and no ingredients are added after extraction from the hive. 

MGO

MGO is a specific Manuka Honey Certification. The MGO rating system is based on the scientific evidence revealed in 2008 by Professor Thomas Henle and enables customers to make informed choices about the potency of honey they're buying. Not all Mānuka honey is equal - it is important to know that the level of methylglyoxal can vary greatly in Mānuka honey. The higher the number on the label, the better the health benefits and anti-bacterial properties are.

UMF

UMF™ is a complete and advanced grading system. It includes the measurement of MG (MGO) (methylglyoxal) levels, but also includes additional testing of authenticity markers of the Manuka Honey. The UMF number on the label represents the amount of MGO in the bottle. That number can range from UMF 5+ to UMF 20+. The higher the UMF rating, the more antibacterial activity Manuka honey has — and the more potent it is.

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