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Honey has been used since ancient Greek and Egyptian times for its healing properties. All honey has some beneficial properties, and a great aspect is that very few people are allergic to it so that most are quite fine to take it.
There is however a particular type of honey that modern science and research proves contains additional natural healing and antibacterial properties. UMF® Manuka Honey from New Zealand is becoming famous usefulness as a natural remedy for a variety of ills.
Most important, in any mention about manuka honey it is necessary to emphasise that NOT ALL manuka honey is the same, and certainly not all of it contains the levels of healing properties that have made it so famous. This is simply as it naturally is produced. Some of it is only the equivalent of standard honey, but with the manuka taste (which is quite unique and flavoursome), and some of it only has small amounts of the extra healing properties. That leaves only a portion of the manuka honey produced in New Zealand each year that actually contains the same levels of extra antibacterial and healing properties as that used in the research studies.
So how can you be sure which is the genuine manuka honey that the supporting research is based on? UMF® is an internationally recognised, independent quality standard, and is the only quality standard that can be verified around the world.
The term ‘UMF’ stands for Unique Manuka Factor, which represents the extra antibacterial properties found in some manuka honey over and above the hydrogen peroxide that is common to all honey. Unfortunately the UMF term is now frequently misused in advertising, so you should look for it on the actual jar if manuka honey for therapeutic use is what you are seeking.
If you are pregnant, here are 5 reasons UMF® Manuka honey can be useful for you:
1. Genuine UMF® honey is still just natural honey (and hasn’t had anything extra artificially added to it). So if you can take any honey, you can safely take this. No concerns over possible side effects.
2. When pregnant (and while breastfeeding afterwards) suddenly you have to be extra careful and cannot take many regular medications for colds and flu, coughs, and other ailments. This honey comes to your rescue.
3. Energy. When your body is working harder, the fructose in honey provides a great source of energy that is also released in a slower, more sustained way compared to refined sugar product (read compared to chocolate etc).
4. Boosting you immune system and fighting bacterial infections. UMF® manuka honey is scientifically proven to contain unique natural antibacterial properties that act against a wider range of bacteria compared to other honeys. A good UMF factor honey can help with stomach or peptic ulcers, bacterial infections in the digestive system, and is even quite useful for diarrhea.
5. When and how often you can take it. You can take this honey at any time of day, and you can take more if you want or need to (within common sense, you can’t really take too much, but neither to you need to waste it, and bear in mind it does still contain natural sugars).
UMF® Manuka honey gives you the best of both nature and science. It is a natural product that has had, and has ongoing scientific research done on it.
Important Note: Honey, that is any / all honey, should not be given to infants under two years old. This is simply as their digestive systems are still developing, and aren’t necessarily able to process honey yet. Actually there is some debate whether it should be a minimum of one or two years old before honey is given, so we have gone cautious and said two here. Discuss with your medical professional if you have any concerns over this.