The nectar of the flowers that honeybees use to produce honey can dramatically effect the flavor, color and medicinal properties of the honey itself.Some honey is considered to be multi-floral which means that the honeybees used the nectar of several different types of flowers to produce the honey. Beekeepers that want to make a specific type of mono-floral honey will place their hives within close proximity to a certain type of plant so that bees don't have to travel far from their hives in order to collect the nectar. After gathering the nectar, the honeybees go back to their hives where they add enzymes to it to form honey.
Some types of honey are more suitable for medical use than others. For example,
Manuka Honey from New Zealand has been found to have the most healing properties out of any other type of honey. As a result, Manuka Honey is now being used for medical purposes to treat conditions such as ulcers, wounds, burns, acid reflux, eczema, fungal and bacterial infections.
The antibacterial variation among floral nectars and the types of honey that are made from various nectars are due to several factors. Some nectar contains catalase, which is an enzyme that neutralizes hydrogen peroxide. This diminishes the effectiveness of the hydrogen peroxide producing mechanism of honey which makes it undesirable for medicinal use. Other nectars contain substances with high antibacterial activity. For example, nectar that is derived from the Manuka Tea Tree has been found to contain antibacterial elements such as methylglyoxal and a substance that has become known as the Unique Manuka Factor or UMF. Manuka Honey has also been found to contain flavonoids which contribute to its antibacterial properties as well as a very high antioxidant activity.
In addition to its antibacterial effect, Manuka Honey has other significant health benefits. Manuka Honey enhances the immune system by stimulating B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes to multiply. It also has the ability to reduce inflammation and stimulate cell growth, making it ideal as a wound dressing.
"Regardless of the floral nectar component, all types of honey contain medicinal properties," says Frank Buonanotte, CEO of Honeymark International which is a manufacturer of skin care products that contains Manuka Honey as a natural healing agent. "However, Manuka Honey contains healing properties not found in any other type of honey which is why we use it in our products. The results we get from this unique type of honey outperforms traditional forms of medicine in most cases." Manuka Honey has also been found to have no negative side effects when used for medical purposes.
For more information or to purchase
Manuka Honey and Manuka Honey products, call 1-866-427-7329 or visit
www.HoneymarkProducts.com.
