The many skin benefits of manuka honey

Miracles do happen, my friend.

And every week or so, I apply a little miracle to my skin: manuka honey.

Manuka honey is produced in New Zealand by bees that pollinate the native manuka bush. It is used in both traditional and modern medicine (yep!) for its natural antibacterial properties. In addition to containing hydrogen peroxide, manuka honey is high in the antibacterial methylglyoxal (MG). MG is found in most types of honey in small quantities. However, manuka honey contains up to 100 times more MG than normal honey.

Here are a few recognizable bacteria and viruses that MG has been shown to kill when tested in a lab environment:

• Helicobacter pylori (i.e. H. pylori): The bacterium known to cause many stomach ulcers and “leaky gut” syndrome
• Staphylococcus aureus (i.e. staph infection) and MRSA: These “super-bugs” are known for their resistance to many antibiotics
• Escherichia coli (i.e. E. Coli): Known to cause serious food poisoning
• Streptococcus pyogenes (i.e. strep throat): The bacterium known to cause strep throat

Pretty amazing, huh?

But manuka honey belongs on your bathroom shelf as much as it does in a medical clinic or hospital.

Because it also keeps skin clear, youthful, and hydrated.

Skin-clearing.

Manuka honey works wonders for blemished skin because of its aforementioned natural antibacterial properties. It is also a potent anti-inflammatory, so soothes inflamed skin while healing blemishes. It also helps balance the skin’s pH and contains amino acids which slough away dead skin cells, helping to keep pores clear. In other words: this sticky-sweet substance is your problem skin’s best friend (or worst enemy, depending on which way you want to look at it).

Anti-aging.

MG has been shown to increase collagen cross-linking, promoting the structural growth of collagen in skin cells. And since amino acids are the building blacks of collagen, they also protect collagen. Healthy collagen means healthy, firm, youthful-looking skin.

Helps skin retain moisture.

Manuka honey is a natural humectant, drawing moisture into the skin. This hydration helps to further enhance the skin’s elasticity and cell regeneration, as well as promote healing.

Decoding manuka honey labels.

The bioactivity or strength, so to speak, of manuka honey varies and is indicated by a number ranging between 5 and 25.

• UMF 5-9: low activity levels
• UMF 10-15: moderate activity levels
• UMF 16+: high activity levels

You may have noticed that I’ve been linking you to an organic, raw 16+ manuka honey that comes in a glass jar. This is the honey I own and it checks off all of the boxes (you know how I feel about plastic). Yes, it looks pricey and it is. But this 11.5 oz jar will last a VERY long time, particularly if you are using it for topical use only. Plus, manuka honey has a practically infinite shelf life.

How I use manuka honey.

As I mentioned at the very beginning of this post, I use manuka honey weekly as a face mask. After washing and gently exfoliating my face with baking soda, I pat it dry and apply a very thin (probably about a teaspoon total) layer of manuka honey. I let it sit at least 30 minutes (but sometimes up to a few hours!), then wash it off with warm water and apply my DIY face oil for oily and acne-prone skin.

http://bodyunburdened.com/skin-benefits-manuka-honey/

The Best 8 Types of Honey and Their Medicinal Uses – Can Treat Many Serious Diseases

The following are descriptions of various types of honey and what are the most appropriate, and on page 2 you can read about the benefits of pollen, royal jelly and propolis.

As for quality, we can mention one, almost unknown fact – evidence that consuming real, natural honey “nipps” while it slowly dissolves in the mouth and throat.

This effect creates a toxin which is injected in honey by bees, for protection.

In selecting the proper type of honey for disease prevention and healing is good to consult with an experienced apitherapists scholar of honey bee products.

Acacia honey

Good for those who have digestive problems, it’s soothing and balances the entire body. Due to the high content of fructose, it cannot be taken by diabetics. It is also recommended for children up to three years because it is simple.

Lime honey

It’s antiseptic and soothing. It is used in influenza, colds, bronchitis and respiratory diseases that cause streptococci, staphylococci and other gram-positive bacteria. Promotes sweating and certain idle time in bed is recommended during the treatment.

Forest honey

It contains 13 (or more) times the minerals of flower species. It is especially rich in iron salts, which play an important role in strengthening the blood, oxidation processes and the process of growth, which is particularly important in childhood. It is recommended for anemia, gynecological, respiratory and other diseases.

Chestnut honey

Chestnut honey has a specific and intense aroma and slightly bitter and aromatic taste. It helps with disturbances of the digestive organs (stomach, liver, gallbladder, duodenum).

It is recommended for healing of gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, jaundice, bacteria in the urethra . It boosts the heart muscle. Some research suggests that the chestnut honey one of the best kinds of honey in the world in general. Chestnut honey is suitable for making homemade cakes and gingerbread, just because of his royal flavor.

Sage honey

Sage honey is produced from the flowers of sage, and is collected around the middle of May to mid-June.

Sage grows in areas where the Mediterranean climate, and in Istria on the eastern coast of the peninsula. This honey is one of the best kinds of honey, and is very good for the repair of all types of diseases of the oral cavity and respiratory tract.

It is recommended to people who have problems with runny noses, coughing, sore throat, bronchitis, colds accompanied usually dry and unproductive cough.

Flower honey or meadow

It contains more essential oils and children like to eat it. It’s especially recommended to heart patients, with respiratory illnesses caused by Gram-negative bacteria, in gynecological diseases and avitaminosis.

Bees begin to collect flower honey in the early spring, with plants and trees, such as dandelion, cherry, plum, apple and other meadow and wildflowers. Flower honey tastes exceptionally, and it’s full of vitamins, minerals, trace elements.

Everyone loves flower honey, from newborns to the elderly, due to its specific taste. It strengthens the immune system in the broadest spectrum.

Flower honey is a little more aromatic than acacia and is very gentle to the stomach. It was collected with dozens of species of flowers, so it is recommended in all complaints.

It favors the airways, soothes the stomach, and is suitable for the development of children from an early age.

Sunflower honey

Due to high glucose and other important ingredients, it’s recommended for strengthening the body’s resistance, for people with heart disease and to improve circulation.

Honey from rapeseed

It has excellent quality and has strong antibacterial properties. It’s excellent for the preparations based on royal jelly.

Now here are some useful information about pollen and how to use it…

Pollen is a male sexual part of the flower plants, fine-grained appearance. Each grain is biologically unique and contains everything necessary for life: proteins, amino acids, acids, fats, hormones, ferments, coenzymes, carbohydrates, and the secret of life-molecules of DNA and RNA, which determine the shape and development of living beings.

Why do we use pollen?

• Pollen positively influences the digestive tract – the rehabilitation of the intestinal flora breaks down the blockage. Visible improvement can be observed within a few days.
• Pollen increases blood flow to the brain and related improves memory and concentration (especially in school children).
• The surprising successes have been reported frequently in hair loss. But when hair loss is caused by genetic, pollen will not be able to affect it.
• Floral powder therapy has good effect on liver function. Particles of pollen improve the important function of detoxifying the liver, thus vitalizing effect on the entire body.
• Pollen encourages normalization and regulation of blood pressure.
• In addition to the normal blood flow, consumption of pollen can be seen a good blood circulation in the legs.
• Pollen has an extremely positive effect on the immunity of the whole organism.
• Pollen generally works very well on the human metabolism, and its use is recommended in:
• General fatigue
• Stress
• Loss of appetite
• Liver disease
• Elevated blood fats
• Eye diseases
• Psycho vegetative disturbances
• Prostate disease
• Weaknesses potency
• Climacteric problems
• Athletes
• Hard physical labor
• Older people
• Pregnant women and nursing mothers
• Malnourished people and those with reduced appetite
• Pre and postoperatively
• Chemotherapy
• People with allergic problems under the supervision of a doctor

Consumption and preparation of pollen remedy:

In order for our body to accept valuable substances of pollen well, its use is recommended in dairy product – yogurt. Stir pollen in yogurt, or milk or tea approximately 2 hours prior to use. This way, the melt composition of pollen and its constituent substance will become fully available. In this form, prepared pollen is an excellent addition to muesli, but also as a snack.

For regular use, one teaspoon per day is sufficient. Pollen is recommended especially to vegetarians, who do not want to use the proteins of animal origin, athletes or patients (eg. for the wounds to heal, after massive blood loss or from poor nutrition). You should take two teaspoons a day.

- See more at: http://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/the-best-8-types-of-honey-and-their-medicinal-uses-can-treat-many-serious-diseases/#sthash.9iyTLxbS.dpuf

Manuka Honey For People And Pets: Remarkable Healing Properties Destroy Frightening Superbugs Better Than Antibiotics

Manuka honey is a powerful antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory agent that kills antibiotic-resistant superbugs such as  Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Clinical trials have been conducted into its effectiveness against conditions such as diabetes, bladder infections, skin infections, ulcers and cancer. Due to its tremendous antibacterial and antiviral properties, manuka honey powerful action action diseases such as plague and ebola. Honey has been used medicinally for thousands of years in ancient Greece, in China for Traditional Chinese Medicine and in India with Ayurveda. While western cultures have always seen it as a health food, its medicinal properties are only recently being discovered. Researchers now believe that certain types of honey have stronger healing properties than others. Manuka honey is considered to be one of the most potent, and Western medicine is only just beginning to understand its amazing healing potential. Due to the popularity of Manuka honey, some manufacturers have attempted to cash in on the trend by producing low grade honey and labeling it as authentic Manuka Honey. To let consumers know exactly what they are buying, licensed manufacturers have come up with a labeling system known as the Unique Manuka Factor which lets individuals know the strength and potency of the product.

Where Does Manuka Honey Come From?

Manuka honey is produced by imported European honeybees that harvest pollen from the Manuka tree which grows wild throughout New Zealand and Australia. The Manuka tree is also known as the Tea Tree and produces small white flowers that are responsible for the earthy, herbaceous taste associated with Manuka honey. It has become big business for beekeepers in Australia and New Zealand who are now exporting the honey all over the world.

What is Unique Manuka Factor (UMF)?

Unique Manuka Factor, or UMF, is a quality control scale that lets you know the potency of the honey before you buy it. All whole, raw honey has antibacterial properties due to it containing a small amount of naturally-occurring hydrogen peroxide. Manuka honey contains a unique non-peroxide antibacterial compound that gives the honey its remarkable healing properties. Researchers have named this compound the Unique Manuka Factor and established a standard for measuring the potency of different strains of honey.

The following scale measures the level of non-peroxide antibacterial activity in Manuka honey:

- Unique Manuka Factor 5 – 10 indicates a low level of activity

- Unique Manuka Factor 10 – 15 indicates useful levels of activity

- Unique Manuka Factor 16+ indicates extremely high activity and the honey is considered to be of a superior quality.

Unique Manuka Factor 10 and above is considered to be therapeutic grade honey.

Manuka Health New Zealand Limited has its own system for grading the antibacterial activity of their honey. This system is a trademark of the brand and only appears on their products. Each product has a label giving the MGO content of the honey which stands for Methylglyoxal, an active compound responsible for antibiotic activity. This compound is different from that which is measured by the Unique Manuka Factor. However, the strength of the two different compounds are linked, and you can compare the antibiotic activity of Methylglyoxal versus Unique Manuka Factor using this online tool: http://www.umf.org.nz/umf-trademark/methylglyoxal-npa-honey-conversion-calculator

Diabetes

Honey is an ideal replacement for sugar as it does not raise the body’s blood sugar levels in the way that processed white sugar does. Therefore, the body does not need to produce the same levels of insulin in order to digest it. This is especially useful for diabetics who are required to monitor their sugar intake, and substituting honey for sugar may help to prevent the onset of Type II diabetes which is linked to obesity. A 2012 study performed in Greece found that Manuka Honey impregnated topical dressings were able to shorten the healing time of neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers in diabetic outpatients by almost two weeks. Researchers found that 78.13% of patient’s ulcers treated with Manuka honey become sterile after just one week versus 35.5% for those treated with conventional dressings.

Skin Complaints

Honey has been used for centuries to treat almost every skin condition from burns to acne. Many natural skincare treatments such as facemasks and moisturizers incorporate honey due to its antibacterial and hydrating properties. A study performed in Ireland in 2008 tested the effects of Manuka honey on chronic wounds that did not respond to conventional treatment. This type of wound often has an elevated alkaline level and researchers believed that the natural acidity of honey would be able to counter this. The results showed that Manuka honey was able to alter the pH level of the wound as well as cause a significant decrease in the overall size of the wound.

Bladder Infections

Due to its natural antibacterial activity, honey has been used as a homemade treatment for urinary tract infections for many years. Although there has not yet been any scientific evidence to support the claims, anecdotal and clinical reports indicate that many patients have been able to treat recurring urinary tract infections with a combination of honey and cinnamon.

Stomach Ulcers

Helicobactor Pylori is a type of bacteria that causes chronic inflammation of the stomach lining and is responsible for the vast majority of stomach ulcers. Researchers at the Department of Biological Sciences in New Zealand found that a solution of 5% Manuka honey was able to prevent the growth of helicobactor pylori bacteria taken from 5 separate biopsies of gastric ulcers.

MRSA

Some of the best-known studies of the effects of Manuka honey against superbugs such as MRSA were carried out in various universities and research centers in Australia and New Zealand…

http://beforeitsnews.com/health/2014/10/manuka-honey