Manuka Madness: Is Your Manuka Honey Fake?

“The easiest and most reliable way to make sure you aren’t getting fake manuka honey is to buy it from one of the 50 companies that are Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association licensees. You can find their list of approved manuka honey producers at UMF.org.” D Alban

ManukaHoneyNZThe world’s #1 ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic starts each day with it. Actress Scarlett Johansson attributes her beautiful skin to it. Millions of people buy it to ward off disease and illness, including cancer and antibiotic resistant bacteria.

What is this miracle superfood?

It’s manuka honey.

Honey has been used medicinally both internally and externally for 5,000 years. All unprocessed honey contains antibacterial, antiviral, anti-fungal, and antiseptic properties.

But manuka honey stands out above the rest. This unique honey is produced by bees that harvest pollen from the manuka tree (Leptospermum scoparium) which grows wild throughout New Zealand and parts of Australia. This plant goes by many other names including manuka myrtle, New Zealand tea tree, New Zealand tea bush, broom tea tree, and tea tree. It is in the same plant family (Myrtaceae) as another highly-valued medicinal plant – the Australian tea tree – the source of tea tree oil.

Science Sheds New Light on an Ancient Remedy

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