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Frequently Asked Questions that Medical Professionals have in regards to using Active Manuka Honey as a honey wound dressing or for GI-Tract disorders:

For what types of wounds is Active Manuka Honey used for?
Can Active Manuka Honey "further infect" a wound / burn / fresh surgical scar?
Has Active Manuka Honey been researched?
Active Manuka Honey has a 'UMF Rating'. What does 'UMF' mean?
Is the higher the UMF Rating the better?
Are there adverse reactions when using Active Manuka Honey?
What strength of Active Manuka Honey do I apply to a wound?
Which Manuka Honey strength should I use for internal or external applications?
Does the Active Manuka Honey have to be sterilized / gamma radiated before applying it to a wound?
How do you apply Active Manuka Honey to any type of wound?
How much Active Manuka Honey should I apply to any type of wound?
How do I change the Active Manuka Honey wound dressing?
How often do I change the honey wound dressing?
How do I clean the wound in between honey wound dressing changes?
Do you have Wound Testimonies with 'Before' and 'After' photos?
How can I purchase Active Manuka Honey for our hospital pharmacy, nursing home, wound care center, VA hospital or nursing home?
Do you sell the Active Manuka Honey wholesale?
How long has Manuka Honey USA been in business?

'Before and 'After' Photos of an MRSA and VRE infected surgical wound, treated with Active Manuka Honey.

For what types of wounds is Active Manuka Honey used for?

Can Active Manuka Honey "further infect" a wound / burn / fresh surgical scar?

This is the most frequently asked question posed by medical professionals. The answer is NO. Active Manuka Honey does not "add infection" to a wound - quite contrarily, the active manuka honey naturally destroys staph aureus, streptococcus as well as h. pylori (helicobacter pylori), the bacteria known to cause stomach ulcers. Active Manuka Honey has also shown to be effective in healing MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staph Auereus) and VRE (Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci) infected wounds.

Doctors, surgeons and nurses are not used to treating any type of wound with Active Manuka Honey, and are naturally concerned about "adding infection" to a fresh surgical scar, or any other type of wound or burn.

Ironically, patients these days, quite often "receive MRSA or VRE" infection to a wound, while still in the hospital, and are then sent on to a wound care center. In some cases even a hospital and / or wound care center is not able to control wound infection with traditional methods, which if left treated unsuccessfully, a patients with an already compromised immune system could die of infection.

To view graphic after surgery photos of MRSA and VRE infected wounds 'before' and 'after' treatment with Active Manuka Honey click on the following link:

http://www.manukahoneyusa.com/multiple-open-sore-testimony.htm

Has Active Manuka Honey been Researched?

Active Manuka Honey has been researched by Dr. Peter Molan, Senior Lecturer of the Waikato University, New Zealand for over 20 years. Dr. Molan has found that Active Manuka Honey seems to naturally destroy staphaureus, streptococcus (even antibiotic resistant MRSA, Golden Staph), as well as h. pylori (helicobacter pylori), the bacteria typically associated to stomach ulcers. For more information about Dr. Molan's Reserach work, please visit the website of the Waikato University.

The non-peroxide (UMF activity) in Active Manuka Honey has been described by Molan and Russell (1998) and Allen (1991). The non-peroxide antibacterial activity in honey is important for wound care uses, since the factor is not reduced by catalyses activity in tissues or blood (Cooper 1999).

Active Manuka Honey has been shown in laboratory studies to have antibacterial activity against the 7 most common species of bacteria found in wounds. 58 strains of Staphylococcus Aureus isolated from infected wounds showed complete inhibition at concentrations of 2-3% Active Manuka Honey. The effect was caused by factors in addition to the sugar in the honey (Cooper 1999). Methicillin-Resistant Staph Auereus (MRSA) strains have also been tested against Active Manuka Honey, with complete inhibition shown at 10% honey concentration (Molan 1996).

Active Manuka Honey also inhibits the growth of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) at about half the concentration of clover honey with hydrogen peroxide activity (Allen 2000). Honey, including Active Manuka Honey, has shown the prevent the growth of Pseudomonas spp. found on the surface of a wound, even if the honey was diluted 10 fold by exudation from the tissue (Cooper and Molan 1996).

In addition to the antimicrobial activity present in honey, honey enhances wound healing by a variety of other means. (Molan 1998/1999, Subrahmanyam 1991). These include

a) providing a moist, but sterile environment for tissue re-growth which
    enhances tissue formation and reduces tissue deformity

b) eliminating tissue damage caused by the use of standard antibiotics

c) the osmotic effect pulling up serum from the body into the wound

d) the osmotic effect absorbing pus from the wound

e) providing glucose used by white blood cells to create the 'respiratory
    burst' needed to destroy bacteria

f) providing a natural barrier between the wound and the dressing, which
   protects new cell growth tissue from being torn away when the dressing is
   changed, providing a painless wound dressing change

g) providing acidification of the wound, which has been shown to stimulate
   healing, by creating an anti-inflammatory effect through the reduction in the  
   number of inflammatory cells in wound tissue (honey has antioxidant
    properties) providing wound bacteria with nutrients instead of amino acids,thus
   encouraging the bacteria to produce lactic acid instead of ammonia (the
   chemical associated with odor in skin ulcers).

Dr. Peter Molan (1998) has carried out comprehensive review of case studies, animal studies and randomized clinical trials, where honey was used to treat wounds, burns and skin ulcers. Dunford (2000) has presented case studies describing the use of Active Manuka Honey in the treatment of wound and chronically infected lesions, including a case where massive skin lesions and necrosis resulting from meningococcal septicemia not responding to conventional treatment, healed completely within 10 weeks of the start of Active Manuka Honey treatment (Dunford 2000).

Active Manuka Honey has a 'UMF Rating'. What does 'UMF' mean?

UMF stands for Unique Manuka Factor. The UMF number is a standard way of describing the anti-bacterial strength of Active Manuka Honey. The honey is put in a plate with a bacterial culture, and the area is measured where the bacterial growth is stopped. This area is compared to a similar area produced by a solution of phenol and water. The UMF number refers to the percentage of phenol in the water. So Active Manuka Honey is honey that has the same anti-bacterial strength as 10% phenol. Active Manuka Honey has very powerful antibacterial activity. It can destroy staphaureus bacteria even when it is diluted to only 1.8% honey concentration in water. It has also been shown to effectively destroy Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus,  MRSA (also called the Golden Staph or "Super Bug") at 10% honey concentration).

NO, not necessarily!
It seems like most websites promote the idea, that "the higher the UMF Rating, the better". We, at Manuka Honey USA have found this NOT be to true for the following reasons:

External Applications for Active Manuka Honey include: first degree burn, second degree burn, third degree burn, infectious wounds, ulcers, sores, decubitus sores, pressure sores, diabetic leg ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, amputation stump wounds, old war wounds that are still not healing, scars, surgical scars after hip replacement, cosmetic surgery scars after a tummy tuck, face lift or liposuction.  For external wounds use an Active Manuka Honey with a UMF Rating of 10+, 12+, 14+, 16+, maximum strength UMF 18+, but no higher that 18+.

Active Manuka Honey's with a rare UMF Rating of 20, 25 or maybe even higher, is too strong and may cause adverse reactions such as a burning and / or stinging sensation when used internally or on external wounds.

We always carry Active Manuka Honey with a UMF range between 16-19. By listening to our Customer's feedback since 1994, we know, that a UMF Rating between 16-19 is the most therapeutic UMF Range for both internal as well as external applications of Active Manuka Honey.

Manuka Honey USA does NOT mix and match other honey into the Active Manuka Honey such as clover honey, kamahi, tawari, rewa rewa or any other New Zealand honey, in order to achieve a "perfect UMF number" such as UMF 10 / 15 / 20 etc. We take what comes naturally from nature, have the Active Manuka Honey tested and certified in Dr. Molan's Laboratory in New Zealand.

When the honey has a UMF Rating within UMF 16-19, we have our honey packed, labeled and shipped to the US. We ship all products world-wide.

The most therapeutic UMF Range of Active Manuka Honey, is a Rating between UMF 16-19, for both internal as well as external applications.

Are there adverse reactions when using active manuka honey?

When applying active manuka honey to a wound, you can, occasionally experience a burning / stinging sensation. If that sensation does not ease up after 10-15 minutes of applying active manuka honey to a wound, you need to remove the active manuka honey, wash the wound with a saline solution and apply either an active manuka honey with a lesser UMF Rating or Regular Manuka Honey. Regular Manuka Honey can still be effective to heal your wound and should not burn and sting when applied, or only for a very short time.

We do NOT recommend using Active Manuka Honey with UMF Ratings of 20+, 25+ or even higher, for above mentioned practical reasons. We believe, after listening to our Customer's Feedback since 1994, regarding Wound Healing, that when it comes to the UMF Rating, it is NOT necessarily true: "the higher the UMF Rating, the better".

What strength of Active Manuka Honey do I apply to a wound?

The most therapeutic UMF Rating for external wound application is an Active Manuka Honey with a UMF Range between 16-18. If the UMF rating is less than 16, the honey may be less effective in destroying wound bacteria such as MRSA and VRE all naturally. If a UMF Rating of more than 18 is used, the honey may be too strong and actually cause a painful burning / stinging sensation when applied to an open wound. The honey can sting a little when first applied for the first 5-10 minutes. However, if the burning / stinging sensation persists or increases in intensity, the Active Manuka Honey would have to be removed, and a less strong Active Manuka Honey can be applied to the wound.

We recommend that you document the wound healing progress by taking good, sharp clear digital photos with good lighting. Take a photo about every 3-4 days or more, depending on how fast the wound is healing. When you submit the wound photos to us, and with your permission to publish the photos online at www.manukahoneyusa.com/CustomerTestimonies.htm, we will send you a reward including free shipping. By submitting your photo story to us, you will help other people by encouraging them to give this medicinal honey a try.

Which Manuka Honey strength should I use for internal or external applications?

Active Manuka Honey with a UMF range between 16-18:

Internal uses of Active Manuka Honey include: acid reflux, esophaghitis, heartburn, gastritis, up-set stomach (after food poisoning), stomach ulcer, h. pylori (helicobacter pylori = stomach ulcer causing bacteria), duodenal ulcer, ibs (irritable bowel syndrome) and mild forms of diverticulitis and colitis, short, Active Manuka Honey is used to help sooth and heal gastro-intestinal issues naturally.

External uses of Active Manuka Honey include:
First degree burn, second degree burn, third degree burn, chemical burns (after thoroughly washing off chemicals with cool water), wounds, infectious wounds, MRSA and/or VRE staph infected wounds, wounds that just wont heal with traditional medicine such as antibiotic ointments, cortison creams etc. old war wounds, amputation stump wounds, chronic wounds, post-operative scars (after caesarean, shoulder or hip operations, cosmetic surgery, tummy tuck, face lift, any surgery that leaves a scar...) first aid wound treatment, ulcers, decubitus ulcers, skin ulcer, diabetic foot ulcers, diabetic leg ulcers, diabetic wound, sores, bed sores, leg sores, scars, insect stings, insect bites, poison oak, poison ivy, minor cuts, abrasions, scratches, itches, severe adult or teenage acne...

Active Manuka Honey with a UMF 10+

Most people use Active Manuka Honey with a UMF range between 16-18 for internal and external applications. However for some people this honey may be too strong and could burn and sting when applied to an external wound. If one feels a burning or stinging sensation lasting longer than 10-15 minutes after application to a wound, or it is simply too painful, one needs to wash off the honey and do one of the following things:

1. Switch to using Active Manuka Honey 10+ for external wound care, or

2. Mix Active Manuka Honey with a UMF range between 16-18 with equal parts, 50/50, with Regular Manuka Honey, then re-apply this mix to the wound. This way you are still using Active Manuka Honey with a lesser strength. This mix should no longer burn or sting. However, for a few people who are extremely sensitive this 50/50 mix may still be too strong. In this case you could try using just Regular Manuka Honey for wound care, as Regular Manuka Honey still has natural anti-bacterial strength, a strength that is less than UMF 10.

Regular Manuka Honey:
Regular Manuka Honey is used for medicinal purposes when experiencing a sore throat, cold, canker sore, fever blister or for manuka honey facials when suffering from acne,  pimples or other skin care issues. Spas mix Regular Manuka Honey into their secret blend of facial masks and body toners. The customer may never know, why the facial mask feels so good and cleansing, clearing the skin from impurities, thanks to the honey's natural "drawing effect". After the facial, the skin feels nice, clean, plump and nourished. You can also use 100% Regular Manuka Honey for facials you can do at home.

Instructions for Manuka Honey Facials:
Tie hair up and away from face. Wash face with Royal Jelly Soap and pat skin dry. Take 1-2 teaspoons of Regular Manuka Honey and spread all over face, the same way you apply sunscreen. Leave Manuka Honey mask on for 30-60 minutes, then wash off with warm water. For dry skin type, apply 7 Cream to face after facial. For regular skin, apply Royal Jelly Hand & Body Lotion which is also used for the face. If you have a more severe, infected adult acne type problem, you can use Active Manuka Honey for the facial.

Regular Manuka Honey is also eatable and tastes delicious in tea, on toast, mixed with butter or peanut butter and is also used as the 'secret' ingredient in cooking, baking and BBQ sauces. Manuka Honey adds a special, unique and non-descript flavor, that no one can really pin point (not even chef cooks!).

Important Note:
After listening to our customer's feedback since 1994, we know that an Active Manuka Honey with a UMF range between 16-18 is the most effective, beneficial and therapeutic for both internal and external applications.

This is the reason, why Manuka Honey USA does not promote Active Manuka Honey with a rating of 20+,25+,30+ etc. because it is way too strong! Not only will you pay a lot more money for such extremely high rated honey, but most people will experience adverse reactions. No, pain, no gain, is NOT true when it comes to healing internal and external ailments naturally with Active Manuka Honey.

When searching information online, one clearly gets the impression that "the higher the UMF rating the better". For more information about the UMF Rating and the most beneficial UMF range, click on the following link:
http://www.manukahoneyusa.com/UMF-Rating.htm

Customer Testimonies:
Our Customer Testimonies can be searched by illness, by product, all testimonies, from medical professionals and the most popular link are the photo testimonials. All testimonies and links are found at:
http://www.manukahoneyusa.com/customer-testimonies-by-illness.htm

In Summary:
Use Active Manuka Honey with a UMF range between 16-18 first, if too strong, try Active Manuka Honey 10+ or mix Active Manuka Honey with a UMF range between 16-18, equal parts 50/50 with Regular Manuka Honey. If you have any further questions regarding the use of Active Manuka Honey, simply please email us at: manuka@manukahoneyusa.com

Does the Active Manuka Honey have to be sterilized / gamma radiated before applying it to a wound?

Manuka Honey USA only purchases Active Manuka Honey from beekeepers who consistently maintain high quality standards. Our beekeepers use a very gentle process when removing the honey from the comb. The process is called 'cold slung', meaning, the honey is slung cold out of the comb - without applying any type of heat process. This gentle process leaves all the natural properties of honey in tact.

Our Active Manuka Honey is tested and certified in Dr. Molan's Laboratory in New Zealand, according to the Waikato University method. We do not mix and match any other honey into the active manuka honey in order to achieve a 'perfect' UMF number such as UMF 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 etc. We take what comes naturally from the bee hive and  we then have every honey batch tested for its potency and certified. When the UMF Test Results are within the desired, most therapeutic UMF Range between UMF 16-19, the honey is packaged and shipped to us. We have been shipping our products world-wide since 1994.

Since our Active Manuka Honey is pure, raw, naturally organic honey that has not been pasteurized or heated in any way, the Active Manuka Honey naturally destroys staph aureus, streptococcus and h. pylori, according to Dr. Peter Molan's over 20 years of research. We have also found that Active Manuka Honey seems to naturally destroy, MRSA and VRE wound bacteria. For more information, please read our Customer Testimonies.

Does our active manuka honey need to be sterilized / gamma radiated in addition to it's all natural bacteria destroying properties? We have found that the answer is 'no'. Bacteria can not grow in Active Manuka Honey that has been properly and professionally harvested, quite the contrary, the honey destroys bacteria, as mentioned above - and the honey certainly does not 'add' bacteria to a wound.

Active Manuka Honey has amazing cell healing properties. If a wound, surgical scar, diabetic leg or foot ulcer, amputation stump wound, first, second, third degree burn or cosmetic surgery wound has been treated with Active Manuka Honey, you will find that the honey heals wounds much faster than any other conventional method. Active manuka honey destroys wound bacteria all natural and also aids in easy and pain-free wound dressing changes - leaving hardly any visible scar! Now is the time to re-discover the natural and healing properties of Active Manuka Honey from New Zealand.

We have also found that people who have suffered a burn wound and were treated with active manuka honey, the honey helped to heal a burn so well, that skin grafting was not needed.

We would love to reach as many nurses, doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, burn victim centers, VA Hospitals treating a vast amount of people injured in war and left with infectious, hard to heal amputation stump wounds. We are also looking to reach nursing homes that daily deal with open infected bed sores that just won't heal with traditional methods. If you believe that Active Manuka Honey can make a substantial impact in helping to treat the patients in your area, we encourage you to help spread the word about the all natural healing properties of Active Manuka Honey from New Zealand.

How do you apply Active Manuka Honey to any type of wound?

Simply apply Active Manuka Honey to a sterile gauze. Apply the gauze, with the honey attached to the wound. Apply a second larger sterile gauze on top of the first gauze, in order to soak up excess body fluid or honey oozing from the wound. Secure the gauze in place with friendly skin paper tape, where the skin is thick and healthy enough to handle the tape. For a deep infectious wound, first degree burn, second degree burn, third degree burn or scar, you can pour the honey into the deep gap of the wound, and use plenty of gauze or even a diaper to keep the honey in place. Change the honey wound dressing every 24 hours.

How much Active Manuka Honey should I apply to any type of wound?

For any type of wound, apply a "medium amount" of Active Manuka Honey to a sterile gauze. Don't apply too little honey to the gauze, or the gauze may stick to the wound when you are ready to change the wound dressing every 24 hours. You do not need to apply too much honey, or the excess honey will simply ooze out from under the gauze on to the bedding sheets. After a couple of wound dressing changes, you will know how much honey to apply for any type of wound, surface wound or deep cavity wound, not too much, not too little...

How do I change the Active Manuka Honey wound dressing?

Gently lift off the skin tape and gauze from the wound. Since Active Manuka Honey is a natural barrier between the wound and the gauze, you can easily remove the gauze. The patient will experience a PAIN-FREE wound dressing change. Because the honey is a natural  barrier between the wound and the gauze, the new cells that were just created to help close a wound, will not be ripped out, when changing the wound dressing, but will stay in tact. Wash wound, burn, sore, surgical scar with a saline solution or with lukewarm, cool, but not cold water. Apply a new honey dressing. Active Manuka Honey is a pure, raw, naturally organic honey that has been researched over 20 years by Dr. Peter Molan at the Waikato University in New Zealand.

How often do I change the Active Manuka Honey wound dressing?

Apply a new honey wound dressing every 24 hours. Cleanse wound as described above, before applying a new Active Manuka Honey wound dressing.

How do I clean the wound in between honey wound dressing changes?

Gently remove the honey dressing. Wash wound, burn, sore, scar etc. with a saline solution or with lukewarm, cool, but not cold water. Apply a new honey dressing.

Simply apply Active Manuka Honey to a sterile gauze. Apply the gauze, with the honey attached to the wound. Apply a second larger sterile gauze on top of the first gauze to soak up excess liquid or honey oozing from the wound and secure the gauze in place with friendly skin paper tape, where the skin is thick and healthy enough to handle the tape. For deep infectious wound, burns and scars, you can pour the honey into the deep gap of the wound and use plenty of gauze or even diapers to keep the honey place. Change the honey wound dressing every 24 hours.

Do you have Wound Testimonies with 'Before' and 'After' photos?

Please visit the following link:
http://www.manukahoneyusa.com/multiple-open-sore-testimony.htm

For more Customer Testimonies, go to:
http://www.manukahoneyusa.com/CustomerTestimonies.htm

At the link 'Customer Testimonies', you will be able to view testimonies by illness, by product, by photos or simply view all testimonies

How can I purchase Active Manuka Honey for our hospital pharmacy, nursing home, wound care center, VA hospital or nursing home?
Call our Toll-Free Order Hotline at: 1-800 395 2196 during regular business hours and ask for Elaine.

Do you sell the Active Manuka Honey wholesale?
Yes. For inquiries about pricing and our online wholesale link, reserved for wholesale clients only, please call Elaine, manager at Manuka Honey USA, during regular business hours. Toll-Free: 1-800 395 2196

How long has Manuka Honey USA been in business?
MANUKA HONEY USA is the First and Original Manuka Honey Company in the US. We have been serving our world-wide Clientele since 1994. We import our honey directly from our New Zealand Bee Keepers and ship it throughout the United States, Canada and the rest of the world.
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