Mānuka Science 101

Manuka Science 101

Not your everyday table honey…
 
Science has been at the forefront of our company since day one. The honey in our First Honey range of products is a medical grade Leptospermum scoparium Mānuka honey that has been scientifically researched to support wound healing. It comes from a mono-floral source for consistency and is superior to other medical grade honeys as measured by the methylglyoxal concentration and antibacterial activity.
 
Since founding father Dr Molan’s breakthrough discovery there have been hundreds of published papers in medical journals and a growing global understanding of the efficacy of medical grade Mānuka honey.

Honey is a complex mix of sugars, amino acids, phenolics, and other substances. Honey types derived from different flowering plants vary substantially in their ability to kill bacteria. High sugar and low pH make honey inhibitory to microbial growth, but activity remains when these are diluted to negligible levels. Many different types of honey also produce hydrogen peroxide when glucose oxidase, which is derived from the honeybee, reacts with glucose and water. However, in Mānuka honey hydrogen peroxide production is relatively low and can be neutralized by catalase, yet activity still remains. The cause of this remaining activity, dubbed “non-peroxide activity” or NPA, was finally revealed in 2008, when two laboratories independently identified methylglyoxal (MGO) in Mānuka honey (Adams et al., 2008; Mavric et al., 2008). MGO results from the spontaneous dehydration of its precursor dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a naturally occurring phytochemical found in the nectar of flowers of Leptospermum scoparium.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4837971

 

We are proud to collaborate with world leading scientists, doctors and research institutes to continue to advance the science behind our products.
 
  • First Honey owns and sources from dedicated beehives in our New Zealand Mānuka forests, and has proprietary processes and quality controls to produce the medical grade honey used in our products.
  • First Honey medical grade honey is tested and certified by an accredited laboratory under the ISO 17025:2005 standard. 
  • Rigorous lab production standards, our patented blend of medical grade honey promotes unparalleled chemical synergies for lowering pH, and is scientifically proven to have superior, consistent wound healing properties.
“Some of the benefits my patients receive when using medical grade Mānuka honey dressings include decreased biofilm, decreased pain, decreased time to heal and decreased infection – which all adds up to a great wound dressing.”
 Stephen Bergquist, MD, CWSP
Jackson-Madison County Hospital, Tennessee

First Honey Factory

The mother hive of our healing honey and products. Learn more