Wedderspoon Raw Manuka Honey Active 16+ Honey Review and Health Benefits

What is Manuka Honey?

Review of Wedderspoon Raw Manuka Honey Active 16+

Mānuka honey is a mono-floral honey which means it only comes from one type of tree and flower. That tree is the Manuka Bush. This bush only grows in the East Cape region of New Zealand and Australia. It is commonly called the “Tea Tree” and this is where tea tree oil originates from.  The Latin name for the Manuka Bush is Leptospermum scoparium. Only the western honey bee or European honey bee (Apis mellifera) harvests and produces Manuka honey from this flower. The bee also pollinates the Manuka bush thereby allowing the plant to reproduce future generations. Manuka honey is extremely limited and this explains one of the reasons for its high cost. There simply isn’t enough Manuka honey to go around and reduce the cost. Raw Organic Manuka honey is a limited export.

The Review of Wedderspoon Raw Manuka Honey Active 16+
The Wedderspoon Raw Manuka Honey Active 16+ range boasts a range of benefits. Firstly all of their products are not genetically modified, a key feature to good health. The purity of this honey is remarkable as they do not use antibiotics to process their honeys. The honey itself is unpasteurized which means it retains many of the health benefits associated with raw organic honey. It is pure honey as it is not blended with other types or mixes of honeys common to most supermarket honey. Now you can understand why this honey is considered a “Super food.” Beekeepers are regulated so each batch of this delicious Wedderspoon Raw Manuka honey is traceable, ensuring strict controls are in pace when the honey is produced for you.

Wedderspoon Manuka Honey Can Treat the Following Illnesses

• Gastrointestinal disorders such as acid reflux (symptoms of acid reflux include a burning pain felt inside the body around the lower chest area. This happens because the body pushes stomach acids back up the windpipe.)
• Helicobacter Pylori (bacteria that causes ulcers commonly found in 2 thirds of the population)
• Upset stomach and Nausea
• Peptic and Stomach ulcers (sores and ulcers of the stomach)
• Diverticulitis (pouches form in wall of the colon. These pouches then get inflamed or infected)
• Ulcerative colitis (the lining of the colon becomes inflamed and develops tiny open sores)
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Heartburn
• Eczema and Psoriasis

What does the Active 16+ rating mean is it the same as UMF?

Well no. The Active Rating of Wedderspoon Honey (Active 16+) means it has some non-peroxide activity. This non-peroxide activity is created by a special enzyme the bees add when making honey. This activity produces hydrogen peroxide, an established antibiotic that is a feature of the health benefits of Raw Honey.

Color and Taste of Wedderspoon Raw Manuka Honey

This Manuka honey is a dark cream to dark brown color and is very thick yet also very tasty I’m sure you’ll agree. It’s of course more expensive than other blended or raw organic honey. But you’ll find out why shortly so keep reading. Only honey that has a content of 70% or more from the Manuka bush can be labelled Manuka honey. The controls in place to ensure this happens are very stringent in today’s honey production.

Wedderspoon Manuka honey tastes strong with a real earthy flavor. If you’ve only experienced refined or super market honey then the taste will certainly surprise you. The honey also tastes oily with strong florid flowery undertones. This aromatic honey also tastes of minerals (which is a good thing due to the high mineral count of manuka honey!). The Acidic nature of Wedderspoon manuka honey also leaves a slightly bitter taste in the mouth when eating.

Wedderspoon Raw Manuka Honey Active 16+

What is this Wedderspoon Active Symbol/UMF of Manuka Honey and what does it mean?

Firstly understand Wedderspoon Honey does not have a UMF rating, only the Active 16+ rating. Well first you need to ascertain what UMF rating the Manuka honey you want to buy is. UMF stands for, are you ready? Unique Manuka Factor – this is a quality rating that is strictly controlled by the New Zealand honey producers. It is a trademark that determines the qualities of natural unadulterated manuka honey. It determines the anti-bacterial health qualities and non-peroxide activity of Manuka Honey. Generally the higher the rating the more beneficial to health and the human body the honey is. Only the UMF Honey Association can assign UMF factors and ONLY New Zealand companies are allowed to have a UMF License!

So what are the UMF ratings?

UMF 10+

UMF 15+

UMF 20+

UMF 25+

The plus sign after the UMF rating for Manuka Honey indicates that the honey may in fact contain higher levels of UMF. The number here tells us that the honey is a MINIMUM.

A Word of Caution

Honey in general is not suitable for babies under 12 months of age because it is a known source of the bacteria spores that cause botulism. Also speak to your health adviser when pregnant to advise if honey is suitable.