Manuka honey with high MGO and UMF ratings
Top 5 high MGO honey
New Zealand Honey Co. 1282
In 2023 this was found to be the most popular high-grade Manuka honey brand globally. The New Zealand Honey Co. is officially certified by the UMF association and it's easy to see why when they produce honey of this quality. Glyphosate free, BPA free, MGO and UMF certified raw and potent Manuka honey.
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New Zealand Honey Co. 1122
This exceptionally high MGO and UMF Manuka from the New Zealand Honey Co. Simply taken as a spoonful a day, mixed in with food or used on burns, cuts, grazes or wounds. BPA and glyphosate free, just pure and natural certified raw Manuka honey.
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Steens 1122
Offering exceptional value for a monofloral MGO 1122+ Manuka honey. The Steens family has been producing Manuka for over 40 years, now certified by the UMF association, with this particular honey reaching 24+ UMF.
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Hilltop Premium 1000
The highest MGO currently offered by Hilltop. 100% pure and natural 1000+ MGO, fully traceable back to the hive in New Zealand. Independently tested twice to certify its authenticity.
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The True Honey Co. 1000
This jar from The True Honey Co. comes with a UMF certificate, as the company is officially certified by the Unique Mānuka Factor Association in New Zealand. The company started in 2013 when the founder stumbled upon a wild Manuka bush in north New Zealand and has grown from there. Overall a great luxury Manuka option.
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Milligrams of methylglyoxal per kg of honey. Higher is more potent and antibacterial.
FAQs
MGO is simply a measure of how much methylglyoxal is present within the honey. A MGO rating of 800+ means at least 800 milligrams of methylglyoxal is contained in each kilogram of honey.
Methylglyoxal is an organic compound that has been shown to kill certain bacteria. So, the higher the MGO rating, the more potent the honey and its potential medicinal effects will be.
High MGO Honey has also been shown to work against the formation of bacterial biofilm (a bacterial defense mechanism). MRSA has the ability to form a biofilm that results in infections that are difficult to treat. New studies are being undertaken on Manuka honey to understand the exact mechanisms by which they prevent biofilm formation and inhibit bacteria like MRSA. Source
A UMF rating is a more general rating that looks at 3 chemical markers within honey, including MGO as one of them.
UMF rated honey is also usually monofloral, and made purely with Manuka nectar and no other types of flower.
The higher the UMF rating the better. Higher UMF honey usually has a darker appearance and a more distinctive, almost medicinal taste.
If you choose to eat the honey, there are currently no studies that conclude the best way to consume it. Some producers recommend straight off a spoon, but eat it in whichever way works best for you. Most likely, the most important thing is consuming it consistently over a period of time.
Honey is also commonly used on wounds, providing a moist barrier between the wound and the atmosphere, providing antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects while stimulating the immune system to quicken the healing process. Source
There are studies that look at Manuka honey's potential antibiotic effects. As there is currently no research that has found bacteria that have built a resistance to honey, it has a potential use as a natural antibiotic, either on its own or with traditional antibiotics to form a synergistic relationship. Source
You can find the highest MGO honey in our collection here.
