8 Health Benefits of Manuka Honey: Boosting Health and Wellness

In addition to being one of the healthiest natural sweeteners, manuka honey benefits have been enjoyed for thousands of years, dating back to ancient times.

The History of Honey

Unspoiled honey pots have been found in the excavated tombs of Egyptian kings and queens going back thousands of years. (1) And cultures around the globe have praised honey as the “food of the gods” by both the Far Eastern Vedic tradition and Greek mythology. However, due to industrialization, those claims have been debunked. Today, like most other things, not all honey is created equal. There are more than 300 different varieties of honey, all with the following options:

• Locally sourced
• Comb liquid (contains edible beeswax) or whipped
• Filtered or unfiltered
• Raw or pasteurized

Keep in mind that when it comes to manuka honey benefits, you most likely get what you pay for, meaning that most regular honey products found on grocery store shelves are pretty much just high fructose corn syrup. If you want decent honey, your local health food store or online shopping is pretty much your only choice.

Nutritional Value of Manuka Honey

Manuka Honey is a fascinating form of honey. This raw, unfiltered honey is a great source of: (2)

• Zinc
• Sodium
• Potassium
• Phosphorus
• Manganese
• Magnesium
• Iron
• Copper
• Calcium
• B vitamins (B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid)
• Amino acids

However, the nutritional content of Manuka is as much as four times greater than normal flower honey. Manuka honey benefits originate in New Zealand when bees pollinate the Manuka bush. Certain varieties of honey are rich in dihydroxyacetone, methylglyoxal, and hydrogen peroxide. This medicinal combination makes up what we call the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF). UMF is a worldwide standard for gauging the antibacterial strength of Manuka. (3) If you want a guarantee that the honey you are buying is medicinal quality, look for a UMF rating of 10 or higher.

The UMF is not present in the nectar of the Manuka flower. Regular Manuka only contains the hydrogen peroxide antibacterial aspects that are found in most other types of honey. UMF Manuka differentiates itself from regular Manuka by containing both natural hydrogen peroxide and UMF antibacterial characteristics. This gives UMF Manuka much stronger antibacterial effects. Also, unlike hydrogen peroxide found in other regular honey, the UMF properties in Manuka are highly stable and are not easily demolished by heat, light, and enzymes in the body.

8 Manuka Honey Benefits

Due to its major medicinal qualities, Manuka honey benefits are a staple in the natural health world. This is because a growing pool of science is beginning to back up thousands of years of folk medicinal uses.

1. Allergies and Sinusitis

While the Internet is filled with several personal accounts of Manuka honey benefits for allergy relief, there is virtually no research to back up those claims. In fact, I was only able to find one single-blind study that looked at its role in allergic fungal rhinosinusitis. This study was conducted by scientists at St. Paul’s Sinus Centre, ENT Clinic in Vancouver, BC. The study found that patients taking honey saw marginal relief. (4)

2. Sore Throats and Immunity

“A 5.8-kDa component of Manuka honey stimulates immune cells via TLR4,” according to a 2007 study published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology.17675558 Why is this important? Because earlier studies said that honey’s antibacterial effects rouse cytokine creation from human monocytes. When you combine that with the 2011 report that highlights Manuka honey’s ability to stop the growth of sore throat-causing Strep bacteria, it makes sense that people experiencing cold symptoms can see almost instant results from a spoonful of honey. (6)

3. IBS and IBD

When gauging the benefits of Manuka honey on lab-induced inflammatory bowel disease in rats, scientists from Chandigarh Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research found many shocking findings for digestive health: (7)

• Varying doses of Manuka honey safeguarded against TNBS-induced colonic damage.
• Manuka honey provided protection with 5 g/kg as well as with 10 g/kg body weight compared with the control.
• All groups receiving treatment displayed lower colonic inflammation and all the biochemical parameters were considerably lower when compared with the control in the honey-treated groups.
• Manuka honey at varying doses returned lipid peroxidation and enhanced antioxidant properties. Morphological and histological scores were lowered considerably in the honey group receiving low doses.
• Oral administration of Manuka honey in the inflammatory model of colitis 5 g/kg and Manuka honey 10 g/kg body weight lowered the colonic inflammation considerably.

4. Tooth Decay & Gingivitis

One surprising result on consuming Manuka honey is its help in curing gingivitis, minimizing oral bacteria, and other oral health healing properties. New research shows that honey’s superior antimicrobial properties have a major impact on periodontal disease. In fact, one study from the School of Dentistry, University of Otago (Dunedin, New Zealand) found that chewing on a Manuka honey product helped reduce plaque buildup by 35 percent and reduced bleeding caused by gingivitis by 35 percent.

5. Burns, Ulcers & Wounds

“The use of honey leads to improved wound healing in acute cases, pain relief in burn patients, and decreased inflammatory response in such patients,” according to a study published in the Jundishapur Journal of Natural Pharmaceutical Products. (9) In addition, Manuka honey’s anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties can prevent infections in people with gastric ulcers. Manuka honey is also effective at dressing infected wounds and promoting a faster healing process.

6. MRSA Infections

There’s a superbug that has plagued hospitals for several years now. You may have heard of it. It’s called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. Basically, our overuse of antibiotics has lead to strains of Staph becoming stronger and stronger and virtually incurable using standard hospital practices. In fact, these infections spread so quickly that the majority of people impacted are required to undergo highly invasive procedures, such as intravenous tubing, artificial joints and surgeries to save their lives. (10) However, new research from Cardiff Metropolitan University has provided a glimmer of hope. It has been found that Manuka honey can help fight even the strongest genes of MRSA. It has even been suggested that routine topical use of raw honey to treat cuts, surgical wounds, and infections in hospitals is a natural way to ward off MRSA.

7. Acne & Eczema

The health benefits for skincare are due to the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Skin irritations, such as acne and eczema, have been successfully treated by Manuka honey, according to testimonials from patients. However, there is no clinical research to support these claims. But it’s still worth a shot. When you consider that Manuka honey is proven to have gentle antimicrobial activity, it just follows suit to assume that it has healing benefits for skin issues. These testimonials show that applying honey topically to the impact areas of the skin for several minutes and then washing with soap and water is the best method.

8. Acid Reflux, Low Stomach Acid & SIBO

There’s no doubt that small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), acid reflux, and low stomach acid are all interlinked. A recent report highlighting the dangers of the bacteria Clostridium difficile on these three conditions found that Manuka honey can help thanks to its antibacterial properties. (11) Moreover, when combined with the medicinal benefits of cinnamon, research says to take one to two tablespoons of these two powerful remedies every day. (12)

A Warning: Online sources, such as WebMD, say that patients with bee allergies should use Manuka honey with caution, as they are susceptible to side effects. (13) If you have a bee allergy be careful and consult your natural care physician immediately if you experience any side effects. The potential benefits won’t be any good if you have an allergic reaction.

From wound care to oral health, the beneficial compounds of medical-grade Manuka honey can’t be overlooked.

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