The Superpowers of Manuka Honey

The Superpowers of Manuka Honey 

We know that honey has a lot going for it, but what makes manuka honey so special? Native to the antipodes, this variety of honey has countless antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant medicinal benefits and qualities. While honey generally is best known as a food sweetener that makes meals and drinks irresistible, honey has other, quite profound qualities. Generally, honey’s major benefit is its rich antioxidant content, including phenols, enzymes and compounds such as flavonoids and organic acids. High-quality raw honey rivals many fruits and vegetables, containing the same number of antioxidants as spinach, apples, oranges and strawberries. But if you want to take things up a notch, manuka honey is a special variety that has earnt itself a name for some superpower qualities. 

Manuka honey is produced by bees that pollinate the flowers of the manuka bush (Leptospermum scoparium) which is native to New Zealand and south-eastern Australia (tea tree). So, what makes manuka honey special? Manuka’s unique trait is its high antibacterial quality. As found by researchers in Germany at the University of Dresden, the active ingredient, Methylglyoxal, is most likely responsible for these effects, and this honey variety has traditionally been used for wound healing, preventing tooth decay, soothing sore throats, and improving digestive issues. According to the Australian Manuka Honey Association, manuka inhibits problematic bacterial pathogens that cause disease or illness unlike any other known antimicrobial. Strong stuff! 

So why today do we need the special benefits offered by manuka honey? You only have to count the number of chemicals around, and the pollution we face daily, to know that we need a solution and we need a natural one! And who better to help us out than our darling friends, the bees! And as many of us now know that our bodies are under attack by a process called “oxidative stress”, it becomes as important as ever to combat free radicals found in chemicals, processed foods, alcohol, tobacco smoke, pesticides and pollutants. There is great concern that these are connected with much human disease, including cancer, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and premature aging. By combatting free radicals, honey—a leading antioxidant-rich food—helps fight these forms of disease. 

So, what are you waiting for! Apply it to your wounds, chew it to reduce plaque and gingivitis, and spoon it into your mouth to improve digestive issues. Make sure to regulate your use, especially if you have diabetes, and, of course, be careful of manuka if you have an allergy to honey. Aside from this, manuka honey is a remarkable feat of nature should take a prominent place in every home, as food and as a remedy. Jump on the Ben’s Bees online store for premium manuka honey varieties and products!