Manuka honey, pronounced “MAH-nooka,” is made in Australia and New Zealand. The honey itself originates from the native Manuka plant and has long been hailed for its antibacterial properties.
Although honey, in general, has always been praised for its health benefits and healing properties, manuka honey is thought to be even stronger and more effective. In fact, advocates claim that Manuka honey can help with acne, diabetes, infections, and more.
You can buy this magical honey at many grocery stores as well as online. It could cost you as much as $250 for a 250g jar! Find out if Manuka honey is actually worth the price tag!
Manuka Honey Nutrition Facts
Manuka honey has 68 calories per serving (about 2 tsp). Like other honey, it is high in carbohydrates, containing 17 grams of carbohydrates, and of those 17 grams, 16 grams come from sugar. It is low in fat, fiber, and protein with less than 0.5g respectively.
Manuka honey has four times the content of these minerals in comparison to regular honey. These trace minerals include calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc.
Health Benefits of Manuka Honey
1. Manuka Honey Can Help in Healing Wounds
Honey has always been used to treat wounds, burns, and sores since ancient times. Recently, manuka honey has been shown to be even more effective. In 2007, the FDA approved manuka honey for medical use and in treating wounds.
Manuka honey has been shown to be useful against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Many studies have shown that it can clean the wound, provide hydration, tissue regeneration, decrease inflammation and stimulate the healing process.
For example, in one study, 40 patients that had various wounds were told to apply the honey for two weeks. It was found that the honey healed 88% of the cases.
It has also been shown effective in decreasing the risk of acquiring MRSA as well as treating MRSA. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a dangerous infection caused by the staph bacteria that is very difficult to treat because it's resistant to many antibiotics.
2. Manuka Honey Helps Treat Acne
Although some causes of acne can be attributed to hormonal changes, others come down to poor diet, unhealthy lifestyle, or bacteria growth in clogged pores.
Given manuka honey’s antibacterial properties, it can help fight acne by removing the bacteria on your skin.
Furthermore, for pimples that are red and swollen, manuka honey can be used to decrease such inflammation. However, further research is necessary to confirm Manuka honey's benefits and effectiveness in this aspect.
3. Manuka Honey Can Sooth a Sore Throat
Given its antiviral and antibacterial properties, manuka honey can definitely provide some relief to a sore throat.
Manuka honey can also be used as a great cough suppressant, just like other honey.
Moreover, manuka honey decreases oral mucositis, which is when your mouth is sore or inflamed, a common side effect of chemotherapy.
4. Manuka Honey Can Treat Gastric Ulcers
A Saudi Arabian study conducted a randomized controlled study on patients with diabetic foot ulcers. The results revealed that using manuka honey in combination with conventional wound treatment was far more effective than using conventional treatment alone.
Furthermore, a Greek study showed that manuka honey significantly reduced the healing time and even provided rapid disinfection of the wounds in patients with type 2 diabetic foot ulcers.
Another study observed the effectiveness of manuka honey in healing eyelid wounds after surgery. They found all eyelid wounds healed well, regardless of whether the incisions were treated with manuka honey or vaseline.
Other Possible Benefits:
Manuka honey has also been shown to provide many other benefits, but there is insufficient research to fully conclude this. Here are some of them:
- May treat symptoms of cystic fibrosis
- Improve digestive symptoms
- Improve oral health
- May help treat IBS
- Help with seasonal allergies
- Improves sleep
How to Eat Manuka Honey
Before consuming manuka honey, make sure you purchase the highest quality to truly reap its benefits and nutrition. Manuka honey jars come with a UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) rating. A rating of 10+ guarantees both quality and purity whilst any rating less than that might be less effective or not even 100% Manuka honey.
While manuka honey is usually consumed on its own, you can also incorporate it into your food. However, it does have a slightly bitter taste due to the high levels of phenolic acids, antioxidants that can stop the formation of free radicals, which cause damage to your cells.
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