People looking to switch to healthy sugar substitutes often turn to honey. But not all honey is made equal.

Manuka honey, a type of honey exclusively found in New Zealand, is prized by health enthusiasts due to its natural antibacterial properties. This dark, earthy honey is produced by bees that pollinate the flowers of the manuka bush (Leptospermum scoparium).

Honey has been used for both culinary and medicinal purposes since ancient times. However, manuka honey is relatively newer to the health scene because its natural antibacterial properties weren’t identified and extensively studied until the 1980s.

What’s so special about manuka honey?

Honey has been used medicinally for thousands of years because of its antimicrobial activity, which stems from its hydrogen peroxide content. However, manuka honey contains additional compounds that make it even more beneficial for both internal and topical use than ordinary honey.

Those special compounds, such as methylglyoxal (MGO) and dihydroxyacetone (DHA), originate from the nectar of manuka flowers. Thanks to MGO and DHA, manuka honey can confer the following benefits:

1. Maintains healthy, glowing skin

The MGO and DHA in manuka honey help boost your body’s natural production of collagen, which is the most common protein in the human body.

Collagen is an essential component of your skin. In fact, it makes up about 75 percent of your skin’s dry weight. Your body’s ability to produce collagen declines as you age. This is one of the main reasons why older adults tend to have wrinkles and sagging skin. One of the best ways to keep your skin healthy is to eat foods that support healthy collagen production, such as manuka honey.

Manuka honey also has humectant properties, meaning it can attract water to the surface of the skin while also delivering hydration to the deeper layers. Therefore, applying manuka honey topically can help your skin retain moisture.

2. Promotes good-quality sleep

If you have trouble falling asleep, try adding manuka honey to your evening cup of tea. Manuka honey contains high levels of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that your body uses to make the hormone melatonin. Melatonin helps regulate your body’s sleep-wake cycle.

Your body also uses tryptophan to make serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps you relax and stabilizes your mood for better sleep.

3. Helps heal wounds and skin infections

Manuka honey shines the most when it comes to treating skin infections that resist conventional medications. One example of this is an infection caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Experts attribute manuka honey’s potent antibacterial properties to MGO and DHA. The potent biological activities of these two compounds set manuka honey apart from other types of honey sold on the market.

Plus, there are currently no reports of microbial resistance to honey, something that cannot be said for conventional antibiotics. Manuka honey has also been shown to be effective on biofilms, the formation of which is believed to render some infections untreatable.

Try manuka honey’s healing prowess for yourself by dabbing it onto small cuts and scrapes.

4. Soothes sore throat and cough

Manuka honey’s thick, viscous texture coats and soothes the throat to provide relief, while MGO and DHA help destroy the harmful bacteria causing throat irritation. According to some studies, manuka honey may also prevent coughs from keeping you up at night.

In one study, researchers found that both children and adults with upper respiratory issues slept more soundly when they took manuka honey before bed.

5. Supports a healthy gut

Manuka honey contains sugar molecules called oligosaccharides, which serve as food for the beneficial bacteria in your gut. Those bacteria support optimal gut health by aiding in digestion and keeping bad bacteria in check.

The antioxidants in manuka honey also help fight inflammation and protect cells in the gut from damage.

Fast facts on manuka honey

• Though known as the manuka bush in New Zealand, L. scoparium is more commonly known as “tea tree” in Australia.
• The manuka bush only blooms for two to six weeks each year, usually in mid-December.
• Manuka flowers are susceptible to the slightest changes in weather. If bees can’t pollinate these flowers due to weather extremes, the price of manuka honey could go up.
• A growing body of evidence suggests that manuka honey can safely and effectively relieve digestive issues and treat skin conditions prone to serious infection, among many other ailments.
• Manuka honey can also be used to get rid of dandruff and improve oral health.
• Manuka honey is a rich source of essential minerals, including calcium, zinc and phosphorus.
• Not all manuka flowers have high levels of beneficial compounds. Manufacturers measure the levels of those compounds in manuka honey to assess its purity and quality. Good-quality manuka honey will have a Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) of 10 or 25. The higher the number, the more pure and potent the honey is considered to be.

Satisfy your sweet tooth and maintain optimal health by switching to manuka honey.

Sources:

MindBodyGreen.com

ScienceDaily.com