Discover 10 Surprising Health Benefits of Manuka Honey: The Daily Superfood
Doctor explains the 10 health benefits of Manuka Honey, from wound healing to gut health. Discover why this New Zealand honey is a powerful natural remedy and how to choose the best quality for your needs.
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Topic Breakdown
In this video, we're going to cover 10 health benefits of something I eat every day: Manuka Honey. Manuka Honey is native to New Zealand and is a dark honey produced by bees that pollinate the flowers of the Manuka Bush. What sets Manuka Honey apart from regular honey is its active compounds called MGO, which give it natural antimicrobial properties. So, what are the 10 health benefits?
Firstly, Manuka Honey can support wound healing, and it's probably best known for this. Many medical-grade wound dressings are made with Manuka Honey, and when applied directly to a wound, it can support the healing process and reduce pain. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has even approved it as a wound healing treatment. These effects are thanks to the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of Manuka Honey. Numerous studies have demonstrated its benefits for post-surgical wound dressings. A fun fact: during the 2023 Ashes series between England and Australia, spin bowler Moeen Ali had an injured finger and was in danger of being ruled out of the series. After he was sent a dressing impregnated with Manuka Honey from an NHS nurse, the wound healed extremely quickly, allowing him to take part in the rest of the games. Manuka Honey is also present in an amazing hand cream called Nursem, created by an intensive care nurse to help with dry, cracked hands. I've included a link to the Nursem website in the description box of this video, which might help you if you have constantly sore and cracked hands.
Secondly, Manuka Honey soothes a sore throat. Honey and lemon are age-old remedies for coughs and colds, and various clinical studies have supported their effects. For example, one study found that honey was more effective at alleviating a cough in children than over-the-counter cough suppressant medication. This was followed by revised guidelines in 2018 from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and Public Health England to use honey to reduce the symptoms of a short-term cough. Again, using Manuka Honey rather than regular honey, given its antimicrobial properties, would be my suggestion.
The third benefit of Manuka Honey is that it may support gut health. Manuka Honey may act as a prebiotic because it's a source of a non-digestible carbohydrate called an oligosaccharide. We can't digest these carbohydrates, but the bacteria in our guts can. Using the oligosaccharides as a food source helps levels of good bacteria, including lactobacilli, to thrive.
Number four, Manuka Honey may soothe a gastric ulcer. Test tube and animal studies have demonstrated the potential for Manuka Honey to help protect against the damaging effects of gastric ulcers. It does this in several ways: firstly, by providing an anti-inflammatory effect; secondly, by helping to manage infections such as H. pylori; and finally, by protecting the gut lining from damage.
Fifthly, it's been suggested that Manuka Honey may be helpful for gastroenteritis. There is some evidence that honey, especially Manuka Honey, may help treat gut infections caused by bacterial strains like C. difficile. One benefit is that it appears to shorten the duration of symptoms such as diarrhea.
Sixthly, Manuka Honey may offer antiviral properties. A 2014 study found that in a lab setting, it efficiently inhibited influenza viruses. Another test tube study found that it had significant activity against shingles. However, more research, including human trials, is needed before we can draw any firm conclusions about this particular benefit.
The seventh potential benefit is that it might be useful for antibiotic-resistant infections. Antimicrobial resistance is an increasing worry, and for this reason, alternative therapies are constantly being sought. A 2020 study investigating the application of medical-grade honey as an approach to treating multi-drug resistant infections showed significant promise, but again, more studies are needed to back up these early promising results.
The eighth benefit is that it might help the buildup of dental plaque. Although honey might seem like a slightly odd food to encourage for dental health, it's the antibacterial properties of Manuka Honey that mean it's not associated with dental cavities. Studies suggest that these antibacterial properties might be useful in minimizing the buildup of dental plaque and, as a result, reducing the likelihood of gingivitis or other periodontal diseases. In particular, Manuka Honey inhibits the growth of less favorable oral bacteria.
Ninthly, it may help manage cystic fibrosis. The potent antibacterial properties of Manuka Honey also appear to augment the effects of antibiotics in cystic fibrosis patients who have an upper respiratory infection. It does this by inhibiting the growth of certain bacteria, and in doing so, it might be a useful treatment strategy for the future.
The tenth potential benefit is that it might be effective against inflammatory skin conditions. Manuka Honey is now being trialed for its effect on other skin disorders, including rosacea and acne.
So, now that we've covered the 10 potential health benefits of Manuka Honey, what should you look for when purchasing it? When buying it, you first need to check that it's from New Zealand and check the MGO rating, also known as the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF™). The higher the number, the better in terms of nutritional benefits, but the more expensive the product will be. I personally use 100 MGO rating Manuka Honey because it's one of the cheaper options and good for day-to-day use. However, this is all down to personal preference.
In terms of a healthy portion, a maximum of two teaspoons a day is a good portion size of Manuka Honey. While it has many impressive health benefits, it's still high in sugar, so if you have conditions like diabetes, you should be careful when using it. It's also important that children under the age of one don't have honey in their diet. If you're using Manuka Honey as part of a balanced diet, try drizzling it over porridge or natural yogurt.
I hope you found this information useful. For more details, check out the links in the description box. If you have any questions or would like to share your own experiences with Manuka Honey, please leave a comment. And if you're interested in scaling your medical brand on YouTube or sponsoring our videos with your products, feel free to get in touch.
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