8 Health Benefits of Manuka Honey

What is Manuka Honey?

Manuka Honey is a superfood that comes from New Zealand. According to Dr. Josh Axe, it is loaded with important nutrients such as amino acids, B vitamins, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc. Most of all it is antimicrobial, antiviral and antibacterial, which gives it powerful medicinal qualities to treat a whole host of infections.

Manuka Honey gets its name from the flowers of the manuka bush. This is what makes it special above any other honey in the world. Because manuka honey is expensive, it is not uncommon for non-manuka honey from other parts of the world to be labeled as manuka honey. To protect consumers there are grading systems that certify the authenticity of the honey and the content of its powerful natural chemical that kills bacteria (I’ll expand on this at the bottom of this article).

1. Manuka honey heals acne and eczema. Its antimicrobial properties kill the bacteria that causes acne. Watch this video to see how you can use it to treat pimples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfvWlY7vIyI

2. Manuka Honey is Good For Your Digestion. This potent honey is used to treat SIBO, which is an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the small intestine. Learn more at: siboinfo.com. It can also kill h. pylori, a bacteria that is known to cause ulcers.

3. Manuka honey helps to heal burns and wounds by killing bacteria.

4. Manuka honey helps to prevent gingivitis and tooth decay.

5. Manuka honey helps in the treatment of allergies

6 Manuka honey improves sleep by helping the body release melatonin.

7. Manuka honey kills Staph bacteria.

8. Manuka Honey soothes sore throats and can kill Strep bacteria.

For more information on the health benefits, watch this excellent video by Dr Alan Mandell, DC:

What Does UMF Stand For on the Label of Manuka Honey?

Manuka honey is expensive compared with most other types of honey. The best deal that I have found is at Trader Joe’s where a jar runs between $13 and $14. You can also find a range of deals on amazon.com. Manuka honey has a grading system that you will find on the label of many brands that is typically referred to as UMF, which stands for “Unique Manuka Factor.” UMF is usually followed by a number from 5+ to 24+, with the typical rating being 10+. The higher the rating, the more antibacterial the honey is supposed to be do to the amount of MGO (methyiglyoxal) that it contains.

I’ve been using manuka honey for the past two weeks, adding it to lemon ginger tea to help my throat as I recovered from the flu. I’m not sure if it sped up my healing, but I will say that it is delicious. I’ve also used it on my homemade oatmeal bread that I love to toast.

Food in my opinion is the best medicine for many of the things that make us sick. Whenever possible I like to eat organic natural foods, like manuka honey, that come from nature and are not processed. The more we know about the foods that we eat, the healthier that we can be.

Eat well, live well!

Paul

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