The greatest gift the busy bees could give us is honey. It is one of the most valued ingredients and can be used in a variety of ways. Throughout history, honey has been used by many cultures for its culinary and medicinal qualities.
Only the Eastern Cape region of New Zealand is suitable for manuka tree growth. The Leptosmermum scoparium trees provide the nectar that bees that are feeding on them gather to make honey. Given its many health advantages, it makes sense that manuka is considered a superfood. Indeed, the honey gathered from these trees has strong antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, digestive, and antiseptic properties.
Manuka honey has very big benefit for the entire health. Primarily it was used in New Zealand by native Maori who considered it to be a native medicine. They respected its various medicinal benefits (for the treatment of flu, fever, colds, skin diseases, ulcers and also it can be used for treating some types of cancer).
When Captain James Cook discovered New Zealand, the colonists gave him a juice from the spiny leaves of the Manuka. Later, he wrote:
“Manuka leaves are used as tea by many of us. It has a very pleasant bitter flavor and aroma, but loses both if the leaves are dry.”
Dr. Ralf Schlothauer, Ph.D., at Comvita, New Zealand’s biggest supplier of restorative Manuka Honey, expresses that true medicinal manuka is sold with an “UMF” mark. This shows that the honey has “unique manuka factor.” According to Schlothauer, this special element is a concentration of antioxidant phenols that restrain bacterial development. Hence, before buying Manuka, ensure it contains an official logo, expressing its accreditation in uncommon UMF (unique manuka factor).
Manuka nectar is expensive, yet more healing than some regular honey. Not just it has extraordinary upgraded healing properties that can’t be found in other honeys, yet it regularly has a better impact than the traditional medications too.
Specialists maintain that its high sugar makes a waterless situation in which the microscopic organisms that are infecting an injury are not able to survive. Furthermore, because of the presence of a compound called glucose oxidase, it is acidic, which obviously adds to its remarkable antibacterial properties.
Manuka honey is as an anti-inflammatory agent. Also, it stimulates the growth of new blood capillaries and provides nutrients, improving the recovery of new skin cells.
Furthermore, according to some more studies published in the journal Food Chemistry and the journal Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology, Manuka honey is plentiful in novel proteins known as arabinogalactans, which improve the activity of immune system and the release of anti-inflammatory cytokines when applied to the wounds.
Uses of Manuka Honey
- ulcers
- colds and flu
- diseases of the eye and throat
- Heartburn
- diarrhea
- protecting the gastrointestinal tract
- gastritis
Use:
For internal purposes, it is generally recommended to take 1-2 teaspoons half an hour before meals. It is down to your circumstances how often you take it. More often for an immediate issue, less often if it is not so severe. It often comes down to some self judgment on how much to take.
For external purposes, it is best to use a specialist sterilised product (eg the ManukaCare ) – apply the honey directly to the wound area, and if using a dressing over top (to prevent sticky contact with clothing etc – use as non-absorbent a dressing as possible) add a little to the inside of the dressing before applying. About 10-15% or people report some level of ‘stinging’ when the honey is first applied on a wound, as you may get from other creams but this then usually subsides.