Gone are the days when only one type of golden yellow honey was available. Nowadays, a new type of honey, named manuka honey, has garnered significant attention. If you're unfamiliar with this type of honey and whether it is more beneficial than regular pasteurized honey, keep reading this article to gain some insights.
What Is Manuka Honey?
Manuka honey is named after the Manuka bush plant, which is native to New Zealand. Common bee species are cultivated around these Manuka bushes, and the honey they produce is gathered in small batches. The honey is then tested rigorously under a strict quality control regimen; if it meets these standards, it is marketed as Manuka honey. It's more viscous than regular honey and appears a darker shade of brown. It has a slightly bitter taste in comparison to regular honey, akin to how dark chocolate tastes compared to milk chocolate.
Manuka Honey or Regular Honey, Which One Should You Prefer?
Since regular or pasteurized honey is normally blended with corn syrups and heated at high temperatures to kill microbes, the natural vitamins and amino acids get damaged. In contrast, manuka honey retains all of its healthy vitamins and amino acids, so it is beneficial for health. Additionally, it shows antimicrobial properties, which regular honey lacks. So according to our study, manuka honey is better for your health than regular honey.
What Are The Benefits Of Manuka Honey?
Medicinal Properties
Manuka honey shows high resistance against bacterial and viral growth and also prevents inflammatory responses in our bodies. This means it can be used as a topical wound treatment for shallow cuts or scrapes, and it reduces the wound size by up to 88% if regularly applied for a few days. It has a specific compound known as Methylglyoxal which is responsible for the medicinal characteristics of this honey. You can also consume it to get relief from a sore throat or to reduce cold symptoms and fevers.
Furthermore, it prevents tooth decay and strengthens the gum by restricting the growth of microbes like spirochetes. Recent studies also suggest that inflammation and side effects of chemotherapy are reduced in patients who consume manuka honey.
Improves Gastrointestinal Health
People who consume manuka honey instead of regular honey or sugar have better gut health. It promotes the growth of good bacteria probiotic microbes in our intestinal tract, which helps in better digestion and absorption of nutrients from the food we consume. Moreover, its damage healing property cures stomach and oral ulcers caused by the inflammatory response of stomach acid. Apart from improving bowel movements, it also keeps health issues like constipation, diarrhea, and stomach/abdominal pain at bay.
Less Sugar Inclusion
Regular honey is often supplemented with large amounts of table sugar and corn syrup to artificially create an appealing taste; as you'd guess, it's not good for your health. In contrast, manuka honey has a lesser amount of natural sugar or carbohydrate compounds. As mentioned earlier, it also has a subtly bitter taste and is healthier to eat to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Improves Facial Skin
Since manuka honey has high antibacterial properties, applying it to your face gives you smoother and more hygienic skin. It helps heal acne and prevents the growth of microbes that promote the production of acne. It moisturizes the skin deep into its layers and provides a natural shimmering glow. Since manuka honey has dense viscosity, it also removes the dead skin cells and debris from skin pores when applied to the face.
How To Find Good Quality Manuka Honey?
Manuka honey is only advantageous when it is produced by its authentic manufacturing process. If you purchase a low-quality or fake product, you are not going to get the desired results. Hence, you must check the originality of honey before paying for it. Manuka honey is rated by UMF, which stands for Unique Manuka Factor. The higher the UMF value, the better the quality of manuka honey. The best ones on the market are labeled UMF16+, but keep in mind that the price will go up accordingly. If you're trying manuka honey out for the first time, we suggest going with a more affordable option in the UMF10-15 range before shelling out big bucks for the best manuka honey that money can buy.
