Manuka honey is known to have a significantly higher level of enzymes than other types of honey. The enzymes in Manuka honey has antibacterial properties due to the natural hydrogen peroxide present in Manuka honey. Some species of this type of honey are particularly abundant in hydrogen peroxide, methylglyoxal, and dihydroxyacetone.
Identifying the Strength of Manuka Honey
The Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) is a global standard in identifying and measuring Manuka’s antibacterial effectiveness. Laboratories measure three things to determine the UMF level of the honey. These markers are Leptosperin, Methylglyoxal, and Dihydroxyacetone (DHA). The higher the UMF number, the more abundant the markers are.
The benefits of Manuka honey are attributed to its antibacterial property due to its high concentration of Hydrogen Peroxide and other naturally occurring ingredients. The antibacterial property is also driven by the osmotic effect of its high sugar content and low moisture content which prevents bacterial growth as bacteria needs moisture to thrive.
Manuka honey is already known for it’s extraordinary nutritional and immune strengthening properties. Generally, the honey is rich in many types of amino acids with a full spectrum Vitamin B, and minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, magnesia, potassium, sodium, zinc.
Some of the best benefits of Manuka honey are:
Manuka Honey may help with overall Digestive Health
Manuka Honey is known to help people with issues such as:
- Low Stomach Acid
- Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
In a recent study, a dangerous bacterium called Clostridium was found to be quite susceptible to the effects of the antibacterial properties of Manuka honey. It was found that taking Manuka honey helped in the bacteria imbalance in the stomach and intestines while improving overall digestive health.
This author takes a small teaspoon of honey before bedtime every other day.
Manuka Honey helps with Bad Breath and Tooth Decay
Having a spoonful of Manuka honey a day may help to treat and prevent gingivitis. Despite its relatively high natural sugar, it was found that the Manuka honey’s natural sugar behaved differently when honey was compared to refined sugar. Due to its anti-bacterial properties, it was found that Manuka honey had a positive effect on gingivitis which is a contributor to bad breath.
Take a spoonful of raw honey and spread the honey over your gums with your tongue for a few minutes.
Manuka Honey may help with certain Skin Conditions
There are many testimonies on the internet who claim that manuka honey works well for them for acne and eczema. Although not proven, clinical trials are supporting these claims. However, when considering the honey’s antimicrobial and healing properties, it is believed that honey can help skin conditions such as acne and eczema. In fact, there are topical manuka honey products in the market for babies and even pets.
Treating Burns, Wounds, and Ulcers
According to the research paper in the Jundishapur Journal of Pharmaceuticals, it was found that the use of honey leads to improve the healing of acute wounds and helped to promote healing. The Manuka Honey also helped in pain relief for patients with minor burns and reduced of the inflammation in those patients. When it comes to ulcers, manuka honey helped to prevent infection and inflammation with many beneficial properties.
Manuka Money may help to promote deep and quiet sleep. This is because manuka honey slowly releases an ingredient called glycogen that is needed for restful sleep. Adding Manuka honey to milk during sleep helps the body to release the enzyme melatonin, which is necessary for deep sleep. Proper rest is essential, and there are many health ailments that are shown to be related to the lack of sleep; these include type II diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and even arthritis. Manuka honey has been shown to help improve the quality of sleep, it also helps reduce the risk of these conditions and numerous other health problems.