Raw Organic Manuka Honey – What Is So Special About It?

Raw Organic Manuka Honey – What Is So Special About It?

Manuka Honey pronounced Maanuka (Mānuka in the Maori language) is collected by honeybees from the pollen of the Manuka flower. The Manuka bush has aromatic prickly leaves and small white, pink and red flowers. Get to know more about raw organic manuka honey in the article below.

Raw Organic Manuka Honey-Manuka_flower

Manuka Honey is synonym to health and wellness in New Zealand, the country where the honey is sourced. This is due to its known anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

You may be asking;

  • What is Manuka Honey?
  • What are the benefits of Manuka Honey?
  • What are the properties of Manuka Honey?
  • What should I look for when buying Manuka Honey?

Read on for all the answers.

Discovering Manuka Honey

In my constant search for natural products, years back, I had come across the Manuka honey, and after reading several articles I decided to give Manuka honey a taste. Back then it was hard to figure out which was the best brand on the market.

Luckily, soon after, I had the opportunity to live in Australia, and having the neighbour country so close, I also travelled to New Zealand.

Once I reached the country I had the possibility to join a tour and visit the facilities of some important beekeepers, where you can personally get to see the honeybees, taste the pure New Zealand honey, and also sample the wide range of skincare and wellness honey-based products.

Following the demonstration of these products you find yourself wanting to buy many of them to take with you back home.


Properties and Grading of the Manuka Honey

Manuka honey is collected from the plant called Leptospermum scoparium or simply the Manuka Tree that grows in New Zealand and is also found in Australia. The Maori natives of New Zealand have used this plant for healing and cooking purposes for more than a thousand years.

The nectar of the Manuka flower has elevated natural chemicals that are not found in others and that makes it unique. Scientists found out about its anti-bacterial properties in the last few decades.

Manuka Honey from New Zealand is of premium quality and it looks and feels different from any other honey. It is darker with a golden colour and the texture is thicker, almost paste-like compared to other liquid honey. It is generally very sweet with a slightly bitter after-taste.

How do you recognise the high quality type of honey?

The principal grading label used in New Zealand to identify high-quality honey and the levels of anti-bacterial activity is the UMF grading (unique manuka factor).

So basically, the UMF is the guarantee factor for the Manuka Honey best quality.

The UMF ranges from UMF5+ to a maximum of UMF25+ (the latter being rare to find). The higher the number the more MGO natural chemical the honey contains. The honey that is ideal for therapeutic purposes is to be higher than UMF10+ and the best recommended is UMF15 or UMF16, with an MGO (methylglyoxal) rating of 400+.

The price also increases with the level of UMF. Yes, the real Manuka Honey is indeed expensive.

Other Manuka Honey without the UMF or MGO label is simply raw honey and it is also good honey, but perhaps not worth the price. But when you compare what’s available on the market, I am sure you can get much cheaper honey than Manuka, as all raw unpasteurised honey is good for healing purposes.

However, if you opt for Manuka honey than it is best to obtain the UMF guaranteed type.

It is also good to mention that all UMF rated honey is laboratory tested. Manuka honey is not certified unless it has the scientists’ approval. Then a certificate is issued. Thus, you should look for the UMF ® registered trade mark sticker on the jar.

If you are new to Manuka Honey and you wish to discover the real story of it, there´s no better way than reading;  The Biography of an Extraordinary Honey, by Cliff Van Eaton.


Why I Believe Manuka is a Miraculous Honey

Initially, I started including Manuka Honey in my diet as a prevention method as its anti-inflammatory properties work great on the immune system.

But especially when I take it in times of need, I always have important and quick results when treating;

  • a sore throat
  • heartburn
  • acid reflux
  • digestion issues and
  • skin issues to name a few.

And this is the reason why I decided to share this information here so hopefully, you can also benefit from the multiple uses of this incredible honey.

Benefits & Uses of Manuka Honey

Below is a list of some benefits of the Manuka Honey:

  1. Heal scratches and cuts. Apply honey directly to the affected area 3 to 4 times daily and the scar will heal faster.

2. Improves the digestive system. Add a teaspoon of honey daily into your tea or in a cup of hot water and drink it.

3. Skin conditions like rash or acne. Apply the honey directly on the area or simply use as a face mask.

4. Sore throat. Take a teaspoon directly or mix with water and drink it. You can also add lemon.

5. Improves sleep. Take 2 teaspoons of honey and mix with water and drink it before you go to bed for a peaceful and profound sleep. You can also mix it with milk.

6. Acid reflux or low stomach acid. Take 1 teaspoon directly whenever you feel the heartburn.

7. Boost your immune system. Simply take 1 teaspoon of Manuka Honey daily as a standard health precaution. Take it directly or spread it on your toast.


Conclusion

Store a Jar of Raw Organic Manuka Honey In Your Pantry

Today I have introduced you to my favourite honey, the Manuka honey. The nectar of the Manuka flower has elevated chemical uncommon to others, and this is what makes it special.

After reading the above, I am sure you will not hesitate to try the Manuka Honey anytime soon.

Please make sure you do not over indulge as it is honey and it is sweet (though always a good alternative to refined sugar).

The secret like with any other natural product, you must consume enough of it for a period of say, 3 weeks, to be able to see positive results. However, you should never overdo it (for example, take the higher grade UMF 25+ for more than 3 consecutive months).

This is important so your body does not depend on or get used to whatever product and then has no effect on you. Or in the worst-case scenario, the aftermath does more harm than good.

WARNING: Do not consume if you are allergic to honey or suffer from diabetes. Children below the age of one should not consume honey.

Share your experience with us, leave a message below and let us know how you use Manuka honey and how you benefit from it.

 

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18 thoughts on “Raw Organic Manuka Honey – What Is So Special About It?

  1. I have heard so much about this honey, but never tried it. Actually, the information you have given is now reason for me to give it a try. Specifically, I will try it for acid reflux. No matter what I take to soothe it, never seems to go away. Now I am ready to try Manuka honey and hope that this will work for me.

    1. Hi Carol, please do and let me know how it goes. I did use Manuka Honey for acid reflux (UMF 15+) along with ACV (apple cider vinegar) and it did work for me. I used to get that painful burning sensation and luckily I dont feel it anymore. Wish you luck and keep well. Marisa

  2. I have not heard of this type of honey before. It is great that it has so many benefits. I don’t think that this honey is available in South Africa but I will try the honey here for acid reflux though I suffer terribly with that.

    1. Hi, Manuka honey is easily found in New Zealand and Australia, and I usually order online, but good natural health stores should have it. I found it really good for acid reflux.

  3. Hi, I like others have not heard of this honey. We are told in the Midwest of the US to use local honey for various purposes. I did quick search on Amazon and found lots of brands. I see there are labels with UMF factors of 15,16 and one for 20. I also saw some with a K Factor. Is that something different? Thank you for the information. Because of my diabetes, honey is one of those the Doctor recommends staying away from.

    1. Hi Neil, the official grading uses the UMF or MGO system. The K Factor could be another grading applied by any particular brand to distinguish extra measures. This could also be approved by the main New Zealand food safety authorities, however the main grading is UMF. I leave a link below of the grading system. Thanks for your comment and its always good to check with your doctor if you have health issues. Marisa

      https://www.umf.org.nz/grading-system-explained/

  4. Marisa,

    Thanks for the informative post. I love honey and have never heard of this type until now.

    It is amazing the healing power that natural substances can do for our bodies. I used to work with a gentleman who had honey bees and would sell his honey to hospitals as they would use it on burn victims to help them heal.

    I learned a lot from the article and need to check out this type of honey.

    Being that I am from the US (Midwest) is there a particular store or website I can order it from?

    Thanks,

    1. Hi Camden, thank you for sharing. Try Amazon, I´m sure they have Manuka honey. See if they deliver where you are. I have ordered from Amazon, from the UK and also directly from New Zealand, always online. Hope this helps. Take care, Marisa

  5. Hi Marisa,

    I have never tried manuka honey but after reading this I will definitely try it. I have been suffering from acid reflux and digestive issues so this could really be a great aid for those. I also like to put honey in my tea or oatmeal so I’m already using honey daily.

  6. Hi Marisa I really enjoyed your article on Manuka Honey. I didn’t realise it had many uses I just usually spread it on my toast. I didn’t know applying it on scratches and cuts will help with the healing process and I didn’t know it can improve your sleep. Thank you for such a great article.

    1. Hi Marc, you are most welcome. I am glad you already use honey and yes I find it useful in many ways. Thank you for writing. 

  7. Wow I didn’t realize all of the health benefits of Manuka Honey. I didn’t even know there were different types of honey lol. I have been struggling with sleep recently but I don’t like taking sleeping pills. I will try using this honey and see if I can naturally improve my sleep! Also I could always use a boost to my immune system!

    1. Hi Wilson, you can add Manuka honey to warm milk before going to sleep. It helps to release melatonin needed for a restful sleep. Today I just ordered a 15+ UMF jar for the winter season here. Hope the honey works for you and you manage to sleep well. Cheers and thank you for writing. 

  8. I have never heard of this product before, but it’s so nice to expand my knowledge a bit. I was one step away into digging a little deeper until I saw your disclaimer that diabetics should not use it. Thank you for that. I have diabetes and along the years I have learned that honey is an amazing helper when it comes to low blood sugar levels (which I used to constantly have). Luckily I have managed, but I will send this article to my aunt who absolutely loves adding honey to everything she can.

  9. The truth is that I am a honey fan, changing the refined sugar by honey long time ago.

    But I had never heard of this honey! It is seen that it has great properties. Particularly I was very interested (and that is why I came to this post) the properties to get a good night’s sleep. I also noticed that honey helped me to get a good sleep, that´s why I would like  to try this honey in particulary.

    I am very interested to know that this honey is packaged with strict levels of control. That gives a guarantee that honey is pure, as many manufacturers sometimes “dilute” honey with some sugary compounds.

    Your personal experience has also helped me to believe in the product, so I will take a look and try!

    Thanks for the review
    Regards
    Paul

    1. Hi Pablo, UMF graded is 100% pure honey and there is no sugar added. I´m happy you decided to try it out. I hope you find it useful as I had and still do in quite some years. Thank you for writing. 

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