Is there any veracity to claims about Manuka Honey?

[Ginevra]

I bought some because - well, what could it hurt - but I wonder if Manuka Honey in my tea or on my sourdough bread truly has medicinal properties or if it’s just the food fad of the day. 

 

[maize]

I've seen research I think on it helping with wound healing, but that is with external application.

I'm not aware of benefits from eating it, do a search on Google scholar.

Edited August 19, 2019 by maize

[LMD]

Yes, I think so, if you get the real kind and it's high enough strength. I wouldn't use it in tea or toast though waaaaay too expensive, more a spoonful like medicine. I'll see if I can find more info in the morning, it's 3am here and I just gave some Manuka honey to my sickly children and I'm fallin asleep 😄

Edited August 19, 2019 by LMD

[iamonlyone]

It helped me with a rash near my eye. I saw three doctors and tried various things they recommended, but I decided to try Manuka honey before filling a steroid perscription. It helped within a day and totally cleared up the problem (that I had for months) within a couple weeks. I don't know about internal either, though.

[BeachGal]

Yes, research has shown that genuine Manuka honey is very good for a number of health problems -- burns, bacterial infections, etc. ETA: Very good for gut problems, too.

The problem is finding genuine Manuka honey. Some Manuka honey sold in the US is not Manuka honey at all. In fact, even a lot of the honey sold in the US is not 100% honey but is actually honey and rice syrup. Honey adulturation is a serious problem throughout the US and Europe. There's a documentary about this but I forget the name.

 

Edited August 19, 2019 by BeachGal

[ktgrok]

44 minutes ago, maize said:

I've seen research I think on it helping with wound healing, but that is with external application.

I'm not aware of benefits from eating it, do a search on Google scholar.

This. I've never heard of eating it. It is used in hospitals, veterinary clinics, etc for wound care. 

It basically creates bubbles of peroxide constantly, killing the bacteria, as it interacts with your skin/tissue. I've had pretty amazing results...my daughter had a small cyst/boil/something for weeks that wouldn't heal, even with prescription bactroban ointment. We tried manuka honey and put it on at bedtime under a bandaid. Woke up the next morning and were SHOCKED that the boil was 90 percent better! Seriously, we'd been treating that thing for weeks and this was nearly complete healing in less than 12 hours. 

 

[prairiewindmomma]

We went to a highly respected wound care facility where they used Manuka honey and silver impregnated alginate dressings.

Not all Manuka is the same, there are various ratings, but it has amazing anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties as a topical application.  I don't imagine it's doing much in your tea (where it has been heated) or on your toast.

[aaplank]

The key is, it has to be raw.  Manuka honey has been clinically proven to help heal wounds and I believe MRSA also.  You can go to CVS and get bandaids with Manuka honey on them.

When I make my homemade elderberry syrup, I always add a jar of Manuka honey to it once it has cooled.  I think it helps my throat infections, but I'm not sure if it's the elderberry or the honey.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I'm not sure if cooking it would be a great idea.  I do think having it in (not too hot) tea when dealing with sore throat is a good idea, and when my kids have a cough, I give them a spoonful to suck on slowly.  Even plain honey has a soothing effect to the throat because it's so viscous.  

But our main use, as others have said, is wound healing.  I also use it on my acne, but I use so much random stuff on my acne that I can't claim any effect to be uniquely form the manuka.  

[itsheresomewhere]

It is fantastic for healing wounds both animal and human.  It is expensive I can’t imagine using it for eating. 

[ktgrok]

The way it works is continual contact and an enzymatic reaction with the oozing wound. Just briefly touching a throat probably wouldn't do anything. All honey is slightly able to do this, but Manuka has other chemicals in it from the tea tree oil plant the pollen came from, that make it work better. Regular honey gets diluted and broken down by the contact with wound fluids very quickly in comparison. 

[Kalmia]

I've applied it overnight on acne and have had great success especially healing the open pimples. So yes, for external application, it can be useful.

[Guest]

Here’s the honey I bought: 

[Katy]

So how do you find the good stuff?

[Angie in VA]

I was just going to ask for links to brands, strengths, sources. 

I think it was Corraleno (I'm not a reliable source. I  mean, I don't lie, but I do get confused!) who recommended this brand and I got it from Amazon. (Not an affiliate link!) I have never used it topically, only a little internally. Can't recall now how it worked, but I also use elderberry for colds and flus. 

Edited August 21, 2019 by Angie in VA
Correction (I need to add "who" and I did!)

[ktgrok]

Yeah, that's the stuff, but that peroxidase activity it mentions is for topical application. I don't think internally it is any different than any other honey. 

[Guest]

49 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

Yeah, that's the stuff, but that peroxidase activity it mentions is for topical application. I don't think internally it is any different than any other honey. 

Well, some of the health claims refer to internally taking it. Supposedly, it heals sore throats, reduces gingivitis and reduces inflammation in the gut, which is the important part for me, as I have IBS. 

[mathnerd]

I use Manuka honey for colds and flu. I do not put it in warm water because I do not want to break down any natural enzymes in it. Manuka honey has a chemical called Methylglyoxal that supposedly helps to fight flu (and other superbugs like MRSA etc). They recommend that you use a honey with Methylglyoxal rating above 250 for good results (also, use caution if you are a diabetic because it might mess up blood sugar levels).

[lewelma]

When I lived in rural NZ 20 years ago, I could get a two liter tub for NZ$25!!  Price has definitely gone up!

[easypeasy]

We use the honey itself for wound care/skin stuff. But I bought these drops and my oldest daughter swears by them. They have helped her with upset stomachs and sore throats. I send her a package every few months while she's at school.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GRV1B94/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

 

[dirty ethel rackham]

10 hours ago, Ktgrok said:

This. I've never heard of eating it. It is used in hospitals, veterinary clinics, etc for wound care. 

It basically creates bubbles of peroxide constantly, killing the bacteria, as it interacts with your skin/tissue. I've had pretty amazing results...my daughter had a small cyst/boil/something for weeks that wouldn't heal, even with prescription bactroban ointment. We tried manuka honey and put it on at bedtime under a bandaid. Woke up the next morning and were SHOCKED that the boil was 90 percent better! Seriously, we'd been treating that thing for weeks and this was nearly complete healing in less than 12 hours. 

 

Yep.  When I had a nasty infection in the surgical sites on my foot, the wound clinic used manuka honey to help with the infection and with the healing process.  Granted, they didn't have me use the stuff you get from the grocery store, but medical grade stuff in a tube.  

[Rosie_0801]

Capilano had bad press about adulterated honey last year. I didn't read anything about their Manuka honey specifically, but if they can't even produce unadulterated mixed blossom honey, I wouldn't have much faith in them.

[kiwik]

I don't think they have Manuka in Australia as it is a Maori word (I thought it had a different name there) but I assume they have the same or very similar tree.  Manuka honey has been faked a lot so unless you get a really reliable brand with an intact seal it can be a bit hit and miss.  You use it topically but it can be taken for the throat.  If it was cheap enough to use as normal honey it likely isn't pure.  It says each batch is tested for the active ingredient - is the amount on the container because if it were high it would be.

Edited August 20, 2019 by kiwik

[Rosie_0801]

22 minutes ago, kiwik said:

I don't think they have Manuka in Australia as it is a Maori word (I thought it had a different name there) but I assume they have the same or very similar tree.  Manuka honey has been faked a lot so unless you get a really reliable brand with an intact seal it can be a bit hit and miss.  You use it topically but it can be taken for the throat.  If it was cheap enough to use as normal honey it likely isn't pure.  It says each batch is tested for the active ingredient - is the amount on the container because if it were high it would be.

 

Apparently we have some other kind of tea tree that has more of the active ingredient. I have heard of someone wanting to do trials, but I don't know if they got done or not. I assume we import our Manuka honey off you lot, but I haven't read labels recently. 

[kiwik]

24 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

 

Apparently we have some other kind of tea tree that has more of the active ingredient. I have heard of someone wanting to do trials, but I don't know if they got done or not. I assume we import our Manuka honey off you lot, but I haven't read labels recently. 

That would make sense I am surprised there haven't been trials done but maybe we just haven't seen the results.  Probably just all use Manuka to create confusion.

[Melissa in Australia]

3 hours ago, kiwik said:

I don't think they have Manuka in Australia as it is a Maori word (I thought it had a different name there) but I assume they have the same or very similar tree.  Manuka honey has been faked a lot so unless you get a really reliable brand with an intact seal it can be a bit hit and miss.  You use it topically but it can be taken for the throat.  If it was cheap enough to use as normal honey it likely isn't pure.  It says each batch is tested for the active ingredient - is the amount on the container because if it were high it would be.

the Manuka or as we call it  Tea Tree is native to both Australia and New Zealand . botanical name is Leptospermum scoparium

Edited August 20, 2019 by Melissa in Australia

[Melissa in Australia]

http://vro.agriculture.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/sip_manuka

 

It grows local to me along with other species  of tea tree and melaleuca. I live in coastal scrub.  They are all very hard to spin out of the honey frame

Edited August 20, 2019 by Melissa in Australia

[kiwik]

25 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

the Manuka or as we call it  Tea Tree is native to both Australia and New Zealand . botanical name is Leptospermum scoparium

I thought it was.  When we were kids older people often called Manuka and Kanuka tea trees because of that.  In that long ago time what is now called kiwifruit was called Chinese gooseberry too.

[Guest]

27 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

the Manuka or as we call it  Tea Tree is native to both Australia and New Zealand . botanical name is Leptospermum scoparium

Oooooohhhh....Tea Tree...this all makes so much sense now! 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, kiwik said:

I thought it was.  When we were kids older people often called Manuka and Kanuka tea trees because of that.  In that long ago time what is now called kiwifruit was called Chinese gooseberry too.

Is kiwifruit grown in NZ? 

I thought it was an allusion to the flightless bird. 

[BeachGal]

15 hours ago, Katy said:

So how do you find the good stuff?

 

14 hours ago, Quill said:

Well, some of the health claims refer to internally taking it. Supposedly, it heals sore throats, reduces gingivitis and reduces inflammation in the gut, which is the important part for me, as I have IBS. 

Comvita supplies Manuka honey used in bandaids. They take their Manuka honey seriously. Wedderspoon is another company that might be good. Like Rosie said, the Capilano brand was in the news but I don't know much about it. Might want to research it. Good quality Manuka honey won't be cheap.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-26/the-new-zealand-honey-that-s-causing-legal-problems-in-the-u-s

Here is a good graphic explaining how honey can get adulturated along the way:

https://www.amesfarm.com/blogs/showcase-ames-farm-honey-retailer/new-netflix-series-rotten-explores-profiteering-in-the-honey-industry

If you're interested, the episode from the Netlix documentary series Rotten that discusses honey production and adulturation is called "Lawyers, Guns and Honey."As for whether Manuka honey can help with IBS, keep in mind that everything we eat or drink affects our body. Manuka honey is no exception. Even at fairly low doses it can have a beneficial effect, especially over time. The methylglyoxal is probably key but there are other substances in the honey as well. For something like IBS, one tablespoon in the morning and maybe one later around 3-5 pm or so, could be helpful. You'd want a Manuka honey with a high UMF value, maybe 15+, which should be printed on the label.

More about Manuka honey here:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4837971/

[ktgrok]

I think this is the brand we used, that worked so well topically. https://www.amazon.com/Manuka-Doctor-Active-Honey-Pound/dp/B00AAVJSUC/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=manuka%2Bhoney%2Bdoctor&qid=1566320503&s=gateway&sr=8-3&th=1

[Corraleno]

I've had some pretty amazing results using Manuka honey on wounds.  Ideally you want to look for UMF factor (not MGO) between 10-20, as UMF measures more ingredients than just the methyglyoxal. 

Edited August 20, 2019 by Corraleno

[ktgrok]

I found a cyst or infected ingrown hair or something on my neck yesterday. Was bigger today and painful. My daughter said it looked more like a bug bite, but I could feel that there was a cyst or something underneath. I put some honey on it and hour ago and it is already half the size! Seriously, this thing was growing by the minute and is now shrinking. End it is no longer painful.I found a cyst or infected ingrown hair or something on my neck yesterday. Was bigger today and painful. My daughter said it looked more like a bug bite, but I could feel that there was a cyst or something underneath. I put some honey on it and hour ago and it is already half the size! Seriously, this thing was growing by the minute and is now shrinking. I didn’t even cover it, just smeared some on and left the house.

Edited August 27, 2019 by Ktgrok

[Arcadia]

On 8/19/2019 at 11:14 AM, Arctic Mama said:

The high quality stuff has been great for zits and owies here.

Brand? My DS14 tends to break his zits unintentionally while doing his homework and then I have to apply Neosporin for him because it bleeds and itches. 

[J-rap]

I was reading this thread with interest, and then got to the tea tree part...  So they are one and the same?  I LOVE tea tree oil.  I got this kind several years ago, and had such good luck with it that I bought one for each of our kids.  I don't travel without it.   It's a great topical first aid cream for almost anything.  Granted, this one is mixed with other things, but it seems to work well for me:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E8HJVA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

 

[ktgrok]

1 hour ago, J-rap said:

I was reading this thread with interest, and then got to the tea tree part...  So they are one and the same?  I LOVE tea tree oil.  I got this kind several years ago, and had such good luck with it that I bought one for each of our kids.  I don't travel without it.   It's a great topical first aid cream for almost anything.  Granted, this one is mixed with other things, but it seems to work well for me:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E8HJVA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

 

It's honey from bees that visited the flowers of a type of tea tree plant. So the nectar they got from that plant has different properties than nectar from say, a dandelion, and therefore the honey is different. 

[Melissa in Australia]

6 hours ago, J-rap said:

I was reading this thread with interest, and then got to the tea tree part...  So they are one and the same?  I LOVE tea tree oil.  I got this kind several years ago, and had such good luck with it that I bought one for each of our kids.  I don't travel without it.   It's a great topical first aid cream for almost anything.  Granted, this one is mixed with other things, but it seems to work well for me:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E8HJVA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

 

 the ones for making oil are  different species  I think the oil comes form Melalauca . https://www.mq.edu.au/about/about-the-university/faculties-and-departments/faculty-of-science-and-engineering/departments-and-centres/department-of-biological-sciences/news-and-events/Plant-of-the-week-Leptospermum-Tea-Tree.pdf