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New Zealand is home of the manuka plant which bees pollinate to create a very special type of honey. Consumers might have heard of manuka honey and wondered what is so particular about it? Why has this food been classified by many as a healer above and beyond regular honey? Find out more.
Honey as Healer
Ordinary honey, especially non-pasteurized honey, is used for healing all the time. Health care experts claim that taking a teaspoonful of honey from bees pollinating the plants closest to where you live will prevent allergies and asthma. They argue that honey has benefits as a topical healer when you suffer burns, stings, rashes, and cuts.
Manuka Honey Miracle
The potency of regular honey is debatable and regular table honey might not be as powerful in reality as it is in the minds of consumers. Since the mind-body connection is strong, that’s not a bad thing; whatever works is positive. On the other hand, what if there was a natural food free of any chemicals which could genuinely heal the body in many ways? That’s what beekeepers and honey makers, homeopaths and naturopaths claim regarding manuka honey.
Results from scientific studies prove that manuka honey possesses antibacterial properties if doses of hydrogen peroxide are concentrated enough. When a jar of honey contains these higher concentrations it is rated a “10” or above. This way the consumer knows he is buying a food suitable to also be used as a topical medicine to heal cuts, burns, and scrapes. It might not hasten healing but sterilized medicinal manuka honey could potentially prevent infection or even kill bacteria already present in and around a wound. To some consumers it is preferable to apply a natural product versus a synthetic but cleansing or antibiotic chemical.
Manuka honey is shown to attack and kill superbugs which do not respond to pharmaceutical antibiotics. When eaten, it could help kill germs causing sore throats and even strep throat, but more study is needed to ascertain the true potential of this natural and tasty food. It’s certainly more palatable to eat honey than to swallow pills or take certain liquid antibiotics. Children don’t have to know they are eating medicine when there’s honey on the spoon.
As for diseases like cancer and Diabetes, there’s no hard evidence to support claims that New Zealand’s famous honey does any good. More studies are sure to come, though.
Caution
Unfortunately, regular manuka honey isn’t doing that much good. If you are feeding your kids the stuff rated below ten or putting this on your wounds, two things are possible. One is that you’re not doing any good although possibly no harm. The other is that you could be introducing bacteria into a wound, especially if the honey has been used as food (think “double-dipping”). A sector of the population is probably allergic to manuka honey too: the only way to find out is by eating a teaspoon and also applying a little bit to your inner arm. A reaction will take place right away if there is going to be one.
Buy Manuka Honey
Meanwhile, consumers around the world can sample this dark, tasty food by visiting a specialist shop carrying exotic foods, a health food store, or going online. They might find it in a forward-thinking grocery store as well. The cost of honey rated 10 or more is pretty high and the regular stuff isn’t cheap either so consider this a special treat. Specialist stores from New Zealand offer online deals and also carry products containing their honey.
Don’t Buy Gimmicks
Since the properties of manuka honey are supposed to work best when it is applied directly to skin, don’t buy a cream made with the stuff. It won’t be effective. Either smear this honey right onto a rash or a burn or don’t bother. Those lotions are just gimmicks containing amounts too small to be helpful although the other ingredients might moisturize dry skin just as well.
What do you think?