Manuka honey, properties and benefits for the body and health of New Zealand gold

Manuka honey: the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits of a superfood with unique properties. And how to take it with your diet

The benefits of honey are well known, from its ability to stimulate memory and concentration to that of relieving anxiety and stress, from its action on the intestinal bacterial flora to its natural antibacterial properties, which make it a valid remedy against coughs and sore throat, up to its cosmetic virtues, which make it a useful ingredient for eliminating skin impurities and infusing hair with shine. But there is one variety of honey, in particular, that offers all these benefits (and more) on a higher level: let’s talk about manuka honey. Here’s everything you need to know about the superfood that’s been called “New Zealand gold.”

What is manuka honey

Rare and precious, manuka honey is a so-called “monoflora” variety, that is, produced by bees that collect nectar from a single botanical species. In this case, we are talking about manuka flowers, a shrub native to New Zealand and some areas of Australia. It was discovered by the English explorer Thomas Cook, who, having landed on the New Zealand coast in 1769, gave the plant the name Leptospermum scoparium, due to the ramifications that resemble a broom. For centuries, the Maori have used it for therapeutic purposes, later transmitting this practice to the British colonists.

Until the 1930s, manuka honey was considered low quality, so much so that beekeepers provided it free of charge to milk producers, who fed it to cows. It was the breeders who noticed how the animals fed with this honey were less subject to infectious diseases than the others. This was one of the clues that led to the discovery of the special properties present in manuka honey and its consequent reevaluation.

What makes it different from others

The secret of manuka honey lies in its chemical composition. In fact, it contains high levels of methylglyoxal (MGO), an organic compound with powerful antibacterial properties. This active ingredient is completely absent or present in very small quantities in other types of honey.

Properties and benefits

With an intense, slightly bitter flavour, manuka honey boasts numerous and exceptional properties, which make it unique in the world, which explains its high cost.

It boasts benefits: