Honey – Manuka/Raw? What is it all about?

Honey is a refined sweetener and is passed into the bloodstream very quickly similar to sugar but it does contain minerals and enzymes so therefore does not upset the body’s mineral balance in the same way as sugar.  Raw or heat treated “cooked” honey can be used to treat many conditions such as stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, sore throat/dry cough and can be applied directly to burns.  A spoonful of honey has even been known to help during a hangover.

Raw honey is preferred over “cooked” heat treated, as it contains many more minerals and enzymes than “cooked” honey but is not recommended to be given to infants (under 12 months of age).

Manuka honey can be raw or it can be heat treated and filtered. So it is best to check the label or the brand you are buying. Manuka Honey is honey that bees have produced using the flowers of the Manuka tree (only found in New Zealand) Leptospermum scoparium. This honey has an enzyme that sets it apart from other honeys.   This active ingredient is Methylglyoxal (MGO) is likely responsible for these antibacterial effects, plus it has antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.

There is also an Australian version of Manuka which comes from Leptospermum polygalifolium – our famous tea trees!

For any honey to be legitimately “Manuka” it must test for the active ingredients MGO, DHA (dihydroxyacetone) and Leptosperin which only found in the Leptospermum species.

You will see different numbers on both NZ and Australian Manuka honey labels which indicate just how much of the above active ingredients are in it.  The higher the number, the more therapeutic benefit.

Manuka honey looks different to regular honey. It’s thicker or more viscous, and typically darker in colour.  Some people can find some brands of Manuka honey slightly bitter and/or too ‘gritty.  You don’t need as much due to it being thicker than regular honey.  As Manuka honey is more expensive than raw honey, it is worth keeping as your therapeutic honey and have regular raw honey as a condiment to your food.

Enjoy your honey in a smoothie, on your breakfast cereal, in your tea or in any other way that you would use sugar.  But enjoy in moderation.

Further fun fact – Did you know that the texture of honey is determined by its glucose/fructose levels? All honey has both glucose and fructose, but runny honey is runny as it contains a higher amount of fructose. Whereas harder creamy honey has a greater amount of glucose as glucose crystallises. The amount of these sugars depends on what flowers/nectar the bees have visited!

  17/08/2019     Articles     0 Comment(s)