Manuka Honey Benefits

Manuka honey is a special type of honey, produced only in New Zealand. This honey is made when the bees pollinate the flowers of the manuka trees that grow in the East Cape region of the country. This type of honey was found by a New Zealand based researcher and biochemist Professor Peter Molan in 1981. He found that this honey was different from the other types of honey as its healing properties were much more superior than the normal honey because of the presence of some other ingredient, apart from hydrogen peroxide which is found in all forms of honey. As he could not discover what was the thing that gave manuka honey its healing properties, he named it the 'Unique Manuka Factor' (UMF). The major difference between manuka honey and other types of honey is that the later is used in the form of home remedies only, whereas the former is used and recommended by medical practitioners too. As the manuka honey health benefits became popular, many manuka honey products including drugs, creams, etc. were introduced in the market. Let us try to learn more about manuka honey as well as its benefits.

Some Health Benefits
Though manuka honey became popular worldwide in the 20th century, the leaves, sap oil and bark of the manuka tree was used as a folk medicine by the people of Maori. However, with the work done by the Peter Molan, the benefits of manuka honey became an important ingredient to treat internal as well as external health problems throughout the world. Let us take a look at the manuka health benefits of honey and why it is better than antibiotics which had taken over the organic and natural honey, a long time ago.

• One of the most important element of manuka honey is that it has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Due to this, it helps in eliminating infections that appear on wounds, thus helping the wound to heal faster. Manuka honey dressing is also done on wounds as it prevents infection from developing on the wounds.
• Research has found that manuka honey is good for treating several skin problems including acne, cracked skin, abscesses, bed sores, skin ulcer, etc. Applying manuka honey on leg or foot ulcers that affect diabetic people is also said to be a good way of curing it. If you are facing any such skin problems, using manuka honey 2-3 times a day will ensure a speedy recovery.
• Apart from these external health benefits, manuka honey can be used for curing internal health problems too. Consuming manuka honey is said to benefit the immune system, helping our body to fight infections and diseases affecting it. Diseases like acid reflux, heart burn, gastritis, etc. can be cured with the help of manuka honey.
• If you are suffering from stomach or intestinal problems like indigestion, stomach inflammation, irritable bowel syndrome or peptic ulcer, one teaspoon of manuka honey can help you in finding relief from this problem. It is also said to be a natural alternative to pain killers as it aids in alleviating pain.
• People who are suffering from the problem of dehydration due to excessive vomiting or diarrhea are also said to benefit with the intake of manuka honey. This is because the healing properties of manuka honey helps in rehydrating the body. It is also used to treat individuals suffering from cold, fever, sore throat, etc.
• Manuka honey is also said to be a good remedy to cure the morning sickness that pregnant women experience. To cure morning sickness, one has to make a mixture taking one teaspoon of manuka honey and mix it with ½ teaspoon of ginger juice, 1 teaspoon of mint juice as well as lime juice. Consuming this solution at least 3-4 times in a day may help in treating homesickness.
• Manuka honey treatment is also tried on cancer patients. The wounds that sometimes develop after undergoing radiation therapy are healed by applying manuka honey on wounds. Moreover, as manuka healing honey has antifungal properties, the fungal wounds that develop when the cancer breaks through the skin are also cured by using this honey.
• One of the most important reason for manuka honey to become so popular is that it is a natural remedy and hence, does not have any side effects. Thus, people who find no relief after taking antibiotics opt for manuka honey treatment because they do not fear that it may cause some other health problems. Moreover, it is also less expensive than the medications given for the treatment for these diseases.

As I have said earlier, there are a variety of manuka honey products like antifungal creams, anti-wrinkle serums, liquid hand soaps, acne creams, antiseptic creams, etc. available in the market. These can be bought easily as you do not need a medical prescription to buy them. However, if you want to try manuka honey for any other health problem, it is important that you consult the doctor who can clearly advise you about the dosage and other instructions that you have to keep in mind while using it.