Best Friend Handbook: Manuka Honey, Myth or Magic?

12 May Best Friend Handbook: Manuka Honey, Myth or Magic?

My friend Katherine Stuart writes a wonderful blog,”Best Friend Handbook,” everything from fashion and beauty tips to nutrition and recipes – including recipes for success. In one of her latest blogs, Katherine talks manuka honey. Are the health (and beauty) benies real or true? Myth or magic?

Katherine Stuart

My friend Jules has been touting the health benefits of manuka honey for years. It is her go-to remedy for the crud,  a cold, allergies or simply when she’s feeling run down. Since she swears by its healing power, I thought, “Hey, I’ll add this to my flu fighting arsenal”. That is, until I saw the price. Even on Amazon, manuka honey is expensive. It ranges anywhere from $20 a jar to $65 a jar which begs the question: Manuka honey — myth or magic?

After doing a little research, I have to say… magic.  All honey is chock full of antioxidants. It also has an antiseptic/antimicrobial benefit when applied topically thanks to an enzyme in bee saliva that produces hydrogen peroxide. But there is a huge difference between your average table top honey, and manuka honey.

Medicinal Benefits of Manuka Honey

Manuka honey comes from the fragile pink and white flowers of the manuka bush. Native to New Zealand, this bush is actually a type of tea tree which contains a compound called methylglyoxal (MG). MG is what elevates the benefits of manuka honey above the stuff in the plastic bear. It’s also what makes it trés cher. MG is not your ordinary antibacterial compound. It can maintain its efficacy when exposed to light or heat. This means that it can be both irradiated and sterilized for medical use. Over the last decade, manuka honey has hit mainstream medicine over the head. It is used to heal sores in the mouths of patients undergoing chemo, and has been proven to kill over 80 strands of bacteria, including MRSA, a deadly strain of drug-resistant staph.

Cosmetic Benefits of Manuka Honey

So, it was only a matter of time before the cosmetic industry sat up and took notice..

Continue reading here.

More about Katherine Stuart:

Katherine is a former movie executive and screenwriter who now runs her own content company, Content by Katherine. Her blog, the Best Friend Handbook, was born out of a desire to help other women feel better about themselves. As a lifelong best friend, fashion aficionado, former Pilates instructor, and amateur cook as well as the person that everyone comes to for advice, Katherine decided to take her opinions global, and create a virtual best friend. You know, someone who loves you no matter what. Who never judges you for eating, say, a quart of ice cream, always knows the best recipe for an impromptu dinner party and who can tell you exactly which eye cream will make you look like less of a hag the morning after one glass too many.