Move over coconut oil, there’s another super ingredient in town. The latest ingredient to catch fire is Manuka honey for its strong medicinal properties.
We all know that honey is a miracle food used for centuries as not only a sweetner but for medicinal purposes. So what’s up with Manuka? This type of honey is a medicinal-grade honey produced by European honeybees that feed on the Manuka bush in New Zealand and southeast Australia.
Why it’s so great
Manuka honey variety is a miracle honey that contains high antioxidant properties and antibacterial healing powers. While everyday honey varieties can claim to have amino acids, B vitamins, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc what they don’t have is hydrogen peroxide, dihydroxyacetone and methylglyoxal – which makes up the Manuka honey’s antibacterial strength.
Of course, when something this good catches on, celebrities are the first to hop on board. Singing the Manuka honey’s praises is lifestyle guru Gwyneth Paltrow as well as Scarlett Johasson who has been quoted saying: “It really adds an amazing glow and your skin is so soft afterwards. It pulls out the impurities – and it’s a nice foundation, especially if you are going to a big event where you want a great glow.”
How to use Manuka honey
The honey can be taken straight from the teaspoon, added to drinks and smoothies or applied topically to the skin or hair.
(Learn how to make a Manuka Honey Face Mask here)
What kind to buy
When choosing Manuka honey, it’s important to ensure your getting the real deal and that it meets high quality standards. Look for the following to be on the label:
-A UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) trademark will be shown on the front of the pot
-It will be labelled in New Zealand and produced by a New Zealand UMF-licenced company
-The UMF label should include the company’s name and license number.
-It must contain a rating of 10 or higher, which indicates its concentration of beneficial compounds.
As a medical treatment
-Active Manuka Honey can be simply taken by the spoonful to reap its benefits or if you have a sore throats. Take a teaspoon every 2 or 3 hours until symptoms cease.
-For internal healing, it’s suggested to spread the hone on a slice of bread or some food an hour before each meal for optimal healing powers and get rid of bad bacteria that is causing your ailments.
-For external wounds, Active Manuka can be applied topically to the wound before dressing with a bandage. When applied externally, the honey draws healing fluids and nutrition to affected areas, which creates a natural thin layer of moisture on the wound surface, allowing for rapid healing. A study in the European Journal of Medical Research in 2003 claimed Active Manuka Honey used under dressings on post operative wounds had an 85 % success rate in clearing up infections compared with 50 per cent for normal antibiotic creams.
For Beauty
Used topically as a facial, Manuka honey has amazing effects.
Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, manuka honey reduces redness and heals congested or inflamed skin and eczema. Additionally, Manuka oxygenates pores to draw out bacteria, drastically improving acne-prone areas.
It also helps skin retain moisture, repair itself through skin regeneration, repairs cellular damage and lessens scarring. Most importantly, it helps fight against anti-aging by inhibiting enzymes that destroy collagen.
—Toni-Marie Ippolito
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