Manuka Honey – The Ultimate Daily Superfood
Including Manuka honey in your daily life can provide you with a spoonful of wellness every day. Considered as a ‘superfood’ – Manuka honey is something that can be easily added to your daily diet and many people are starting to realise the health benefits of consuming it daily. Its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties are two of its main benefits, however, Manuka honey is also able to help with digestion and provide allergy relief.
How Has Manuka Honey Been Used in the Past?
Honey in general has actually been used in a medicinal sense for thousands of years, due to its antibacterial and wound healing properties. The Manuka flower which Manuka honey is obtained from is native to New Zealand, and Manuka had been used in traditional Maori medicines. After scientists confirmed the antibacterial properties unique to Manuka honey in the 1980s, Manuka started to gain more recognition and interest internationally.
The Different Strengths of Manuka Honey
Manuka honey is usually available in a range of different strengths and potencies. There are a few ways of measuring the strength of Manuka honey, with the most useful being its Methylglyoxal Content (MGO) and its Unique Manuka Factor (UMF). Manuka Health’s range includes various Manuka-based products of different MGO ratings, which indicates the minimum amount of methylglyoxal in the honey.
To put it simply, the higher the MGO, the stronger and more potent your Manuka honey will be.
Using Manuka Honey in your Daily Life
There are lots of ways that people are able to include Manuka honey in their daily diets or by using a Manuka-based product on a daily basis. One of the most common uses of Manuka honey is to add it as a food ingredient to meals or use it as a sweetener. Manuka honey can be a great addition to a range of breakfast options such as cereal, pancakes and toast!
Other ways to include Manuka honey as part of a daily routine is to use skin care products such as Manuka Health Wound Honey, which is applied directly to broken skin and open wounds. There are various other products such as soap and toothpaste which can be used as an alternative way of including Manuka honey in your daily life.
The majority of people choose to go with the natural Manuka honey options and consume it by adding it to meals or snacks. Another option is to mix Manuka honey with a drink or juice, and it can even be used as a healthier alternative to sugar.
Honey Vs Sugar
Many people choose to use honey as an alternative additive in place of sugar as it can provide additional benefits. Both sugar and honey are composed primarily of fructose and glucose, which provide you with energy but can be unhealthy if consumed in large amounts. Fructose and glucose are types of sugar and honey is a more natural source of these types of sugar. Honey typically goes through less processing when compared to regular table sugar and naturally contains more nutrients. The additional health benefits such as allergy relief, wound healing and its antibacterial properties make honey a healthier substitute for sugar. Manuka honey, which provides these health benefits in abundance, is an even better alternative.
One concern may be that honey contains a higher calorie count when compared to sugar, however, the number of calories consumed can be combatted by consuming a smaller amount. It is generally considered that the additional health benefits of honey outweigh the additional calories, but it’s important not to consume a large amount at once.