The Origin of Mānuka Honey
The Mānuka tree is native to New Zealand, and its story reaches back to the first settlers of these islands, the indigenous Māori people. They called this remarkable, many-purposed plant taonga (“treasure”, or “precious inheritance”) and valued it for the breadth of its uses.
Its most important use was as a healing plant. Infusions prepared from the leaves were taken to bring down a fever and to treat stomach and urinary complaints. The resin of the tree served to soothe burns, to moisturise the skin and to ease a cough. Decoctions made from the bark were used as a natural sedative, as a mouth rinse, and as a treatment for diarrhoea and fever. In many ways, the Mānuka tree was a natural pharmacy of its own.
Mānuka honey can be produced only by the European honey bee (Apis mellifera), which is not a species native to New Zealand. The English beekeeper Mary Bumby is held to have been the first European settler to bring these bees to New Zealand, in 1839. She set her hives on the east coast of the North Island, where Mānuka scrub grew in great abundance. There is strong evidence that the first honey produced in New Zealand was in fact Mānuka honey.
It was only in 1980 that the biochemist Peter Molan scientifically confirmed the unique antibacterial properties of Mānuka honey. Its healing properties, however, had been known and used in traditional Māori medicine for many centuries before that.
What is Mānuka?
Mānuka honey is a monofloral honey gathered from the nectar of the flowers of Leptospermum scoparium, a tree that grows wild in New Zealand. Unlike other kinds of honey, Mānuka honey is marked by a chemical composition all its own, which gives it exceptional biological properties and has made it the subject of a great deal of scientific research.
Its greatest value comes from the presence of several bioactive compounds. The best known among them is methylglyoxal (MGO), the principal carrier of its antibacterial activity. Alongside MGO, Mānuka honey contains dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a natural precursor of MGO, leptosperin, which is a specific marker of authentic Mānuka honey, as well as methyl syringate, glyoxal, polyphenols and other natural antioxidants.
Thanks to this singular combination of bioactive compounds, Mānuka honey shows pronounced antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. Scientific research shows that its components can inhibit the growth of a broad spectrum of bacteria, including strains that display resistance to certain antibiotics. Mānuka honey can also lower the inflammatory response by acting on inflammatory mediators, and so contributes to a more favourable environment for the healing of tissue and for the normal function of the body.
In recent years, growing attention has been paid to its potential benefits for the digestive system. Laboratory and clinical research indicates that Mānuka honey may inhibit the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, help maintain a healthy gut microflora, and contribute to easing the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
It is precisely because of this specific composition and this broad range of biological activities that Mānuka honey is today regarded as one of the most researched and most highly valued natural honeys in the world.