Where Does Manuka Honey Come From

Where Does Manuka Honey Come From?

If there’s one type of honey that enjoys a far and wide popularity, then it MUST be Manuka honey. It has been associated with many health benefits, including superior antibacterial properties. It can even offer you an excellent nutritional value, making it a must-have superfood.

But where exactly does this honey come from? What makes it unique? What sets it from the regular honey we’ve known for ages?

To answer these and many more questions related to the origin of manuka honey, we’ll get into a discussion below…

Firstly, we take a jab on what exactly is manuka honey. Only then we can begin to understand where it comes from…

What is Manuka Honey?

It is a raw natural bounty is native to New Zealand. To be specific, it comes from the shrubby, bushy tree found in New Zealand. Similar to other members of the plant kingdom, it bears a Latin name: Leptospermum Scoparium.

It obtained the word manuka from the Maori people of New Zealand, where it grows.

What is Manuka Honey

And in case you didn’t know, the Maori had a real history using this plant as they used to for its healing properties. They obtained a medicinal drink from manuka leaves which helped relieve fever related symptoms. The oil from the trees was used to treat wounds and burns.

While manuka honey has almost become a staple for all honey lovers across the globe, clinical research in the 19th security showed that it contains extraordinary levels of antibacterial activity.

Where Does Manuka Honey Come From?

We already said it; Manuka honey comes from New Zealand. It’s produced by the bees that pollinate the Manuka plant, a native manuka bush also known as the tea tree. The same tree also supplies tea tree oil, an essential oil, a potent antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-fungal product.

The honey produced from this tree is this known as manuka honey. Surprisingly, it retains some of the protective properties found in the tree oil.

Of course, the tree does not grow in the whole of New Zealand. So, where will you find it?

Manuka Honey

Manuka mainly grows in the wild, uncultivated areas of the countryside- usually around the coastline of New Zealand. To get manuka honey, you’ll have to place your hive(s) in the most remote, dense manuka bushes to give your busy bees the easiest possible access to the nectar from this magical tree.

What Are The Top Benefits of Manuka Honey?

Some of the benefits you’ll get from this New Zealand’s bounty include:

Strong anti-bacterial agent: one study carried out at the University of Sydney showed the honey’s ability to kill nearly every bacteria it came into contact with. It’s no wonder the BNHS (Britain’s National Health Service) licensed the use of manuka honey to dress wounds back in 2004.

Manuka honey also offers you protection against the damages caused by the bacteria. It stimulates the production of special cells that plays a unique role in preparing the tissue damaged by the infection.

Benefits of Manuka Honey

Honey also has some strong anti-inflammatory properties, which helps reduce pain and inflammations the moment you apply it to your body.

Other benefits you’ll get from manuka honey:

  • It lessens the severity of the upper respiratory illness
  • It calms coughs while soothing your sore throat
  • Maintains the cholesterol levels
  • Clearing and moisturizing of your skin gets better with manuka honey
  • Relieves gastrointestinal related problems
  • You can also rely on manuka to accelerate the healing of minor burns and cuts; it will even prevent scarring!

But Not All Manuka Honey Is The Same…

However, you ought to note that not all manuka honey has the same healing potential. Some kinds of honey are 100 times more potent than others. The antibacterial quality of the Manuka honey depends on the production process.

Usually, you can tell the quality of manuka honey by looking at its labels. It undergoes some tests to ensure its fit to offer the above health benefits.

Manuka Honey

Some of the most common factors you should pay attention to include the K Factor and Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) which shows the level of various compounds present in manuka honey ( and thus the strength of its healing properties).

Conclusion

Now you’ve got the answer to your question- where does manuka honey from? It comes from New Zealand, where honeybees gather and collect nectar from the Manuka bush (native to the country) for making this unique honey. Surprisingly, the kinds of honey share the same healing benefits with the oil obtained from this tree.

Depending on how the production process, different manuka honeys tend to differ. However, you can easily tell the best type by looking at the UMF and K Factor labels.

Have you started using manuka honey? How’s the experience?

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