Remember that song lyric: “just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down….” What if that spoonful of sugar actually had unique properties? What if it wasn’t really sugar but honey instead? And not just any kind of honey will do. I am speaking directly about a special type of honey - Manuka.
And if you think about it, how many times a day are you putting a sweetener in something? Coffee, oatmeal, tea, toast, in a sauce or simply because you need a sweet pick me up. Now, that sweet that your body may crave can be satisfied with something that could be good for you too.
Honey has been used since ancient times as a healing agent. However, it wasn't until the late 19th century that researchers discovered that honey has natural antibacterial qualities. And because manuka honey has these special qualities; it is often used to heal wounds in clinical settings.
Honey also works as an anti-inflammatory and if inflammation isn’t the culprit behind so many of today’s most common debilitating disease, then I don’t know what is. Therefore, honey could also help with pain - better than reaching for some OTC medicine that is the leading cause of liver failure in the US.
But not all honey is the same. The antibacterial quality of honey depends on the type of honey as well as when and how it's harvested. Some kinds may be 100 times more potent than others.
Hydrogen peroxide gives most honey its antibiotic quality. But manuka honey, also has methylglyoxal (MGO) - it’s major antibacterial component. MGO is a compound found in most types of honey, but usually only in small quantities.
In manuka honey, MGO comes from the conversion of another compound, dihydroxyacetone or DHA, that is found in high concentration in the nectar of manuka flowers.
By now, you are probably figuring out how that 1 spoonful of honey can help you. How can it not? We are talking about major categories that cause people to suffer: pain, inflammation, wounds, bacterial and viral infections.
But if you are having trouble figuring it out, let me give you my top ten reasons why I feel people should be getting that teaspoon of Manuka honey in each day:
- Do you ever wake up with any aches or pains?
- Do you sleep well and soundly?
- It’s cold/flu season
- Do you have seasonal allergies?
- Do you feel “inflamed?”
- Any bloating/gas?
- Are you having regular bowel movements?
- Do you have trouble opening up jars?
- Can you walk as far as you would like before the arthritis kicks in?
- Are you one of those types that like me, like to prevent illness rather than wait for it to strike?
I could go on, but you do see my point? The healing powers of Manuka honey are broad because it has medicinal properties that cover some of the major underlying health concerns of the day.
So, try incorporating that teaspoon each day - it’s so easy; straight out of the jar, in a beverage, or on food - what’s easier than that?
