Exotic varieties of bee nectar are increasingly found on the shelves of markets and shops. Manuka honey from distant New Zealand is characterized by unique healing properties, as it contains rare substances, vitamins, essential and mineral compounds. We will look further into what beneficial properties and possible contraindications this unusual beekeeping product has.
What is Manuka honey
Manuka honey nectar is produced exclusively in New Zealand, and its quality is strictly controlled by the state.The distant country is considered the most environmentally safe region on our entire planet. To this day, there are many corners of New Zealand where human civilization has not yet appeared. Therefore, the nectar collected by bees from manuka honey bushes does not contain foreign impurities that are harmful to the body.
Manuka is a low growing shrub with a long flowering period that begins in early spring and lasts for 4-5 weeks.
Beekeepers carefully monitor that insects collect nectar and pollen exclusively from the tea tree, so manuka honey is considered monofloral and contains more than 50% of bee products from one honey plant.
Most varieties of this natural gift have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, which are successfully used in medicine and cosmetology. Natural New Zealand nectar contains the maximum concentration of healing compounds and substances, and one of them is methylglyoxal. The main healing component of the treat, entering the affected cell, dehydrates it, harmful microorganisms are deprived of nutrition and die, and the affected organ is completely restored.
Important! The beneficial and nutritional properties of a beekeeping product may vary depending on the area where nectar is collected, weather and climatic conditions and the intensity of flowering of the tea tree.
Composition and calorie content
Due to its high carbohydrate content, New Zealand nectar is considered a high-calorie delicacy - it contains up to 350 energy units per 100 g of fresh product.
Tea tree honey also contains:
- healthy sugars in the form of glucose, fructose, sucrose, as well as dextrins, which are completely absorbed by the human body;
- organic acids, including essential ones, necessary for the proper and efficient functioning of the body;
- mineral compounds that are directly involved in all metabolic processes of the human body;
- vitamin composition, represented by a full line of vitamin B, ascorbic and nicotinic acids, as well as vitamins A, E, K;
- moisture, ash, aromatic and biologically active components.
In total, the medicinal beekeeping product contains more than 300 different compounds, useful and nutritious substances.
Interesting! In the Maori language, which is considered the indigenous population of a distant exotic country, the word “manuka” is translated as “cheerfulness” or “good mood”, and has an exclusively positive meaning.
How is it used?
The healing properties of the delicacy are used in traditional and folk medicine, cooking and cosmetology.
For medical purposes, sweetness is used as a preventative and general strengthening agent, as well as for the treatment of diseases of internal organs, the musculoskeletal system, the nervous system and the skin.
Important! Due to the high cost of this valuable delicacy, it is rarely used in cooking, replacing nectar with more affordable varieties of honey.
Benefits and contraindications
As a general tonic, it is enough to eat 1 teaspoon of healing sweetness in the morning, 20-30 minutes before meals.To treat skin diseases, tea tree nectar is applied in a thin layer to affected or damaged areas of the skin. For chronic exacerbations of diseases of the digestive system, a teaspoon of manuka honey is placed under the tongue and dissolved until completely dissolved.
This valuable beekeeping product is also used to treat the following abnormalities in the body:
- colds and viral diseases;
- arthritis and arthrosis;
- peptic ulcers and gastritis;
- disorders in the gastrointestinal tract;
- cardiovascular abnormalities;
- disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system, depression, insomnia, loss of appetite;
- inflammatory processes of the oral mucosa, inflammation of the gums;
- skin diseases, bedsores, various wounds, including those caused by surgery.
Important! Tea tree honey contains essential substances that have antifungal and antimicrobial effects.
How to distinguish from a fake
The production of this valuable bee gift is controlled by government agencies in New Zealand and the beekeepers' association, which issues certificates and permits for the production of rare nectar that is in demand throughout the world.
When buying manuka honey, it is enough to make sure that you have documents for the beekeeping product, which indicate the place where the honey was collected and the amount of methylglyoxal in the delicacy.
Storage rules
Store tea tree nectar in glass, ceramic or porcelain opaque containers in a dark, well-ventilated, cool room.
The temperature for storing bee honey is allowed from -5 to +20 degrees with low humidity.
