The best manuka honeys to add to your diet, according to experts

There’s been a buzz around the health benefits of manuka honey for years. Kourtney Kardashian is a fan, Gwyneth swears by it (naturally) and Ed Sheeran apparently has it on his tour rider. Much has been made of its antibacterial, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, but can it really justify its spenny price tag and what can it do that regular honey can’t?

We spoke to nutritionist Mays Al-Ali to find out if we should finally be biting the bullet and stirring it into our teas and spooning it onto our yoghurt in 2024.

Our WH Lab experts have also been busy bees in their search for the best manuka honeys on the market. Whether you’re new to manuka or looking for a new brand to test, we’ve narrowed it down to the top four to try now.

You’ll find their detailed reviews below but here are their top-rated honeys at a glance:

What is manuka honey?

Manuka honey is made by bees that pollinate the flowers of the manuka bush native to New Zealand, and can be a helpful addition to your diet, especially during the winter months. It’s darker and thicker than regular honey and tends to be more expensive because it’s rarer and costs more to produce.

Also setting it apart is the fact it contains active ingredients believed to have a number of health benefits.

What are the health benefits of manuka honey?

These are some of the believed benefits of this golden nectar.

Wound healing: ‘Manuka honey is known for its medicinal benefits in wound healing and tissue regeneration due to a substance known as methylglyoxal, which gives it its anti-bacterial effect,’ explains Al-Ali.

Soothing sore throats: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Public Health England recommend honey as an option for treating short-term colds in those over the age of 12 thanks to its antimicrobial properties. Al-Ali suggests adding it to a hot drink to help soothe the respiratory tract when you have a cough or sore throat.

Supporting gut health: Studies have shown that manuka honey can benefit our gut health. It contains prebiotics called fructo-oligosaccharides, which help boost the growth of good bacteria in the gut.

Note that manuka honey can come in a range of strengths – the higher the MGO (standing for methylglyoxal) number on the jar, the more potent the honey.

How can you incorporate manuka honey into your diet?

Al-Ali recommends adding manuka honey to high fibre foods (think berries, oats, bananas and chickpeas) if you want to enjoy it as part of your diet, but warns that it is high in sugar, so it should be enjoyed in moderation. Aim for no more than around 15g (or two tablespoons) a day.

‘Try adding it to oats with some pea protein powder or adding it to smoothies with fibre rich veggies and avocado,’ she says.

To help with those winter colds and viruses, she also suggests adding your manuka to a warming ginger, turmeric, lemon and apple cider vinegar tea with a dash of cayenne pepper.

How we test honey

In the WH Lab, we served a range of honey samples blind to a panel of expert testers, including a number of beekeepers. We were looking for honeys with a complex flavour and aroma, which featured distinct floral notes typical of the flowers and location where the honey is produced.