From Dry Eyes to Bleeding Gums: Manuka Honey’s Potential Health Benefits

New research suggests manuka honey may have benefits beyond its well-known wound-healing reputation.

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It looks like ordinary honey, thick and amber in the jar. However, manuka honey, known for its wound-healing properties, has talents that extend well beyond the skin. Scientists are now finding it can ease dry eyes, calm sinus inflammation, and even fight bleeding gums.

Manuka honey is prized for its potent antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Recent studies have also highlighted lesser-known benefits, along with a few precautions to keep in mind before adding it to your routine.

What Makes Manuka Honey Unique

“Not all honey is created equal,” Tina Alexander, a registered dietitian,  told The Epoch Times in an email. Regular raw honey fights bacteria using hydrogen peroxide, which quickly degrades when exposed to heat, light, or body fluids, she said. Manuka honey uses a unique “non-peroxide” antimicrobial activity. This distinct defense mechanism is highly stable and remains potent under difficult conditions.

Manuka honey is created when bees pollinate the manuka bush (Leptospermum scoparium), which is unique to New Zealand. Its relative rarity partially explains its premium price tag, which, depending on its purity and antibacterial activity, can range from $20 to $200 a jar. The other reason is its exceptional medicinal benefits.

Manuka honey contains a high concentration of methylglyoxal (MGO), a compound with potent antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, setting it apart from regular honey. MGO significantly contributes to manuka honey’s health benefits, making it effective for a variety of ailments, including wound healing, sore throats, coughs, and digestive health.

While regular honey is often the result of bees pollinating a variety of different flowers, manuka honey comes almost exclusively from the pollination of the flowers of the manuka bush. These flowers only bloom for a couple of weeks a year, and manuka bushes primarily grow in remote parts of New Zealand. Manuka honey tends to be darker than regular honey and is thicker, due to its thixotropic properties, making it solid at room temperature but liquid when stirred.

If you are looking to explore the health benefits of manuka honey and want to ensure it is authentic, look for the “UMF” grade on the label. UMF stands for Unique Manuka Factor and is a global grading system administered by the Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association that authenticates the purity, potency, and authenticity of manuka honey from New Zealand. Manuka honey is rated from UMF 5+ to UMF 25+, which indicates the MGO concentration and the strength of its antibacterial activity.

Possible Benefits for the Eyes

A recent study published in Frontiers in Ophthalmology found that manuka honey was superior to conventional eye drops in relieving post-surgery symptoms, including dry eyes.

“Dry eyes are incredibly common and affect millions of Americans,” Dr. Natasha Herz, a board-certified ophthalmologist and spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, told The Epoch Times via email.

The study found that manuka honey-based eye drops outperformed artificial tears in patients after cataract surgery, reducing inflammation and dry-eye disease symptoms.

The prospective controlled study examined 53 single eyes, from 53 patients who had undergone cataract surgery—one of the most common eye surgeries in the United States and around the world—which routinely contributes to post-op dry eye disease. Researchers compared manuka honey eye drops with artificial tears containing sodium hyaluronate for patients’ postoperative symptoms.

Twenty-five patients received manuka honey eye drops, while 28 received standard eye drops containing sodium hyaluronate, a common ingredient in artificial tears. The researchers measured dryness and irritation, redness and inflammation, and how long tears remained stable on their eyes, at intervals from before surgery through one month afterward.

The manuka honey group reported less dryness and irritation and greater eye comfort, along with less redness and irritation, one month after their operation.

The authors noted that the study was small and short-term. They described their results as “hypothesis-generating,” meaning the findings are promising but need to be confirmed in larger, longer trials before any firm conclusions can be drawn.

Herz noted several concerns about the study, including the lack of a control group and whether participants were using other eye drops—and, if so, which kinds—which she said could significantly affect the results.

While multiple products, such as Optimel, which contains pharmaceutical-grade manuka honey, are available on the market to treat a variety of eye conditions, in drop or gel form, Herz notes that manuka-based drops are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The lack of approval is largely because honey is not a permitted active ingredient in over-the-counter ophthalmic medications. Herz adds that anyone considering them should consult an ophthalmologist for individualized recommendations.

Benefits for the Nasal Passages and Sinuses

Manuka honey has long been used to manage cold and flu symptoms due to its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Its antibacterial action, stemming mainly from its high levels of polyphenols and exceptionally high MGO, which protects the body against oxidative damage and inflammation, disrupts bacterial cell walls, and inhibits their growth.

These properties make it an effective remedy for nasal pathogens, including antibiotic-resistant strains, as manuka honey doesn’t promote bacterial resistance the way conventional antibiotics can. While many traditional antibacterial medications target bacteria via a single mechanism that bacteria can adapt to and bypass over time (leading to drug resistance), manuka honey acts through multiple mechanisms at once. Researchers have tracked bacteria treated with manuka honey over extended periods and have not documented the development of resistance.

Lab research has also found manuka honey can inhibit flu viruses. A 2014 study testing different types of honey against the influenza virus found manuka honey was the most potent, significantly reducing the virus’s ability to replicate inside cells.

When manuka honey was combined with the antiviral drugs oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza), the amount of drug required to achieve the same effect dropped dramatically, to nearly 1/1000th of the amount normally required.

A study of 19 people with primary atrophic rhinitis, a chronic condition in which nasal tissue and mucous-producing glands deteriorate, tested a 10 percent manuka honey nasal spray on one side of the nose and saline on the other for eight weeks, with each participant serving as their own comparison. The manuka side showed greater improvements, including decreased inflammation of the nasal lining and increased beneficial bacteria in the nasal microbiome.

Several manuka honey nasal sprays are sold commercially, typically combining purified medical-grade manuka honey with saline to hydrate the nasal passages, flush airborne irritants, relieve congestion, and defend against bacteria. Potency and MGO levels vary by product. Anyone with a chronic infection should consult a physician or an ear, nose, and throat specialist rather than self-treating.

Benefits for Oral Health

While it may seem counterintuitive to use something sweet for oral care, manuka honey behaves differently from refined sugars. Researchers consider it a raw, nutrient-rich substance rather than a typical sweetener.

Multiple studies have found that manuka honey inhibits harmful oral bacteria, reduces plaque buildup, and eases gingivitis. It has also been shown to be effective for patients with dry mouth.

In a 2025 randomized controlled trial of 42 older adults with xerostomia (dry mouth), oral rinses containing manuka honey outperformed those containing regular honey or saline in boosting salivary flow, and patients reported high satisfaction.

In another study, manuka honey reduced plaque more effectively than xylitol chewing gum and performed comparably to chlorhexidine mouthwash, a potent prescription-strength antiseptic mouth rinse used primarily to reduce bleeding gums, mitigate gingivitis, and help heal the mouth after dental procedures.

A small pilot study found that volunteers who chewed a manuka honey “leather” for 10 minutes three times daily after each meal saw significant reductions in plaque and bleeding gums compared with those who used sugarless gum over a 21-day period.

Manuka honey is also commonly used for sore throats, due to its considerable antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. Its thick consistency coats the throat, soothes inflamed tissue, and is highly effective at killing bacteria commonly responsible for sore throats, such as Streptococcus mutans. A typical approach is to take one to two tablespoons, either directly or stirred into warm water or tea.

Dosage and Precautions

Before adding manuka honey to a daily routine, a few precautions are worth keeping in mind.

A standard serving of manuka honey is one to two teaspoons. “Consuming significantly more than this will cause a meaningful spike in blood glucose and insulin, contributing excess calories without additional therapeutic benefit,” Alexander said.

Manuka honey, like all honey, should not be given to infants under 12 months old due to the risk of botulism.

Because of its high sugar content, it should be used cautiously by people with diabetes.

“From a nutritional standpoint, honey remains an added sugar, primarily fructose and glucose with a high glycemic index,” Alexander said. “This means it is best treated as a targeted, functional tool rather than a daily wellness supplement.”

Gastrointestinal effects, including bloating and a mild laxative effect, are possible, particularly at higher doses.

While honey has long been used in traditional medicine worldwide, manuka honey is like regular honey on steroids, with enhanced healing effects. With wide-ranging health benefits, it’s a worthy contender for a place in your kitchen and your medicine cabinet.