What’s so special about Manuka honey? We ask Professor Thomas Henle from the Technical University of Dresden.
Manuka honey is native to New Zealand. It’s produced by bees that pollinate the flower
Leptospermum scoparium (L.scoparium), otherwise known as the Manuka bush. Professor Thomas Henle, from the Technical University of Dresden has conducted extensive research into Manuka honey. Here, he helps explain what all the fuss is about.
Prof. Dr. Henle, you have been researching Manuka honey for 16 years. What fascinates you most about New Zealand honey?
“Ultimately, above all, the secret of how and why biology has produced such a unique natural product in terms of ingredients in the course of evolution.”
You deciphered the “Magic Manuka Factor” with your research team in 2006, how did you come to research Manuka honey in the first place?
“We examined a large number of commercially available honeys, to find out what reaction products are produced from the sugars in honey during storage. Specifically, the focus was on so-called dicarbonyl compounds, which are responsible, for example, for the formation of colour in food. In doing so, we had – rather by chance – also examined a few Manuka honeys... And that's when we found what we were looking for.
“During our investigations, we were able to discover a component with our analytical tools that
was only present in the Manuka honeys, some of them in very large quantities, but not in all other honeys examined. We then isolated this compound from the Manuka honey, elucidated its structure and checked whether it was responsible for the antibacterial properties of the Manuka honeys. And it was: methylglyoxal was directly responsible for the long-known antibacterial effect of Manuka honey. So we had unravelled the secret of the “unknown Manuka factor” – initially by chance, then through systematic investigations.
What exactly is methylglyoxal, and how is it formed?
“Methylglyoxal or MGO is a natural compound that is also formed in human body cells in the course of sugar metabolism. There, MGO is produced as a “by-product” of energy production, and is then converted to lactic acid and excreted by the body. It is not known exactly how MGO is formed in the manuka plants. It is assumed that many factors, including drought or solar radiation, play a role, but we still don't know for sure.”
What properties have you been able to demonstrate in your research of methylglyoxal?
“From a practical point of view, the most important property of methylglyoxal is its pronounced
antibacterial effect. In addition, we found that because of its MGO and its precursor DHA, Manuka honey can inhibit an enzyme that is important for a specific stomach germ, Helicobacter pylori. In many people, this is responsible for stomach inflammation.”
How can the average consumer recognise real Manuka honey?
“As a consumer, you are pretty sure if you buy your honey from a company that provides specific information about the content of methylglyoxal, for example, and also indicates this on the packaging. I would be wary of fantasy terms like ‘active honey’ or numbers like ‘active 10’
or something like that. The MGO label is the most scientifically concrete here.”
In Ireland, look for Mānuka Health Mānuka Honey in your local health store or pharmacy to ensure you are buying the real deal.