Life is sweeter with your honey

Yes, honey  it’s probably the sweetest word in the dictionary. Fact is, with its unique life-supporting qualities, honey sweetens our lives in more ways than one.

Physicians of ancient times, like Aristotle and Hippocrates, referred to the healing properties of honey. Five thousand years ago, Egyptian physicians used honey in medicinal compounds. The ancient Greeks swore by honey’s abilities to promote virility and longevity. It’s been used as a head-to-toe home remedy — from headache and eye infection to athlete’s foot.  It’s been used for ages to treat wounds and ulcers, as an antiseptic and mouthwash. It’s a best-kept beauty secret: Queen of the Nile Cleopatra bathed in milk and honey, and lured men with her sensuous beauty.

One particular honey has been cited in many absorbing discussions on honey’s health benefits — Manuka honey, said to be the tastiest natural medicine.

We unravel more of honey’s sweet secrets in a free-flowing one-on-one talk with Charles Ley, the guy who brought Manuka Health from the pristine pastures of New Zealand to our shores.

Excerpts:

PHILIPPINE STAR: Tell us about your personal experience with honey, how it has helped you.

CHARLES LEY: I used to travel back and forth to Shanghai quite often. In one of my vacations here, I got quite sick.  My mom made me take Manuka Health and by God’s grace, I was well enough to travel the next day! I had never taken anything that worked so well, so fast. This was when I discovered and witnessed firsthand the health benefits of Manuka honey.

Through the ages, honey has been known for its health benefits. Are there new health discoveries about honey?

Yes, in 2008, Prof. Thomas Henle from the University of Dresden identified the active ingredient that is exclusively responsible for the antibacterial effect of honey — Methylglyoxal (MGO). Prof Henle has researched MGO extensively and has come to the conclusion that it is what gives honey, Manuka honey in particular, its antibacterial and immune system-boosting effects. Prior to his discovery, no one was sure what causes these benefits.

How do you know you’re getting pure honey?

Pure honey is ugly, inconsistent, and has a very distinct floral smell.  Forget about what you see in the store shelves that look clean, polished, and have an amber-like shine … there is a good chance the product has been pasteurized and/or diluted with sugar and water.           

How does honey help boost the immune system?

Manuka Honey helps boost the immune system by killing off the bad bacteria via the MGO strength.  Honey is also rich in enzymes and amino acids that strengthen our immune system.

How does honey help in the fight against cancer?

Honey is a good substitute for sugar — which is what cancer cells feed on.  Honey is a well-known antioxidant.  The product I would recommend more for cancer survivors is the BIO100 propolis.  Manuka Health New Zealand’s propolis products have been found to contain extraordinarily high levels of CAPE (caffeic acid phenethyl ester), which has been shown to stop over 70 percent of human tumor growths.

How does honey help with acid reflux (where acid from the stomach leaks up into the esophagus)?

Honey helps coat the stomach lining and reduce the pain … especially if you have ulcers/wounds. It also promotes a healthy digestive environment.

How does honey help with lung function?

Manuka honey is great as it strengthens your immune system, helping your body fight off bacteria and virus that can cause colds, cough, and flu. Now, if you already have bacterial infection that compromises your lung function, taking Manuka Honey with a stronger MGO level will help cure your condition and get you back faster to great health. 

What is Manuka honey? What makes it different from all the other honey products on the market today? Please verify the previous statement.

Manuka is a flower that is indigenous to New Zealand and this flower has developed a natural resistance to bacteria in order to survive the unique New Zealand environment.  Manuka honey is a by-product of the bees that harvest the pollen from that flower.  Manuka Health honey is different because of the extraordinarily high levels of MGO that surpassed any other honey product out there on the market today.      

How much honey should one take to get its maximum benefit? Is there a danger of an overdose?

I like to recommend one teaspoon of Manuka Health daily … more during the “tougher” times. As honey is a natural product, I believe that there are no known cases of a honey overdose.   

You recently launched the Cyclopower. How powerful is it? 

Very powerful, Manuka Health conducted lab studies against HPylori and Strep bacteria and they have found Cyclopower effective in inhibiting their growth.  Cyclodextrin (from where Cyclopower gets its power) is also a strong prebiotic to help aid in digestion.  

Would you recommend it for diabetics?

Yes, Cyclopower was designed for diabetics who wish to get the benefits of Manuka honey without the honey’s natural fructose and glucose. This product was designed for people who have a glycemic index sensitivity.

If you can only afford one supplement, should that be honey? Why?

I believe so. The Manuka Health honey is our best product … its preventative and curative benefits are backed by science and by our own experience with the products. Our customers are very happy with the results they get from it and they keep coming back for more!

What’s the price range of Manuka products? How affordable are they?

Prices range from P300 for the Manuka Suckles to P4,900  for the MGO550 500g.  We try to be on par with the prices in the region and to be as affordable as we can to the Filipino consumer. Having said that, there is a premium to the products we sell and it might be out of reach to some, but in the end, it is still cheaper than getting sick and paying for expensive medicines and hospitalization. I believe our products are a good and wise investment.

Why should we buy Manuka products?

I always believe in the saying “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.” It is so expensive to be sick nowadays and our health should be our prime concern. Try it! We have a lot of satisfied customers who report back on the wondrous health benefits that Manuka Health products have given them. 

Where can we find Manuka Health?

Manuka Health can be found in the following:

The Hive@BGC 1st Ave., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig; Lucky China Town, 293 Lachambre St., Maynila; Robinsons Magnolia, Doña M. Hemady Ave., Quezon City; Ayala Fairview Terraces, Maligaya St., Lungsod, Quezon City; Ayala Center Cebu, Ayala Business Park, Archbishop Reyes Avenue, Cebu; Ayala Abreeza Mall Davao, Ayala Business Park, JP Laurel Ave., Davao.

We can also be found at the following bazaar markets in the metro: Eastwood Gourmet Market, Saturday-Sunday; The Podium, Friday-Sunday; TriNoma Food Fair, Saturday-Sunday.

You may also order by calling PLDT: 636-5588, Globe: 0917863-5588, Smart: 0999-9974277. E-mail info@manukahealth.ph. Visit www.manukahealth.ph for more information on Manuka Health products and follow Manuka Health on Facebook and Twitter.