Spirits Bay Manuka Honey > Reviews (3)

Spirits Bay Manuka Honey was recommended to me by a work colleague - she and her partner have been taking a daily spoonful of this honey for over a year now and it has greatly helped to reduce the cholesterol level of her partner.

So I decided to check it out - I wasn't a particular "honey" enthusiast but I am very much into alternative remedies. I had been feeling very sluggish and exhausted and wanted something natural to help me overcome this.

I popped into my local health shop which is owned by an old Geordie man who is very knowledgeable and asked him if he sold Manuka honey. It just so happened that he had a special offer for this honey - two 250g jars (10+) for £10.99 which was a bargain so I bought some. He also told me about the medicinal benefits of the honey.

""==SOME FACTS ABOUT MANUKA HONEY==""

Manuka honey is only harvested by the Maoris in their remote and unpolluted land on the North Island of New Zealand. The land isn't near any other flowers that could dilute the quality of the honey's purity and there is such an abundance of the manuka plant that the honey harvested is of the highest quality and has exceptional healing properties. The beekeepers have to travel over mountains and streams to be able to bring back the honey. The company who harvests this honey is called Watson and Son Limited but it is Maori owned and the honey is sourced from their apiaries - the honey is traceable back to the hives.

Did you know that all honeys have some kind of antibacterial action which is known as peroxide activity? This is created from the enzyme - Glucose Oxidase. However, the peroxide will decompose very fast if it comes into contact with light, heat and dilution. The marvellous fact about Manuka honey is that it has a second unique powerful antibacterial property - non-peroxide activity which keeps stable when subjected to dilution, heat and light and it is very difficult to destroy.

The Manuka honey is tested and rated in microbiology labs for its potency and is categorised in different strengths:

8-10 (low)
10-15 (medium)
15+ high""==HEALING PROPERTIES OF MANUKA HONEY==""

• Helps to rehydrate your body - especially after bouts of vomiting, stomach upsets and diarrhoea
• Will help to stimulate your immune system thereby fighting infection
• Helps to promote healing and tissue regrowth
• Active Manuka honey has the great ability to destroy Streptococci and Staphylococci bacteria which you will usually find in common sores, colds, fever blister and canker sores.
• Also used for healing acne, spots, cuts, burns, fungal infections and most other problems.

""==MY OPINION OF MANUKA HONEY==""I have been taking a spoonful of this honey every morning - sometimes I dilute it in warm, boiled water with a dash of lemon juice before eating my breakfast, other times I will put a spoonful of honey on my porridge - it sweetens it and is delicious. Some people eat it direct from the spoon or spread it on bread. You can use up your allowance by cooking with it - perhaps in a cake etc.

It is purely up to the individual how you like to take your honey.

The honey is of thick consistency and smells different to the ordinary runny honey - it has quite a delicate smell and taste. I can only give my verdict though on the 10+ honey - I don't know what the taste of the other varieties are like (yet) although I will try them too. I have to admit that it took me a few days to get used to taking the honey but now it is second nature for me to get out that jar of Manuka honey when preparing my breakfast.

I have recommended this honey to my brother (as well as the rest of my family) who has cancer and he has started to take it daily as it will help his immune system to fight off infection and also rehydrate his body if he has any more bouts of vomiting/diarrhoea. His wife paid £16 at Holland and Barrett for a 250g jar (15+). This is so much cheaper than the £45 they were paying for a 250g jar of honey from Israel (they saw a feature on the Israeli honey in a national newspaper).

I started taking the honey three weeks ago and I do feel that it is starting to help me feel better. I don't feel as tired as I used to and my complexion is also starting to bloom. At the time of starting to take the honey, I had a dreadful cold sore on my upper lip and it did disappear quite quickly so perhaps the medicinal component of the honey worked straight away. If in future I get any spots or sores or anything like that then I will certainly be reaching for the honey to apply externally.

All I can say to you is that I think it is working for me and it works for my work colleague and her partner. Check it out and see if it works for you too.

""==SUPPLIERS OF MANUKA HONEY==""

Holland & Barrett
Various local health shops
Sainsbury
Internet (www.lifeplan.co.uk)

The honey is expensive compared to ordinary honey but I think it is worth it and I am off to my local health shop to get another supply of honey to stock up my store cupboard. Hopefully, it is still at the special price.