Which Honey Is the Healthiest: Top 5 Healthiest Honey Types

According to the plant source from which it is obtained, honey is generally divided into two classes as flower honey and honeydew honey. Flower honey is obtained by collecting the nectar secreted by the worker bee from the flowering parts of the plants. Honeydew honey is in the varieties formed as a result of nectar secreted from forest trees. Quality real honey is produced mostly from forest plants such as pine, oak, spruce, and beech. The health benefits of honey are known to everyone. So do you know which honey is the healthiest?

In this article, I listed the features and benefits of the 5 top healthiest honey types, namely, Manuka Honey, Chestnut Honey, Pine Honey, Thyme Honey, and Clover Honey. These five honey varieties are the healthiest among all honey types. The benefits of these honey varieties include preventing insomnia, asthma, and bronchitis, helping weight control, reducing the risk of obesity, improving skin health, their antibacterial properties, and supporting flu treatment.

Which Honey Is the Healthiest #1 Manuka Honey

Taking its name from the Manuka flowers that the bees feed on, ‘Manuka Honey’ has anti-bacterial properties that enable rapid healing of wounds and strengthening the immune system. So what is Manuka honey? What are the benefits of Manuka honey? Manuka honey is produced by feeding bees on Manuka flowers found in the mountainous areas of New Zealand. Exported from New Zealand to the whole world in sealed boxes, the annual production of honey is only 1.7 tons. The Mauri natives of New Zealand, who have known the anti-bacterial and healing properties of Manuka honey for hundreds of years, have used Manuka Honey and its leaves, bark, and extract for the healing of various diseases and inflammations for the disinfection of wounds.

This honey, which consists of the pollen of a single plant, can only be produced by certain types of bees. It contains carbohydrates, minerals, protein, fatty acids, flavonoids, and phenolic complex components. Although these healthy ingredients are in different proportions, they are present in almost every honey. The most important thing that makes Manuka honey special is the ratio of methylglyoxal found in extraordinary amounts in its content. This substance, which has anti-bacterial properties, is so high in manuka honey that it even has a unique scale. This scale, called UMF or “Unique Manuka Factor”, is used only to calculate the purity, quality, and strength of manuka honey.

Thanks to its rich content, manuka honey, which provides many benefits to health, can be used by eating or rubbing. Unless diseases such as diabetes are in question, it does not seem necessary to limit its use. In order to consume healthy and balanced amounts, it is necessary to stick to the scales in which the additional ingredients are specified. On average, it is recommended to consume 1-2 spoons per day. This ingredient, which can be consumed alone or added to foods, strengthens the immune system, and relieves unwanted symptoms such as sore throat. Manuka honey also has positive effects on inflammation and acne that appear on the skin. Scientific studies reveal that manuka honey is also effective on eczema. In the case of eczema, it is recommended to apply it to irritated areas several times a day.

Methylglyoxal in honey determines its strength as the ratio of MgO. Manuka Honey is usually produced in the market as MGO 100, MGO 250, MGO 400, and MGO 550. Manuka honey is famous for its anti-bacterial properties as it is good for many diseases. This honey is good for colds, bronchitis, stomach, and digestive system disorders, mouth, nose, and ear infections, injuries, burns, joint pains, boosting immunity, viruses, fungi, and bacteria.

Interest in honey made from the flowers of the manuka bush, a plant native to New Zealand, has grown in recent years. As it spread beyond New Zealand, it has become a multi-million dollar industry. Celebrities’ comments on honey have not been scientifically proven, but they have made manuka more attractive. Of course, global demand for honey, which became popular with the announcement that the famous tennis player Novak Djokovic and actress Scarlett Johansson also used it, increased, and even the bees that produced this honey began to be stolen.

According to the report of the British The Times Newspaper, beekeepers in New Zealand have experienced more than 400 cases of theft in the last 6 months. The hives where bees make Manuka honey are worth 2,000 New Zealand dollars each. New Zealand earned $ 315 million from honey exports in the first half of last year. New Zealand sells a third of manuka honey to China and Hong Kong. Manuka creams are sold between 100-200 dollars. Manuka honey has many health benefits. Here are the benefits:

Manuka honey benefits include strengthening the immune system. Those who consume this honey are less sick. They feel more vigorous and healthy.
When you consume Manuka honey, you store energy in your body. Because manuka honey has high nutritional value. It contains many vitamins and minerals.
Thanks to this honey, which has the power to prevent infectious diseases, respiratory infections are prevented.
If a person has breathing difficulties or has a cough that does not go away, it is recommended to consume Manuka honey. It will see its effect in a short time.
It relieves joint pain. Especially if you are experiencing joint pain due to inflammation, you should consume manuka honey every morning. Thanks to this honey, the tissues between the joints will be renewed and will be stronger than before.
It protects the intestinal flora. It cleans the parasites that occur in the intestines and helps the healthy digestion of food.
Manuka honey prevents cancer cells from spreading. It protects the body against free radicals as it will support the immune system.
Among the benefits of Manuka honey is the power to balance stomach acids. Stomach pain and cramps are relieved by this honey.
Successful in cell regeneration, manuka honey quickly repairs wounds and tissue damage. You can consume manuka honey to heal both visible and invisible tissue damage.
Protects skin health. The moisture balance in the skin of those who consume Manuka honey and add some to their skin mask is maintained. Skin dryness and blemishes are prevented.
This honey obtained from the manuka plant that grows in New Zealand is also used in cosmetics.
Skincare products containing Manuka honey are widely used in many countries.

Which Honey Is the Healthiest #2 Chestnut Honey

Chestnut honey is honey obtained by honey bees from chestnut tree flowers (tassel). Chestnut honey has many benefits. The chestnut tree belongs to the same family as beech and oak. Sweet chestnut tree (Castanea sativa), the main honey producer, has been a common tree in Europe for centuries.

Chestnut honey, which we can obtain thanks to the bees working intensively in June when the chestnut trees started to bloom, is considered among the more valuable honey. Due to its darker color and thick consistency, chestnut honey, which you can easily distinguish from the classic flower honey you can find in the market, is found in places where forest climate prevails.

Chestnut honey has a strong aromatic flavor and a little bitterness. Rich in pollen content, mineral salts, and tannins, high in fructose content and crystallization resistance, and has relatively low acidity. It takes on shades of amber, yellowish-brown to very dark brown or almost black, sometimes amber. Dark-colored honey such as chestnut honey, oak honey, or forest honey has been found to have a superior antioxidant profile than light-colored ones. Moreover, this particular variety crystallizes very slowly and takes on a deep dark brown color as it is.

It has an aromatic, pungent herbal aroma and flavor and is mildly tannic (due to the tannin in the wood). The darker the color, the higher the taste and aroma. It blooms between May-June-July, depending on the region and climate. Since chestnut honey has an effective content, it is recommended to consume at most one teaspoon a day. It has been stated in many places that excessive consumption will not be good. For this reason, in order not to risk your health, let’s choose limited consumption and pay attention to the warnings about how to consume chestnut honey. Only in this way can we benefit from the chestnut honey we will consume as medicine. Please keep in mind that too much can cause serious discomfort.

Chestnut honey should be consumed in moderation because it is both intense and very effective. Since this measure will vary greatly from person to person, you can get information from a nutritionist or dietician to find the correct amount. If you prefer to consume it every day, we can generally say that you should be careful not to exceed 1-2 dessert spoons a day. You can consume chestnut honey just like other types of honey directly or with different breakfast items for breakfast, or you can also consume it by adding it to the desserts you make in small amounts or into the drinks you drink. However, be careful to add honey to desserts and beverages, not when it is hot, at least after it is warmed.

Chestnut honey, which has a slightly bitter and bitter taste and can be distinguished immediately by its unique smell, can be easily obtained from reliable herbalists and markets and can be accessed from reliable and online shopping sites that sell natural products. The benefits of chestnut honey are as follows:

Chestnut honey strengthens our immune system, thus increasing the body’s resistance to diseases.
In particular, there is a quick solution to problems such as flu, cold and cold, which we can call winter diseases.
It provides the cessation of the endless cough and shows an expectorant effect.
Since it has strong antioxidant properties, it enables germs to get away from the body and cleanse the body.
Thanks to this feature, it is known that it is good not only for throat infections but also for urinary tract infections.
Since it can regulate blood sugar, it is known to be a supportive material for diets when consumed in moderation.
Chestnut honey keeps you full longer.
Thanks to its antioxidant properties, it also supports skin and hair health.
When consumed regularly and in moderation, it cleanses the skin, eliminates blackheads and pimples.
It is known to facilitate digestion as it positively affects the digestive system and eliminates stomach pain and cramps due to this.
Chestnut honey, which has antiseptic properties, accelerates the healing process of wounds such as aphthae in the mouth thanks to this feature.
It accelerates blood circulation and warms us up on cold days. With this feature, it gives energy to the body.
It is known that its powerful antioxidant properties create protective effects on the body not only against diseases such as flu but also against many types of cancer.
While it prevents the existing diseased cells from growing and spreading, it prevents the formation of new ones as much as possible.
It is said that chestnut honey, which supports the intestines to perform their functions in a healthy way, is also effective against gas problems.

Which Honey Is the Healthiest #3 Pine Honey

Depending on the regional conditions and the availability of special pine species, pine honey, honey produced by the processing of bees, is a type of honey that is produced in regions with a Mediterranean climate where there are dens of Aleppo and red pine species. It is lower than flower honey in terms of nutritional values. However, it is the most sought-after and the most loved honey by the consumer, both because of its high nutritional values in terms of our health and because it is much more delicious and aromatic than flower honey and other honey. The production of strained pine honey is carried out after the bees absorb the sap of the pine tree and secrete the part that it cannot digest, and the bees process these secretions from here.

Although pine trees grow in every region, the fact that this insect species can live in certain regions causes the production of filtered pine honey only in these regions. The benefits of honey to our health are well-known to everyone. The nutritional values of honey cannot be found together in another food source. As a source of healing, the nutritional value of different types of honey is also different. Strained pine honey is a beneficial food in a very wide range from the healing and calming effects it creates in our digestive system, high blood pressure, hair, and skincare, reducing fatigue.

With the vitamins and minerals in pine honey, it has the potential to meet the daily vitamin and mineral amounts that our body needs to take on its own. This situation stands out as an indispensable food for children and adolescents, especially those in the developmental age, and those with various ailments. In addition, due to its special aroma and flavor, it is a very healthy food type that can be easily consumed by everyone. Various laboratory researches carried out around the world clarify the nutritional values of cottage pine honey and its effects on our health more and more every day. The results and medicinal values of the restorative and healing effects made with strained flower honey for different diseases, different health problems and different organs continue to increase continuously.

Changes in the nutritional value of this honey also vary depending on the geography where the pine tree grows. The long-term results of the researches aimed at determining its medicinal effects and the value of it increasing day by day due to these results are organic food that is primarily used in the treatment of various diseases. This food source, which has many medical effects proven to date, is a food that is recommended to be consumed continuously by experts.

Pine honey benefits, also known as secretion honey, are different and very diverse from pollen honey. Unlike the flower honey obtained by the maturation of the nectar of the honey bees in the flowers, pine honey needs Basra Beetle, which absorbs the sap of red pine trees. Having a content not found in any other type of honey, pine honey is a special honey that helps strengthen immunity and even has therapeutic properties in some cases. Pine honey, which has a darker color compared to flower honey, also has a unique smell and taste. This honey, which does not leave a burning sensation in the throat, can offer some important benefits for human health as they contain more enzymes, amino acids, and mineral substances than other honey.

It is possible to count as one of the main benefits of pine honey, which supports hair health. Pine honey, which nourishes the hair roots and heals weak hair follicles, helps to combat the problems of easy breakage and loss of hair strands. Due to this unique feature, pine honey, which is widely used in the cosmetics industry, is among the ingredients of many hair care masks. Pine honey, which we can describe as a healing store, also contributes to normalizing blood pressure. In this way, pine honey, which regulates blood pressure, is a food that should definitely be included in the diet of high blood pressure patients. Pine honey, one of the miracle foods that makes it possible to keep blood pressure in balance, helps to reduce high blood pressure.

Since pine honey is an acidic food, it does not contain moisture and has a very effective antiseptic feature against bacterial growth. On the other hand, thanks to its anti-inflammatory effect, it helps to reduce swelling and redness around the wound. In this respect, the benefits of pine honey, which is also described as healing wounds, may include the initiation of rapid regeneration of cells. Helping the formation of collagen fiber tissues, pine honey provides the integrity of the injured surface in a short time.

Although it has a high acid content, it is easily digestible, making pine honey a highly preferable food even for the most sensitive bodies. Pine honey, which does not cause indigestion, appears as a food that can be safely consumed thanks to its healing content that helps to treat the stomach.

Which Honey Is the Healthiest #4 Thyme Honey

Thyme is known as a nectar plant from five different species of the genus. It is a plant that grows widely in rural areas. Thyme contains an essential oil containing “Thymol” in its composition. The flowering period continues from early May to the end of August. Thyme Honey is golden yellow in color. It has a very good taste and aroma. Thyme Honey is rich in enzyme content. It is known for its antiparasitic effect. This effect is due to the terpenic substance called thymol. Thyme honey removes colds in a short time and has wound healing properties. Thyme honey is the most special of all honey varieties. It is transparent, sour-sweet honey with thyme scent produced by bees collecting extracts from pure thyme herb.

Thyme honey is one of the highly featured and medicinal types of flower honey. It is transparent honey produced by the bees by collecting the essence of the pure thyme flowers, with oregano scent, transparent and sweet taste. Oregano is a nectar plant. It has an essential oil with Thymol in its composition. Its aroma, fragrance, and flavor are very good. It usually grows naturally in rural areas and high altitude highlands. Thyme plant blooms from May to the end of August. The enzyme content of thyme honey is very rich. The color of honey is light golden yellow. It is among the known properties of thyme honey to relieve cold and heal wounds. Among the honey types obtained from nature, thyme honey is one of the most special. Producers carefully sell this honey containing thyme nectar.

The aroma, smell, and taste of thyme honey are very good. It usually grows naturally in rural areas and high altitude highlands. Thyme plant blooms from May to the end of August. The enzyme content of thyme honey is very rich. The color of honey is light golden yellow. It also has an anti-parasitic effect. This is caused by the thymol substance in its content. It is among the known properties of thyme honey to relieve cold and heal wounds. Among the honey types obtained from nature, thyme honey is one of the most special. In general, Thyme Honey can be spread on bread with a non-metal spoon for breakfast.

As it is used in the production of antiseptics in the pharmaceutical industry, it is included in the composition of cough syrups as it liquefies the thick secretion in the bronchi. Since it delays or stops the growth of microorganisms as an antibiotic effect, it is used in gargling as a mouth antiseptic. Since it has an inhibitory effect against fungal diseases of the skin, it is also included in the composition of fungicides.
The medicinal importance of the thyme plant stems from its active ingredients called thymol and carvacrol. Apart from these, they have important functions in ursolic acid and rosmarinic acid.

Thymol oil, which is the main component of the thyme plant, has been found to be very positive. In the tests conducted on aging and disease of cells, it has been observed that they protect healthy fats in the cell membrane and other cell structures and greatly increase their rates. It is very rich in enzyme content. It is known for its antiparasitic effect. Thyme honey removes colds in a short time and has wound healing properties. It should be used regularly to clean the lungs after cough, bronchitis, pneumonia, to protect against inflammation and cancer in the blood. It is a breast softening, breath-opening, lung cleanser for smokers.

All the health benefits of thyme honey can be listed as follows:

Thyme honey has powerful antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals, unstable molecules, produced by things like sunlight, cigarette smoke, air pollution, pesticides, infection, and metabolism.
Thyme honey has anti-cancer effects. As part of your anti-cancer diet, you can prevent cancer by reducing your white sugar intake and switching to healthier sweeteners such as thyme honey.
Oregano honey contains quercetin and other anti-allergenic compounds.
Some honey types, including thyme honey, are naturally rich in substances other than pollen that can exert anti-allergic effects.
If you have a chronic cough, thyme honey is a great way to control cough as it can combat the symptoms of mucus buildup and respiratory distress, and calm and relax you.
It provides incredible benefits when applied topically to cuts, burns, and wounds. This is because it has powerful antibacterial properties that help reduce swelling and inflammation in damaged areas of the skin.

Which Honey Is the Healthiest #5 Clover Honey

Bee honey is a food product that is partially digested nectar in the goiter of the honey bee (Apis mellifera). The special taste and aroma of honey, besides its usefulness, causes many people to prefer honey to all other sweeteners. Clover (Medigana Sativa L.) is a perennial fodder plant of the legume family. Clover is grown mainly in cotton-growing regions. It has a lilac or violet colored butterfly flower. Flowering time is between June and July. The honey yield of clover in irrigated soils is 270-300 kg per planting hectare.

Clover flower is lilac or purple in color. In the flower, the staminate column is clamped with a tool, the protrusions of the wings go into the internal incisions. The cloth containing nectar is located deep in the flower between the circle of the flower and the fruit grower, so bees have to try to get nectar from such a flower. With a bee visit towards a clover flower, pollination occurs and after 1-2 hours, the leaves curl up and lose their fresh appearance and color. Unopened flowers shed without forming an ovary. Clover nectar is colorless and contains between 30% and 50% sugar.

The greatest amount of sugar in nectar is released between 13 and 16 hours at 26-30 ° C air temperature and 51-59% relative humidity. The composition of the nectar changes significantly during the day, for example, the glucose content decreases sharply at 2 and 17 pm, so the bees are not very willing or not willing to pollinate clover flowers at this time. The sugar content in nectar increased after the first cut of alfalfa (June); After the second cut (July), bees were noted to be particularly active in collecting nectar and pollinating from it.

The golden color and mild flavor of clover honey make it very attractive and useful as a sweetener for everything from your morning coffee to fruit and vegetable smoothies. Honey has long been known for its medicinal effects, including its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. However, honey is still sugar and not good for your health when consumed in excess.

Per tablespoon, clover honey provides around 64 calories, most of which come from sugar. It contains honey, small amounts of protein, and other nutrients, including iron, potassium, and some B vitamins. The nutritional profile of clover honey is highly variable but depends on the bees fed on other plant species, whether the honey has been processed and how long it is stored. According to a study published in the “Journal of Food Science” in February 2004, heating clover honey during processing did not significantly affect its antioxidant content but reduced its antioxidant capacity for six months of storage by 30%.

Many scientific studies support the effectiveness of honey in combating bacteria similar to antibiotics, according to an article published in “Biotechnology Research International” in 2011. In another study published in the “Asia Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicals” in April 2011, clover honey was shown to be as effective as 3.6 to 0.7 percent in dilutions against several pathogens obtained from burn wound patients. According to the authors of the 2011 “Biotechnology Research International” article, both raw and processed honey show inhibitory effects against pathogens.

Animal studies have shown that a diet high in fructose has a toxic effect on mice. Honey consists of fructose and glucose with slightly more fructose than glucose. In a study published in the “Journal of Nutrition” in 2002, researchers fed mice a high-fructose diet consisting of honey or refined fructose. After two weeks, the researchers found that the refined fructose diet increased both triglycerides and inflammation markers more than the honey diet. The refined fructose diet also lowered blood levels of vitamin E, an important antioxidant, but the honey diet did not.

Although honey provides benefits like other sugars, too much in your diet can cause obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. A small amount of clover honey used to sweeten food is okay, but the American Heart Association recommends that women do not consume more than 100 calories per day for added sugar intake, including honey.