Is this goodbye to manuka honey?
A new study claims that the health benefits of Irish heather honey are comparable to Manuka honey.
Manuka honey - which can cost around £40 for a small jar - has been praised in recent years for its medicinal nature: it's high in antioxidant, antibacterial, antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory properties.
However, new research suggests that cheaper Irish honey can provide a major health boost.
In the study by Dublin City University and Trinity College Dublin, researchers concluded that Irish honey contains as many powerful antioxidants (called phenolic compounds) as its more expensive counterpart.
Antioxidants are beneficial to our health as they help prevent damage to the body's cells and have also been shown to be effective in fighting infection and promoting healing.
The conclusions were reached after researchers donated 131 honey samples from beekeepers across Ireland. The samples were a mixture of polyfloral honeys (some urban, some rural), ivy honey, rapeseed oil honey, and three heather honeys.
They found that Irish heather honey had the highest total phenol content (and therefore higher in antioxidants) of all the honeys tested — and even higher than manuka honey.
“The finding of a difference in honey composition between urban and rural hives probably reflects the difference in floral availability in urban and rural areas of Ireland,” explains Professor Jane Stout of Trinity College Dublin.
“Being able to quantify Irish honey that is high in phenol, especially since the content in Irish heather honey is comparable to Manuka honey, is very exciting to us,” says Dr. Blaned White from Dublin City University.
“Our research shows that Irish honey is a high quality product and we should really appreciate it. Interest in beekeeping and honey production is growing in Ireland, and we are pleased to be able to support this. “