We know Manuka Honey can do some amazing things – it’s FDA approved for wound treatment, it one of the best natural anti-fungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agents we know of, it’s full of vitamins and minerals, and it’s delicious!
But can it help us lose weight?
Well, the answer is … sort of.
One thing we need to remember about Manuka honey is it’s still a honey, and honey is mostly carbohydrates (sugar). Eating a large amount of sugars is generally not conducive to losing weight.
A spoonful of Manuka honey is around 50 to 70 calories.
Remember, losing weight is about caloric control. If you operate on a caloric deficit, you will lose weight. If you have a caloric surplus, you will gain weight.
Therefore, it’s safe to say Manuka honey is not a magic bullet that you can eat out of the jar and expect to start losing pounds. If you’re taking in too many additional calories you will experience weight gain, regardless of how healthy those calories are.
However, Manuka honey is unique in that it offers a lot more than just calories, unlike table sugar. Manuka honey is packed with B vitamins and other minerals, and at least 16 amino acids according to this University of Waikato report.
This means when you replace basic table sugar with Manuka honey, you are adding many nutritional benefits to your diet – vitamins, minerals, proteins and of course, carbohydrates.
The antifungal and antibacterial properties in Manuka honey are also great at balancing your gut microbiome, by clearing bad bacteria and candida and making way for good gut flora to populate.
Amino acids is just a fancy name for proteins, and are vital building blocks of your joints and muscles. The fact that Manuka honey adds to your daily protein intake makes it a wonderful addition to your daily diet.
The fact that you can replace table sugar with a natural sweetener that not only contains essential vitamins and minerals, amino acids, and helps balance your microbiome is a game changer. While these things don’t make you lose weight directly, they are instrumental in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and will have positive flow-on effects to your healthy lifestyle and exercise.
Easy ways to add manuka honey to your daily diet:
- Drizzle it on your cereal. Manuka honey goes wonderfully with granola and yogurt!
- Add it to your coffee, tea or regular hot drink. Manuka honey has a slightly caramelly flavor which can be quite pleasant in a hot chocolate or latte.
- Use it in baking. Manuka is a great sweetener for cookies or homemade muesli bars.
- Add it to desserts! A drizzle of Manuka honey on vanilla cream or a warm apple pie is delightful.
- Eat it straight out of the jar! If you have a sweet tooth, there’s nothing quite like enjoy a spoonful or Manuka with nothing else.
If you’re looking for the best Manuka honey to add to your daily diet, we break down all the top brands here.
