Scottish Heather Honey v Manuka Honey

Scottish Heather Honey has been found to be 'the same if not better than' Manuka Honey in a study at Glasgow University, Scotland.

Manuka honey from New Zealand has been made famous because of its healing properties but a recent study by researchers at The University of Glasgow has discovered that honey from bees in the Scottish Highlands is as effective, if not more, in treating infections.

The study concentrated on finding out whether other honeys, other than Manuka, might make for an effective anti-bacterial.

The researchers involved in the project took 29 honey products which included commercial medical grade honeys, supermarket honeys and also honeys from local bee-keepers. These products were then examined for bacterial contamination ahead of testing for anti-bacterial qualities.

Of the 29 products, 18 of them were excluded as they were found to contain bacteria that excluded them from the trial. Of the remaining 11 honeys, eight were effective against all the bacteria used in the testing and most notably, Heather honey from the Inverness area was shown to be very effective, killing MRSA microbes and three other types of bacteria.

Of the remaining 11 honeys, eight were effective against all the bacteria used in the testing.

The lead scientist in the research team said that this proved that although Manuka honey is currently the only medical grade honey on the market, the study has revealed that other honeys should be considered for the same purposes. It should be considered that rather than importing Manuka, we look at our local honey as being the same or even more effective. Check out our blog on the groundbreaking research carried out on our Scottish Heather honey here. 

All Scottish Bee Company Heather Honey is produced in Scotland.