Manuka Honey: Are Its 'Healing Properties' Legit Or A Waste Of Money?

Manuka honey is used to treat wounds, sore throats and digestive issues — but is it effective?

If your social feeds are suddenly jam-packed with recommendations about manuka honey, welcome to the buzz. Long a favorite in natural food and wellness circles, this New Zealand export has now risen to the status of “pricey, but worth it” for many health-conscious folks. It’s also a favorite product for Instagrammers and TikTokers who tout its antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They’re using it for wound healing, cough relief, ulcer healing, digestion and oral health, and they’re urging you to try it, too.

Honey that heals? Sounds great, what’s the catch? Well, all this attention doesn’t come without a price. An 8.8-ounce bottle of high-grade manuka honey costs about $75 from Costco, while three 24-ounce bottles of Costco’s Organic Raw Honey in those little squeezy bears only costs about $15 total. But all you can do with that bear honey is pour it in your tea, whereas with manuka, you can make a face mask, apply it to wounds, slather it on pimples and even use it in a throat-saving tonic.

If you want to throw down even more Benjamins for manuka, you certainly can. There’s a product called Puriti Grand Cru Premier Reserve manuka honey that costs $1,179 for 8.8 ounces, and another from The True Honey Company that’s $2,100 for 8.1 ounces, making that Costco stuff seem like an absolute steal.

Intrigued by the hype but daunted by the price, a growing number of Americans are diving into the scientific research surrounding manuka honey, and some of them are convinced enough to start stocking up for the upcoming winter season.

How is manuka honey different?