Manuka Honey and the Gut-Immune Axis

Edited By: Co-Founder Zoe Scholl

DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational use only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider for personalized guidance.

Manuka honey stands out because of its unique chemical profile. It naturally supports the gut lining, microbial balance, and local immune function. These effects directly influence the microbiota-gut-brain axis, the network that connects digestion, inflammation, and nervous system signaling.

What Makes Manuka Honey Different

Manuka honey comes from bees that pollinate the Manuka tree (Leptospermum scoparium) in New Zealand. Unlike other honey’s, Manuka contains bioactive compounds that give it strong antimicrobial, antioxidant, and soothing properties.

For centuries, Manuka was used in Māori traditional medicine for digestive comfort, immunity, and wound care. Today, science is beginning to validate what traditional cultures understood long ago.

Manuka Honey’s Bioactive Compounds

Manuka honey contains a distinct combination of compounds that contribute to its functional benefits.

• Methylglyoxal MGO: The compound most associated with Manuka’s potency. Higher levels of MGO create stronger antimicrobial and tissue soothing effects.
• Leptosperin: A phenolic compound unique to Manuka honey. It provides antioxidant activity and is commonly used to verify purity and authenticity.
• Dihydroxyacetone DHA: Found naturally in the nectar of the Manuka flower and gradually converts into MGO, contributing to the honey’s strength.
• Flavonoids and Phenolic Acids: These plant compounds offer antioxidant support that helps the body manage everyday oxidative stress.
• Natural Prebiotic Sugars: The oligosaccharides in Manuka honey gently feed beneficial gut bacteria and support a balanced microbial environment.

Together, these compounds influence the gut lining, immune function, and the signals that travel between the gut and the brain. (1)

Manuka Honey and the Gut Lining

The gut lining protects the body, regulates what enters circulation, and communicates directly with the immune and nervous systems. (2) Manuka honey supports this barrier in several meaningful ways:

• Soothes irritated tissue; Manuka’s natural texture and compounds help calm areas of discomfort along the intestinal wall.
• Maintains microbial balance; its antimicrobial effects support harmony without disrupting beneficial bacteria.
• Provides antioxidant support; phenolic compounds help stabilize the environment of the gut wall and reduce everyday stress.
• Offers gentle prebiotic nourishment; natural oligosaccharides feed beneficial microbes involved in motility and gut brain signaling.

A supported gut lining sends clearer signals through the microbiota gut brain axis and places less stress on the nervous system.

Manuka Honey and the Immune System

Nearly seventy percent of the immune system is housed in the gut. (3) Manuka honey supports this gut immune axis by helping the body manage microbial challenges, supporting natural repair processes, and influencing the signals exchanged between immune cells and the gut wall.

When the gut environment is calmer and more stable, it sends fewer distress signals through the vagus nerve. This is essential for maintaining parasympathetic balance.

How Manuka Honey Supports the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis

The microbiota-gut-brain axis is shaped by digestion, microbial activity, immune signaling, metabolic byproducts, and the vagus nerve. Manuka honey interacts with several of these pathways through its MGO content, phenolic compounds, and natural prebiotic activity. (4)

• Supports microbial balance; Manuka’s prebiotic sugars feed beneficial microbes, which influences the production of metabolites connected to mood, stress responses, and digestive rhythm.
• Helps maintain gut lining stability; its soothing and antioxidant properties support the tissues that communicate directly with immune cells and vagal pathways.
• Contributes to a calmer immune environment; Manuka honey supports a less reactive gut ecosystem, reducing background “threat” signals that can influence vagal tone and nervous system reactivity.
• Promotes clearer gut-to-brain signaling; when the gut environment is steadier, messages traveling through the vagus nerve are more regulated, which can influence digestion, emotional steadiness, and how easily the body accesses a parasympathetic state.

Manuka honey supports the gut environment, which helps the MGBA communicate more clearly. (5)

Why We Include Manuka Honey in My Vagus Nerve BALANCE™

Manuka honey is one of the supportive ingredients in My Vagus Nerve BALANCE because of how it influences the gut lining, microbial environment, and immune activity. These areas play a major role in how the microbiota gut brain axis communicates with the nervous system.

In this formula, Manuka honey works alongside a wider blend of botanicals, minerals, and plant compounds selected to support the pathways involved in vagal tone and parasympathetic regulation. 

Each ingredient touches a different aspect of gut-brain communication and nervous system balance. Manuka honey provides a grounding foundation by supporting the gut environment that these pathways rely on. It also brings a subtly rich, earthy sweetness that makes the formula both soothing and enjoyable to take.

When the gut feels supported, the body has more capacity to return to a regulated state.