Is Manuka Honey Paleo?

What is a Paleo diet?

“A paleo diet also known as Paleolithic diet or Stone Age diet is a dietary plan based on foods similar to what might be eaten during the Paleolithic era. It dates back to approximately 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. This diet includes foods that could be obtained by hunting and gathering including lean meats, fish, fruits and vegetables.”[1] It limits foods that became a product of agriculture such as grains and legumes. The focus of this dietary plan is to restore the way of eating that is more similar to what ancient humans ate.

Advocates of the paleo diet believe in an idea known as discordance hypothesis, that the human body is naturally not matched to the current day diet that developed with farming practices and changed how people ate. This includes eating dairy products, legumes and grains. They believe that our body has not adapted to process such products and therefore could contribute to the prevalence of some health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

Manuka Honey in Paleo

“Manuka Honey is a type of honey that is native to New Zealand. It is produced by the bees that pollinate the manuka bush. Manuka honey has traditionally been used for wound healing, soothing sore throat and improving digestive symptoms because of its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties” [3]. Along with being healthy and surprisingly nutritious, Manuka honey stands out from all other sweeteners that is why many people who follow the Paleo diet use honey as a sweetener or a sugar –substitute, adding it to their coffee or tea in replacement of cane sugar and using it in cooking too.

The Bottom Line

A Paleo diet has its pros and cons. You might want to follow a paleo diet to lose or maintain a healthy weight and help improve your health but it could bring some potential risks too.

Still, getting enough exercise, avoiding stress and eating a nutritious and balanced meal are a few of many ways to have a healthy body.

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