The Science of Hope: UCLA Study Explores Manuka Honey’s Potential in Breast Cancer Research

A New Chapter in the Science of Wellness

Manuka honey has long been known for its antibacterial strength, wound-healing properties, and natural sweetness. Yet new research is uncovering even deeper possibilities. In 2024, scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) reported remarkable pre-clinical findings suggesting that compounds
within Manuka honey may one day contribute to natural approaches for managing breast-cancer growth.

The study, published in Nutrients and led by Dr Diana Marquez-Garban and Professor Richard Pietras from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, offers early but compelling evidence that nature’s most remarkable honey could hold promise far beyond everyday wellness.

https://www.uclahealth.org/news/release/preliminary-study-shows-potential-manuka-honey-nutraceutical

This research does not claim that honey treats or cures cancer. What it does show is that science is beginning to understand how the natural chemistry of Manuka might influence the same biological pathways that modern medicine targets.

Inside the Study - What the UCLA Researchers Found

The UCLA team studied Manuka honey in laboratory and animal models of breast cancer. Their focus was on estrogen-receptor-positive (ER+) cancer, which represents around 70 to 80 percent of all breast- cancer cases worldwide.

In controlled experiments, the researchers found that:

• Manuka honey reduced tumour growth by 84 percent in mice with ER+ breast-cancer cells, with no harm to normal cells or major side effects.
  It slowed cancer-cell proliferation in laboratory models while leaving healthy breast cells untouched.
• It blocked cell-signalling pathways commonly over-activated in cancer, such as
  AMPK/AKT/mTOR and STAT3, which promote tumour survival and growth. 
• It triggered apoptosis, or natural cell death, in malignant cells.
• When combined with tamoxifen, a standard anti-estrogen drug, Manuka honey enhanced the drug’s effectiveness in ER+ cell models.

These outcomes occurred at increasing concentrations of Manuka honey, showing a clear, dose-dependent relationship.

The study’s results are pre-clinical, meaning they were observed in cell cultures and mice, not in human patients. However, they open an important line of inquiry: can certain compounds found in Manuka honey act as complementary agents in future cancer-prevention or treatment research?

Why Manuka Honey Stood Out

Scientists have long known that Manuka honey is chemically unique. Unlike other honeys, it contains methylglyoxal (MGO) - a compound formed when dihydroxyacetone (DHA) in the nectar of the Leptospermum flower converts naturally over time. MGO gives Manuka its famous antibacterial power.

But the UCLA study suggests that Manuka’s benefits extend beyond MGO alone. The honey also carries flavonoids, phenolic acids, amino acids, vitamins, and complex carbohydrates - a combination that seems to influence cellular behaviour in ways modern pharmacology is only beginning to map.

This diverse chemistry may help explain why Manuka honey appears to target diseased cells without damaging healthy ones. It represents a synergy that nature designed and science is now decoding.

From Bench to Bee - The Path of Discovery

For researchers, the next challenge is translating these laboratory findings into human studies. Clinical trials are needed to determine safe dosages, mechanisms, and whether these effects appear in people as they do in pre-clinical models.

Still, this study reinforces what many in natural-product science already believe: the healing intelligence of nature is vast and often ahead of our understanding. Manuka honey is a perfect example of how something ancient and simple can carry complex molecular potential.

The Australian Advantage - Diversity and Bioactivity

While New Zealand first brought Manuka honey to world attention, Australia is its true origin. With more than 80 native Leptospermum species, our continent offers the broadest genetic diversity of Manuka plants on Earth.

Gather By’s own research, led in collaboration with Australian scientists including Professor Peter Brooks, has identified 15 high-DHA varieties that produce some of the world’s most bioactive honeys.

These high-DHA plants, combined with Australia’s clean environment, make it possible to create honeys rich in both MGO and the additional phenolic compounds now being studied for their biological activity.

Our Medicinal Honey Forest™ model brings together these species in living ecosystems designed to feed bees with nutrient-dense nectar while restoring land, biodiversity, and pollinator health. When nature is supported, it returns that strength in every spoonful of honey.

Why Gather By Supports Scientific Research

Gather By’s mission is to bridge nature and science responsibly. We do not make medical claims. Instead, we work to ensure that authentic, traceable, high-MGO Australian Manuka remains available to researchers and health-conscious consumers who want purity and proof.

Our honey is independently tested for MGO, DHA, and phenolic content. Each jar is traceable from hive to jar, and our production methods maintain the natural enzymes and antioxidants that researchers like those at UCLA are investigating.
We view studies such as this one not as marketing tools but as opportunities to better understand how nature’s design might complement human medicine in the future.

How MGO and Phenolics Work Together

• Manuka honey’s bioactivity is not limited to one molecule.
  MGO gives it antibacterial power, supporting immune resilience and wound healing.
• Phenolics and flavonoids provide antioxidant defence, protecting cells from oxidative stress.
• Enzymes and amino acids contribute to digestion and energy metabolism.
• When these compounds combine, they form a natural system of defence - a biological synergy that may explain Manuka’s wide-ranging benefits. It is this synergy that the UCLA researchers observed influencing cancer-cell signalling pathways.

Using Manuka Honey as a Functional Food

While the study focused on medical research, most people use Manuka honey as a functional food to support everyday health.

• Stir a spoonful into warm water with lemon to start the day.
  
• Add it to smoothies for gentle energy and antioxidants.
• Apply it topically to help soothe the skin.

These everyday uses reflect the same principle found in the laboratory: natural compounds working with, not against, the body’s own systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a cancer treatment?

No. The UCLA findings are preliminary and limited to laboratory and animal models. Manuka honey is not a treatment or cure for cancer.

Why is the study significant?

It demonstrates that Manuka honey can influence biological pathways involved in cancer growth and resistance in pre-clinical models, giving researchers a strong reason to explore it further.

Does the study prove all Manuka honeys are the same?

No. The activity depends on MGO and phenolic levels, which vary by region, plant species, and handling. Gather By’s honey is independently verified for its active compounds.

Is Australian Manuka different from New Zealand Manuka?

Yes. Australia’s greater diversity of Leptospermum species results in broader chemistry and higher DHA, leading to potentially higher MGO formation and more complex bioactivity.

Can I safely consume Manuka honey daily?

Yes, as part of a balanced diet. It provides natural energy, antioxidants, and prebiotic support for gut health. Children under 12 months should not consume any honey.

 

The Final Word - When Nature and Science Work Together

The UCLA study shines light on what many have long believed: that within the natural world lies the blueprint for human wellbeing. Manuka honey’s complexity continues to surprise scientists and inspire new frontiers of research.

At Gather By, we see this as validation of a simple truth - that nature’s science is real, measurable, and profoundly healing when respected and protected.

Every jar of Gather By Manuka honey represents that partnership between bees, plants, and people. It’s not medicine, but it is one of nature’s most intelligent foods - a symbol of what happens when science listens to the natural world.

 

Written by:
Matt Blomfield, Founder and CEO – Gather By
November 2025