Nature’s Nutrition: How Gather By Manuka Honey Nourishes You, the Bees, and the Earth
As we celebrate National Nutrition Week, it is the ideal moment to reflect on what true nourishment means. Nutrition is more than what we eat. It begins with where our food comes from, how it is produced, and the living systems that make it possible.
At Gather By, we believe nutrition starts long before it reaches your plate. It begins in healthy soil, moves through diverse native plants, and is transformed by bees into one of nature’s most complete foods: Australian Manuka honey.
Our raw, pure Manuka honey is naturally rich in enzymes, minerals, and bioactive compounds. But its nutritional story runs deeper. It connects biodiversity, regeneration, and the shared health of bees, plants, and people.
In this article, we explore the nutritional value of Manuka honey, how our Medicinal Honey Forests™ feed both bees and humans, and how you can use this golden food to create simple, nourishing meals.
From Flower to Food: How Nutrition Begins in Nature
The story of nutrition in Manuka honey starts in the landscape. Unlike conventional monocultures, Gather By’s Medicinal Honey Forests™ are living ecosystems designed to provide continuous nutrition for bees while restoring biodiversity and soil health.
In these forests we plant high-DHA Leptospermum, the Manuka plant, alongside other flowering species such as hairy pea, bottlebrush, eucalypt, and high-crude pollen content flowers. These plants offer pollen and nectar throughout the seasons, giving bees a balanced diet rich in protein, amino acids, and trace minerals. Healthier bees mean stronger hives and honey with greater nutritional depth.
As bees forage across these biodiverse habitats, they collect nectar and pollen that are naturally high in plant compounds such as polyphenols and flavonoids. These antioxidants protect both bees and humans from oxidative stress. The nutrition that begins in the plant is ultimately captured in the honey. It is a perfect example of nature’s circular nutrition.
The Nutritional Power of Raw Manuka Honey
Gather By Manuka honey is raw, unprocessed, and never pasteurised. This gentle approach preserves the living enzymes, vitamins, and minerals that make honey a complete food. Heating or heavy filtering strips these nutrients away, which is why we protect the honey’s natural structure from hive to jar.
Natural Energy Source
The natural sugars in Manuka honey, mainly fructose and glucose, deliver slow and steady energy without the crash that comes from refined sugar. A spoonful before exercise or as an afternoon snack provides clean fuel for body and mind.
Enzymes and Amino Acids
Honey contains active enzymes such as invertase and glucose oxidase, produced by bees during nectar transformation. These enzymes support digestion and nutrient absorption, helping your body make the most of what you eat.
Vitamins and Minerals
Raw Manuka honey provides small but useful amounts of B-group vitamins, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. These nutrients are vital for energy production, immune response, and muscle recovery.
Antioxidants and Polyphenols
Research led by Dr Peter Brooks and his team, has shown that Australian Manuka honey often holds higher levels of phenolics and polyphenols than honey from New Zealand. These antioxidants help protect cells, reduce inflammation, and support healthy ageing.
Prebiotic Support
Manuka honey acts as a natural prebiotic, feeding beneficial gut bacteria. A balanced microbiome is key to digestion, immunity, and even mood regulation.
When you enjoy Gather By honey, you are not simply tasting sweetness. You are experiencing the concentrated nutrition of plants and sunlight, transformed by bees into a living food.
The MGO Advantage: Where Nutrition Meets Natural Medicine
Manuka honey is widely recognised for its antibacterial activity, which is measured through its MGO level in milligrams per kilogram. MGO, short for methylglyoxal, forms naturally from DHA in the nectar of Manuka flowers. High-MGO honeys contain a complex mix of bioactive compounds that work together to support immunity, digestion, and recovery.
Gather By offers honey across the full MGO spectrum so you can choose the level that suits your lifestyle:
Every batch is independently tested and certified. The number on the label matches the power in the jar.
Nutrition Rooted in Biodiversity: Feeding the Bees That Feed Us
“When we feed the bees with biodiversity, they return the favour by feeding us with nutrition.”
Bees are at the centre of the world’s food system, pollinating one third of everything we eat. Their health directly affects ours.
Gather By’s Medicinal Honey Forest™ model ensures that bees thrive. By planting native Manuka alongside a variety of pollinator-friendly species, we create an environment rich in forage all year round. This eliminates the stress of moving hives long distances and reduces exposure to pesticides.
The result is stronger bees, richer nectar, and honey with deeper flavour and nutrient density. Every jar of Gather By honey supports this regenerative loop of nutrition between the bees, the landscape, and the people who enjoy the harvest.
How to Enjoy Manuka Honey for Nutrition and Taste
Manuka honey fits easily into a healthy diet. Here are simple ways to use it every day:
-
Morning start: Stir a spoonful of MGO300+ into warm water with lemon to wake up digestion.
-
Breakfast bowl: Drizzle MGO100+ over yoghurt, granola, or fruit for natural sweetness and prebiotic support.
-
Smoothies: Blend MGO600+ with banana, spinach, and ginger for immune strength.
-
Dressings: Whisk honey with olive oil and vinegar for a nutrient-rich salad dressing.
-
Tea break: Add a teaspoon of high-MGO honey to green or herbal tea to hydrate and calm the system.
-
Recovery snack: Pair MGO300+ honey with nut butter and banana on sourdough toast after exercise for energy restoration.
These ideas are simple, natural, and delicious, combining nutrition with everyday enjoyment.
The Gather By Difference: Nutrition with Purpose
At Gather By, nutrition means more than food value. It reflects a philosophy of balance between people, bees, and the environment.
Our Medicinal Honey Forest™ model is built on three foundations:
-
Regeneration: Restoring native landscapes and soil vitality.
-
Bee Nutrition: Providing diverse, chemical-free forage.
-
Human Wellbeing: Producing honey with genuine health benefits backed by science.
By choosing Gather By Manuka honey, you are supporting a cycle of nourishment that begins in the flower and ends on your spoon. It is nutrition with integrity, shaped by nature and guided by purpose.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Manuka honey a healthy sweetener?
Yes. It contains natural sugars balanced with enzymes, antioxidants, and minerals that provide steady energy and health benefits.
Can I cook with Manuka honey?
Yes, but to keep its enzymes active, add it after cooking or use it in raw recipes like smoothies and dressings.
Is it suitable for children?
Manuka honey is safe for children over 12 months. It offers natural energy and digestive support.
Why does biodiversity matter for honey?
Bees feeding on a wide range of native plants produce honey richer in nutrients and flavour. Biodiversity strengthens both bee health and honey quality.
Which MGO level should I choose?
MGO100+ and 300+ are great for daily use. Higher levels above MGO900+ are suited to restorative or therapeutic needs.
A Celebration of Nutrition in Every Spoon
True nutrition begins in the soil and ends with the food that sustains us. Gather By’s raw Australian Manuka honey captures that natural continuum.
This National Nutrition Week, celebrate the link between healthy bees, thriving ecosystems, and your own wellbeing. Choose honey that nourishes from the ground up - and enjoy the taste of real, living nutrition, one spoonful at a time.
To learn more about our sustainably sourced honey or to connect with us, get in touch with the Gather By team today.
Written by:
Matt Blomfield
October 2025
Laisser un commentaire
Ce site est protégé par hCaptcha, et la Politique de confidentialité et les Conditions de service de hCaptcha s’appliquent.