An Aloe vera and manuka honey commercial supplement (Cow and Calf Formula, DairyCare Ltd, NZ) was fed to approximately 40% of a commercial New Zealand herd with over 1000 cows in lactation following spring calving (August) until the end of lactation (April the following year). The 5 ml of supplement was added automatically to the feed for the treatment group via transponder identification units during at milking. At peak lactation (until October) there was a 5.5% increase (11.76 versus 12.41 litres per milking for control and treated cows respectively; P < 0.001) in yield for the supplemented cows, and over the whole season there was a 4.7% milk yield increase (8.12 versus 8.50 litres per milking for control and treated cows respectively). Data from December and January (high summer) showed no significant increase in milk yield, which was due to a major drought in the area and loss of grazed forage intakes. From these results, it was considered that that the Aloe vera and manuka honey, acting either separately or in synergy, resulted in more nutrients being available for milk production.

Oral mucositis is an unavoidable side effect of radiation therapy to the head and neck, which can compromise patient health and quality of life. This study investigates the effect of manuka honey on the extent of oral mucositis in head and neck patients in New Zealand. A total of 28 patients were recruited; 10 patients received standard care and 18 patients were given additional manuka honey. Honey was used three times a day; assessment included: extent of oral mucositis using a multi-site mucositis scoring system, weight and quality of life. The first six patients, randomised to the honey arm, used undiluted honey and pulled out in the first week because of extreme nausea, vomiting and stinging sensations in the mouth. The next 12 honey patients used a honey mouthwash (diluted 1:3). Six of these patients completed the trial and four more completed the first 4 weeks of the trial. Eight control patients completed the trial. In contrast to previous honey trials in Malaysia, Egypt, Iran and India, diluted manuka honey did not decrease the extent and onset of radiation-induced oral mucositis but did appear to ameliorate radiation-induced weight loss and increase quality of life in the absence of cisplatin chemotherapy.

Honey is an established traditional medicine with a variety of putative nutritional and health effects, including antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and prebiotic. The aim of the present study was to investigate the safety of consuming manuka honey, UMF® 20+, on healthy individuals by establishing whether UMF® 20+caused an allergic response (as measured by IgE levels), changed major commensal and beneficial microbial groups in the gut and/or affected levels of one of the most common advanced glycation endpoints, Nɛ-(carboxymethyl)-lysine (CML). The study had a randomised, double-blind cross-over design. A total of twenty healthy individuals aged 42–64 years were recruited. We tested two different honeys– a multiflora honey and UMF® 20+, both produced by Comvita New Zealand Ltd (Te Puke, New Zealand). Multiflora honey or UMF® 20+(20 g) was consumed daily for 4 weeks, with a 2-week ‘washout’ period in between. Blood samples were collected every week for each intervention period and used to measure total IgE levels in serum and advanced glycation endproducts – a consequence of methyglyoxal accumulation. Faecal samples were collected at the beginning and end of each 4-week period. DNA was extracted from faecal samples and the levels of a number of microbial groups in the gut, both beneficial and commensal, were analysed. Neither product changed the levels of IgE or CML or altered gut microbial profiles during the trial, confirming that UMF® 20+is safe for healthy individuals to consume. Despite anecdotal evidence suggesting that manuka honey is good for digestive health, we observed no beneficial effects on lower gut bacterial levels with either honey in this healthy population.