Manuka Honey Organic

Mānuka Honey and Eczema: A Review of the Evidence

By Bart Magera
Is Manuka Honey Good For Eczema

The clinical evidence base for topical Mānuka honey on eczema (atopic dermatitis) is small but not absent. A 2017 randomized study by Alangari et al. is the most-cited human work in this area.

What the most-cited trial found

Alangari, Morris, Lwaleed et al. (2017, Immunity, Inflammation and Disease) conducted a within-subject randomized study on patients with atopic dermatitis. Participants applied medical-grade Mānuka honey to one lesion and standard care to a contralateral lesion. The honey-treated lesions showed greater reduction in severity scores over 7 nights of nightly application.

The trial was small (14 patients, 14 lesion pairs) and used medical-grade Mānuka, not retail jars. The authors concluded the result was "potentially effective" but called for larger trials.

What the laboratory evidence supports

The mechanistic plausibility for Mānuka on eczema lesions includes:

  • Antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, which is commonly colonised on eczematous skin (Mavric et al., 2008; Carter et al., 2016).
  • Anti-inflammatory effect at the cellular level shown in some preclinical models, though mechanism in humans is not established.

What the evidence does not support

The evidence does not support replacing standard eczema treatment with Mānuka honey. Topical corticosteroids, calcineurin inhibitors, and emollient regimens have far stronger evidence bases. The 14-patient trial is suggestive, not definitive.

What this means for buyers

  • The single high-quality human trial used medical-grade honey, not retail.
  • Patch-testing on a small skin area before broader application is sensible.
  • Higher-MGO Mānuka (UMF 15+ or above) provides more of the studied antibacterial compound. See our UMF explainer.
  • Established eczema treatments work and should not be replaced without medical guidance.

If you are testing Mānuka topically, our roundup lists current options at the higher potency tiers.

Sources

  • Alangari AA, Morris K, Lwaleed BA, et al. Honey is potentially effective in the treatment of atopic dermatitis: Clinical and mechanistic studies. Immunity, Inflammation and Disease. 2017;5(2):190-199.
  • Mavric E, Wittmann S, Barth G, Henle T. Identification and quantification of methylglyoxal as the dominant antibacterial constituent of Leptospermum scoparium (Mānuka) honeys from New Zealand. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. 2008;52(4):483-9.
  • Carter DA, Blair SE, Cokcetin NN, et al. Therapeutic Mānuka Honey: No Longer So Alternative. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2016;7:569.