Yemeni Sidr Honey vs Manuka Honey

We often get asked about the benefits of our Sidr honey and how it compares to Manuka honey, which has a great reputation locally. On this page we’ll objectively explore both so you can make an informed decision when shopping for your next honey!

1. The Source & Origins
2. Benefits & Medicinal Use
3. Scientific Studies
4. The Benefits
5. How to Consume It
6. What Should I Pick?

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1. The Source & Origins

As you may know, all honey is a unique food that is made by honey bees from the nectar of flowers. Honey contains carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, amino acids, minerals, Phyto-compounds, and water. The type of flower or nectar that local bees have access makes a HUGE difference to the honey they produce.

Yemeni Sidr honey and Manuka honey are types of honey that are gathered by bees from only one particular type of plant.

Manuka honey is, as the name indicates, created from nectar that bees gather from the Manuka plant, which is found only in New Zealand. The plant has medicinal properties, which are present in its honey too.

Sidr honey comes from the Sidr tree, which has other common names like Christ’s Thorn, Jujube, or Lote tree. The Sidr tree has been a source of healing for thousands of years, with it’s name found in many ancient texts. It is found growing in the deserts of Yemen, Ethiopia, Libya, Sudan, India, and Pakistan. It is renowned for its healing powers.

Honeys from both sources have nutritive and medicinal properties. They have a smooth taste, less sugar than other kinds of honey, and have unique healing properties.

2. Benefits & Medicinal Use

Manuka and Sidr honey are among the few types of honey that are considered medicinal grade – they have undisputed and numerous health benefits. Unlike local store bought honey, these two types of honey have antiseptic, antibacterial, and antibiotic properties not usually found in raw table honey.

Hydrogen peroxide is usually responsible for providing antibacterial properties to most types of honey. However, with Manuka honey, a different component known as methylglyoxal gives it its antibacterial properties; something found in much smaller amounts with other types of honey.

Manuka honey has been used as a supplement for reducing high cholesterol and inflammation, treating sinuses and infections, and diabetes. Manuka honey has also been applied topically to treat skin injuries like burns, ulcers, and other wounds.

Like Manuka honey, Sidr honey has been used for many centuries and contains numerous health and medicinal benefits. There is quite a bit of crossover in terms of the benefits they both offer, such as topical applications, treating infections and sinuses, and even boosting your immune system. The World Academy of Science, Engineering, and Technology conducted studies on Sidr honey and concluded that specifically “Yemeni Sidr honey possesses potent anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic properties. These properties may be as a result of the phytochemicals present.”

Additionally Sidr honey is used to alleviate stomach pains, digestive, and liver problems and provides a boost to the immune system, much like how black seed oil does.

3. Scientific Studies

An interesting study was carried out at the University of Ottowa by Tala Alandejani, M.D. on the effects of Sidr and Manuka honey on the deadly MRSA bacteria. MRSA causes infections in different parts of the body and is usually resistant to the usual antibiotics, thereby making it a very dangerous bacteria.

The study tested the two types of honey on several types of bacteria, one of them being MRSA. Sidr honey was found to have a 73% effectiveness in killing the bacteria, while Manuka was found to have a 63% effectiveness at killing it. When tested against another strain of bacteria, the MSSA; Sidr honey was 63% effective while Manuka honey was 82% effective.

Additionally, study published in 2013 from King Saud University investigates the possible protective effect of Sidr honey on carbon tetrachloride-induced oxidative stress and liver and kidney damage in rats. The researchers gave the Sidr honey to the rats orally and started observing the results on the animals’ liver and kidneys.

The study concluded that Sidr honey showed effective protection to the liver and kidneys from damage. Moreover, it showed strong antioxidant activity in DPPH and ß-carotene-linoleic acid assays. Honey also contained phenolic compounds that may be a potential treatment for cardiovascular diseases.

In another study published in the World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology magazine, 2011, researchers studied the anti-inflammatory properties of Yemeni Sidr honey on rats. The application of Yemeni Sidr honey on rats showed great potential in inhibiting both phases of carrageenan-induced paw oedema compared with the chemical medicines. Based on the results, it can be suggested that Yemeni Sidr honey’s ability to inhibit carrageenan-induced paw oedema may be due to its suppression of the release of mediators responsible for inflammation, including histamine, serotonin, bradykinin and prostaglandin.

4. The Benefits of Yemeni Sidr Honey

1. Antibacterial, Antiviral, and Anti-inflammatory Properties: Sidr honey has antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. It has a higher antibacterial effect on certain strains of bacteria than sidr honey, effectively treats gastric ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, gum disease, and upper respiratory infections. It helps prevent inflammation in the oesophagus due to radiation and chemotherapy, which are standard cancer treatments.
2. Heals Wounds: Sidr honey is effective in healing wounds, burns, eczema, dermatitis, and skin infections.
3. Good for Skin: Sidr cleanses and exfoliates the skin, removes pigmentation, and helps prevent premature ageing.
4. Good for Throat: Sidr helps alleviates sore throat by reducing the inflammation in the throat. Moreover, Sidr honey can prevent tooth decay as well.
5. Natural Purifier: Sidr honey is a natural energizer, stamina booster, and blood purifier. It fights skin infections, heals wounds, acne, fungal infections like ringworm, athlete’s foot, and dandruff when used topically.
6. Good for Gut: Also, it has live probiotic cultures that improve your gut health. It facilitates easy bowel movement and helps in digestion.
7. Good for Fertility: Antioxidants present in the honey are cancer preventive. Moreover, you can use it to boost fertility and cure sexual problems in both males and females.
8. Good for Overall Health: It boosts immunity, delays ageing, prevents neuromuscular degeneration, increases cognitive function, and improves cardiovascular health. It also relieves stress, lower high blood pressure, and promote sound sleep.

Manuka honey also possesses many of the same qualities however what makes our Yemeni Sidr Honey specifically better is that it is of the highest quality available in Australia. Our Yemeni Sidr Honey will outperform other honeys when put to the test!

5. How To Consume It

No matter which honey you choose, you can use it the same way (Note: Opt for higher quality for the best impact):

1. Take one spoonful before going to bed to get rid of any parasites or bacteria that may be in your stomach.
2. In case you have a stuffy nose, take one spoon of Sidr honey with some water to clear it out.
3. Drink one teaspoonful of Sidr honey every day to cure diarrhea or other stomach problems.
4. Mix one spoonful of the honey with milk and drink it before going to sleep at night to help treat insomnia
5. Add one teaspoonful of Sidr honey to a glass of water used for gargling to relieve sore throats and mouth sores.
6. Take one teaspoonful with water every day to lower blood sugar levels in diabetics or those who are prone to diabetes.
7. Topical application of the honey on wounds, cuts, and burns helps heal them faster.

6. What Should I Pick?

In summary, both honeys share excellent properties which will boost your health when used properly, but the most impact will be gained from high quality honey.

Unfortunately, store bought honey is not subject to stringent conditions and you may find that they will have a higher moisture count, more sugar, might have been heated (thus ridding the honey of many of it’s benefits) and so on.

If you wish to invest in a quality, medicinal honey for your home, then you should purchase straight from the source. Our Yemeni Sidr Honey is the perfect choice as it is sourced directly from Yemen, harvested by beekeepers utilising ancient techniques. Check out our range here.

We hope this article has made it easier for you to choose between Manuka & Sidr Honey!