Manuka is New Zealand’s own native blood tonic. The iron-rich fresh leafy flowering tips are preferred for a delightful tasting tea, as drying and aging diminishes the unique flavours.
Manuka is more often found wild in the North Island than in the South.
The sweet ripe berries can be chewed and pushed into dental cavities to relieve pain and kill bacteria around the decaying area. The saliva produced from the chewed berries can be swallowed to act as a blood iron tonic.
The bark has no more medicinal value than the leafy tips, berries and twigs. Stripping the bark can kill the tree.
It is thought that Manuka essential oil may have stronger healing Manuka properties than Manuka honey.
Historically it has been used for lung health, coughs, colds, fevers, food poisoning, bloating indigestion, venereal diseases, urinary disorders, bad breath, loose teeth, bleeding gums, iron tonic, blood antiseptic, gum disease, wound healing, gastric ulcers, cystic fibrosis, antifungal and more.
It’s not meant to be complicated to be well, nor is it meant to be expensive.