Zara Carmichael

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benefits of scottish honey

Zara Carmichael

Scottish Heather Honey, a delightful local superfood buzzing with antioxidants, prebiotics and essential minerals (1). When consumed mindfully this delicious, golden elixir may significantly benefit your health.

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benefits of scottish heather honey

Backed by Science

  1. Rich in Antioxidants

    Honey’s celebrated properties are primarily due to the presence of polyphenols, a collective term for various bioactive plant compounds exerting strong antioxidant effects; including flavonoids and phenolic acids. A diet rich in polyphenols can alleviate numerous inflammatory diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis and even protect against some cancers! (2). Scottish heather honey is abundant in multiple polyphenols but notably gallic acid (3), that can interfere with the growth of cancerous cells (4).


  2. Good for the Gut

    Only a small proportion of polyphenols found in honey can be absorbed in the small intestine, with up to 95% travelling to the colon (5). Once in the colon, polyphenols nourish the beneficial bacteria in your gut, encouraging them to proliferate, recognising honey as a prebiotic (6). This increase in beneficial bacteria (probiotics) helps prevent the growth of harmful bacteria (pathogens) as well as improving your digestion and overall nutrient status (6). Polyphenols specifically fuel Bifidobacteria, a friendly gut bacteria with the ability to produce a variety of B vitamins as well as vitamin K (6). Essential vitamins many of us are lacking!

3. Source of Vitamins & Minerals

Although it is important we acknowledge the free-sugar content of honey and consume it mindfully (even natural high quality honey), it is equally important we celebrate it’s nutritional benefits. Unlike typical white sugar, which is often referred to as ‘empty calories’, honey contains antioxidants discussed above as well as important vitamins and minerals such as manganese!

Scottish heather honey was recently found to contains significantly high levels of manganese, up to 10x that of its competitors, including the well-loved Makuna, making the second richest source in the world! (7). Manganese is an essential trace-mineral, with powerful antioxidant properties as well as being crucial to metabolism, liver function and bone formation. In regards to metabolism, manganese plays a vital role in regulation of insulin secretion; supporting the storage and utilisation of carbohydrates and dietary fats (8). In bone health, manganese activates several enzymes necessary to the formation of healthy cartilage and bone (8) . Finally in the liver, manganese facilitates the urea cycle; part of the body’s natural detoxification process (9).




  1. https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/23/9/2322/htm


  2. Pandey KB, Rizvi SI. Plant polyphenols as dietary antioxidants in human health and disease. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2009;2(5):270‐278. doi:10.4161/oxim.2.5.9498

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2835915/


  3. Lorna Fyfe, Paulina Okoro, Euan Paterson, Shirley Coyle, Gordon J. McDougall. Compositional analysis of Scottish honeys with antimicrobial activity against antibiotic-resistant bacteria reveals novel antimicrobial components, LWT - Food Science and Technology, Volume 79, 2017, Pages 52-59, ISSN 0023-6438, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2017.01.023. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0023643817300233)


  4. Sharad Verma, Amit Singh, Abha Mishra, Gallic acid: Molecular rival of cancer, Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, Volume 35, Issue 3, 2013, Pages 473-485, ISSN 1382-6689, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2013.02.011. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1382668913000276)


  5. https://atlasbiomed.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-polyphenols-health-and-gut-microbiome/#:~:text=Polyphenols%20are%20considered%20prebiotics%20because,treatment%20of%20inflammatory%20gut%20diseases.


  6. https://atlasbiomed.com/blog/the-facts-on-probiotic-bifidobacteria/


  7. https://www.fera.co.uk/news/feras-experts-create-a-buzz-for-scottish-honey/


  8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5907490/


  9. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/manganese


  10. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07315724.2008.10719745


  11. https://www.nutrition.org.uk/attachments/article/234/Nutrition%20Requirements_Revised%20Oct%202016.pdf?