If you already keep Manuka in the cupboard and someone has mentioned stingless bee honey, the real difference is where each one gets its antibacterial activity. Manuka gets it from one compound in one flower's nectar. Stingless bee honey gets it from the propolis the bees build their honey pots with, so it doesn't depend on which flowers were in bloom that season.
At a glance
| Stingless bee honey (Trigona) | Manuka honey | |
|---|---|---|
| Bee | Tetragonula biroi, a stingless bee native to the Philippines | Apis mellifera, the common honeybee |
| Antibacterial activity comes from | Propolis built into the honey pots | Methylglyoxal from manuka nectar |
| Depends on flower source | No | Yes, strength varies with the share of manuka nectar |
| Grading | Active 25+ (ours), close to UMF 25+ on the same test method | UMF, graded batch by batch |
| Trehalulose | 13 to 44% of total sugars | Virtually none |
| pH | 3.2 to 4.5 | 3.9 to 6.1 (regular honey) |
| Yield per hive per year | Around 500g | Around 30kg (Apis honeybee) |
| Taste | Thin and tangy | Sweeter, with no sour note |
What makes a honey medicinal
Honey has been medicine for far longer than it's been breakfast. Writings from around 2000 BC mention it for wounds and for recovery after surgery. Somewhere along the way it got filed as just food, and research is now looking at it again.
Most honey gets its antibacterial activity from two things. Its acidity makes it a hard place for bacteria to live, and an enzyme in the honey produces hydrogen peroxide. The trouble with peroxide is that heat and light break it down quickly, so that activity doesn't last.
A few honeys have activity that doesn't rely on peroxide and holds up far better. Manuka and stingless bee honey are both in that group, which is why people compare them. Where they part ways is the source of that activity.
Where the antibacterial activity comes from
Manuka's comes from methylglyoxal, which forms from the nectar of the manuka flower. How strong a jar is depends on how much of that nectar the bees collected compared with every other flower nearby. That's why each batch of Manuka has to be tested and graded before it can carry a UMF number.
Stingless bees store honey differently. Honeybees, the species Manuka comes from, keep honey in combs of pure wax and use propolis only to seal gaps around the edges. Our Tetragonula biroi bees build their honey pots from cerumen, a mix of beeswax and plant resin (propolis). The honey sits against propolis for its whole life in the hive, and that propolis is what gives Trigona honey its antimicrobial properties. Because it's built into the pot, it's there whatever nectar the bees brought home.
Active 25+ and UMF
UMF is Manuka's own grading system, run by the UMF Honey Association. It only applies to Manuka, and a jar needs UMF 10 or above to count as actively antibacterial.
Stingless bee honey has no UMF, so we use Active 25+. In 2007 a team led by Kanazawa University's Graduate School of Medical Science measured stingless bee honey with the same method used for UMF, and its antibacterial activity held up strongly against Manuka. On that scale our Raw Trigona Honey comes out close to the equivalent of Manuka UMF 25+.
We've also had our honey and propolis tested independently. On average both killed 83% of the bacteria in the tests, and the tables, including the strains used, are on our research page.
When you're comparing labels, look at the method behind the number. Outside the UMF system every producer uses its own measure, and a higher figure on a different test doesn't mean a stronger honey.
The sugar difference is trehalulose
Both are honey, so both are sugar. What changes is which sugars you're getting.
Stingless bee honey contains trehalulose, a rare sugar that Apis honey, Manuka included, has virtually none of. Depending on the species and where it's from, trehalulose makes up 13 to 44% of the sugars in stingless bee honey. It has roughly a third of the glycaemic impact of table sugar, and unlike ordinary sugar it doesn't feed tooth decay.
That makes Trigona honey a more considered sweetener for a daily spoonful, yours or your child's. It isn't a treatment for any blood sugar condition, and if you're managing diabetes, talk to your doctor before you change your diet.
What the evidence supports
Most of what you'll read about honey's benefits is traditional use, not clinical evidence. Two uses stand on firmer ground.
Coughs and sore throats are the best evidenced. Studies have found honey works about as well as over the counter cough preparations in children over one year old, and in some trials better.
Minor wounds and burns are the other. Honey draws in moisture, which keeps a small wound from drying out and stops a dressing from sticking, and its antibacterial activity works alongside that. Clinical wound care uses sterilised medical grade honey, which is a different product from any jar on a kitchen shelf, ours included.
Honey also carries antioxidants, phenolic compounds and flavonoids that neutralise free radicals, and stingless bee honey tends to carry more, much of it from propolis. That part is measurable. What it does for your long term health is far less settled than most labels suggest, and traditional systems have used honey for sleep and stress among other things. We mention those as history, not as claims. Our complete guide to stingless bee honey benefits goes through the research in more detail.
Why you've heard of Manuka first
Manuka won the marketing war. It didn't win the argument. A stingless bee hive gives around 500g of honey a year, against roughly 30kg from a European honeybee hive, and nobody builds a global brand on 500g.
Our bees forage within about 500m of the hive, where honeybees range up to 5km, so each hive works a small patch of forest. The hives are in the Philippines, where one typhoon can wipe out a season's harvest, and we leave enough honey in every hive for the bees to live on. Scarcity is why you haven't heard of it, not quality. There's more on the farms and the bees on our About Trigona Honey page.
Taste and storage
Expect a surprise on the first spoonful if you're used to Manuka. Stingless bee honey is thinner and noticeably tangy. Its pH runs 3.2 to 4.5, against 3.9 to 6.1 for regular honey, and some of the sourness comes from the nectar the bees feed on.
Sour is normal for this honey and doesn't mean it has gone off. If you're unsure, why is my honey sour explains how to tell natural acidity from fermentation.
Store it like any honey, just a little more carefully. Keep it in its original jar with the lid tight, in a cupboard away from light, since light breaks down the compounds that make it worth having. It holds more water than regular honey, so moisture getting in can start it fermenting, and many people keep it in the fridge.
Choosing a medicinal honey
Buy it raw. Raw honey keeps its antioxidants, pollen and enzymes, and in stingless bee honey, the infused propolis. Heat processing degrades most of that, and processed honey is more likely to have been cut with added fructose or corn syrup.
Honey is one of the most commonly adulterated foods in the world, so buy from a producer who can tell you the bee species and the testing behind the jar.
If you want a honey whose activity doesn't hinge on a single flower, with a sugar profile that's gentler than table sugar, stingless bee honey is the one we'd point you to. Take it straight off the spoon or stir it into warm water, and avoid very hot drinks, which break down the same compounds light does.
Start with the Raw Trigona Honey (Active 25+) 140g. Once it's a household habit, the 650g jar lasts longer between orders, and the rest of the Immunity Care collection is there if you want propolis on its own.
Frequently asked questions
What is medicinal honey?
It's honey with antibacterial activity that doesn't depend on hydrogen peroxide, so it holds up against heat and light. Manuka and stingless bee honey both qualify. Clinical wound care uses sterilised medical grade honey, which is a separate product.
Is stingless bee honey better than Manuka?
For most families, we think so. Its antibacterial activity comes from propolis built into the hive, so it doesn't depend on one flower, and it contains trehalulose, which Manuka has virtually none of. Our Raw Trigona Honey tests close to the equivalent of Manuka UMF 25+.
What does Active 25+ mean?
It's our measure of antibacterial activity. Using the same method that grades Manuka for UMF, our Raw Trigona Honey comes out close to the equivalent of UMF 25+. UMF itself only applies to Manuka.
Is stingless bee honey better for blood sugar than Manuka?
Stingless bee honey contains trehalulose, which makes up 13 to 44% of its sugars and has roughly a third of the glycaemic impact of table sugar. Manuka has virtually none. It's still honey, so if you're managing diabetes, speak to your doctor first.
Why does stingless bee honey taste sour?
Its pH runs 3.2 to 4.5, lower than the 3.9 to 6.1 of regular honey, and the nectar the bees feed on adds to the tang. Sour is normal and doesn't mean the honey has gone off.
Why is stingless bee honey so rare?
A stingless bee hive produces around 500g of honey a year, against roughly 30kg from a European honeybee hive. The bees forage within about 500m of the hive.
Can children have stingless bee honey?
Yes, from 12 months old. Never give honey of any kind to babies under 12 months. More on daily routines for the family is on our Caring For Your Immunity page.
Never give honey of any kind to babies under 12 months, raw or processed. Raw honey contains pollen, so start with a small amount if you have a bee product or pollen allergy. Serious wounds and infections need a doctor, not honey. If you're pregnant or on medication, check with your doctor before using honey therapeutically. This article is general information, not medical advice.