Manuka Honey : Which Rating Is Right For You?

Manuka honey is graded by its MGO (methylglyoxal) content, which reflects its antibacterial strength. Higher MGO levels indicate greater antibacterial activity and are typically used for more targeted therapeutic purposes.

Below is a clear breakdown of how 250, 500, 750, and 1400 MGO Manuka honey are commonly used, along with their benefits.

 

 

250 MGO - Daily Wellness Support 

Best suited for: General health maintenance and mild symptoms.

Our 250MGO manuka is delightfully sweet with a slight savoury note from the tea tree, find it here. 250MGO is what we would consider the entrance into the realm of higher strength medical manuka, it has a myriad of uses beyond its taste, such as:

Common Uses	Benefits
Daily immune support (1 tsp per day).	Provides mild antibacterial activity.
Mild sore throat relief.	Supports immune function.
General digestive support.	May assist with minor digestive discomfort.
As a natural sweetener with added benefits.	Suitable for regular, long-term use.

This level is often chosen for preventative health and everyday wellness rather than targeted treatment.

500 MGO – Enhanced Immune, Digestive and Therapeutic Support

Best Suited For: Short-term immune challenges and moderate digestive concerns.

Our 500MGO is what we consider therapeutic grade Manuka honey, it assists tremendously in boosting the immune system and preventing illness from occurring, we recommend a small/level teaspoon everyday, taken separately from food and water for maximum benefit.

This level of Manuka honey is entering into high strength territory and we highly recommend 500MGO and up for serious medicinal application. You can find our 500MGO here.

500MGO has a wide range of benefits:

Common Uses	Benefits
Persistent sore throat.	Stronger antibacterial properties.
Early cold and flu symptoms.	May help balance gut bacteria.
Acid reflux or mild gastritis support.	Supports reduction of throat irritation
Topical use for mild acne.	Assists skin healing when applied topically

 

500 MGO offers a noticeable step up in potency while still being appropriate for internal use.

750 MGO – High-Strength Medicinal Use

Best Suited For: More stubborn or recurring issues.

750MGO is what we call medicinal grade Manuka honey, it is our most popular high strength Manuka and for great reason, it has potent targeted healing benefits. We still encourage daily use at this level, one small/level teaspoon per day will have a profound positive effect on the immune system and overall health. We recommend this for both internal and topical use. You can find it on our website here. 

Some of the benefits of our 750MGO Manuka are:

Common Uses	Benefits
Ongoing cough or throat irritation.	Potent antibacterial activity.
Digestive concerns such as H. pylori support (alongside medical advice).	May support deeper digestive health concerns.
Gum inflammation.	Promotes skin repair and reduces inflammation.
Topical use for mild acne.	Useful for short-term therapeutic support.

This strength is generally used for targeted purposes rather than daily sweetening.

1400 MGO – Intensive or Medical-Grade Applications

Best Suited For: Specific, short-term therapeutic use, however can be used daily without any problems for the avid Manuka honey user.

Extremely potent medicinal use, used in hospitals to treat severe infections. 1400mgo is a very rare honey that is only harvested every 5-10 years, in very remote and hidden areas that take a high level of expertise and knowledge to find. You can find our 1400MGO here.

1400MGO benefits can be seen below;

 

Common Uses	Benefits
Wound care (topical application).	Very high antibacterial potency.
Severe skin infections.	Supports infection prevention in minor wounds.
Mouth ulcers (small amounts applied directly).	Promotes tissue repair.
Targeted antibacterial support.	Demonstrates strong antimicrobial activity in laboratory studies.

 

Due to its strength and cost, 1400 MGO is typically reserved for targeted or external applications rather than daily dietary use, however there Is absolutely no ill effects of daily use.

Therefore we can see that each level of manuka has its use, and the higher the grading, the greater the benefits become. We advise that for daily use, one teaspoon in the morning around 30 minutes before or after eating or drinking is the best method for consumption and for maximising benefits. The most popular high strength we offer is the 20+ due to its cost/benefit ratio. One teaspoon a day (5g), our 250g jar will last 50 days, which works out quite affordable.