Comvita to shine light on manuka honey’s digestive health benefits in US$880K trial

13 Dec 2021 --- New Zealand-based Comvita has launched a NZ$1.3 million (US$880,000) clinical trial to understand the effects of manuka honey on digestive health.

The program is supported by the High-Value Nutrition (HVN) Ko Ngā Kai Whai Painga National Science Challenge, which has awarded the University of Otago NZ$875,000 (US$593,000) to be used for the project over the next two years.

“Chinese consumers, in particular, use manuka honey to soothe digestive symptoms, but how it does this is unknown,” says University of Otago senior research fellow Dr. Jody Miller.

Research points to the natural compound Lepterdine, recently discovered by Comvita, as playing a key role in the inhibition of enzymes involved in the development of gastrointestinal inflammation and pain, she continues. 

“This clinical trial will help us to understand how manuka honey with standardized levels of this compound may improve digestive health and its mechanism of action in the body,” Miller adds. 

Specifically, it will investigate the potential of Comvita Lepteridine Standardised Mānuka Honey to improve gastrointestinal symptoms and quality of life in people with digestive discomfort, and its impact on inflammatory biomarkers, immune cell function and the gut microbiome.The research will seek to better understand the bioactive properties of Lepteridine for digestive health.

Spotlight on the elusive ingredient
Manuka honey is harvested from the nectar of the Leptospermum scoparium tree, which grows wild in New Zealand’s most remote areas and flowers for just two to six weeks each year.

The honey has high levels of natural phenolic compounds. Many of these are unique to manuka honey and give it a range of bioactive properties not found in other honey types.

Miller says that while there is scientific evidence that manuka honey is an effective topical treatment for wounds and burns, the potential health benefits of consuming manuka honey are less well understood.

Innova Market Insights reports that Supplements is one of the leading categories for new launches with manuka honey between 2016 and 2020 – only Spreads has seen more NPD. 

Some of the leading positionings for NPD containing the honey include No Additives/Preservatives, Gluten-Free, Organic and Natural. 

Manuka honey is also a key ingredient in Disproquima’s Flavoxale, which is designed to boost a healthy and protected upper respiratory tract system as it liquefies the bronchial secretions in human lungs while having a soothing balsamic effect.Honey has been used to treat various ailments since ancient times and is used in traditional Chinese medicine to support digestive comfort. 

Unmet health needs
According to Dr. Jackie Evans, Comvita’s chief science officer, up to a third of the adult population is impacted by digestive discomforts such as pain and burning or excessive belching and nausea after eating.

“These sorts of symptoms are associated with substantial impairment of quality of life, increased work absenteeism, reduced productivity, and increased use of healthcare services – and often they have no obvious cause or cure.” 

“Hence, there is a considerable unmet health need to develop and test new therapeutic approaches or ways of relieving these health issues,” Evans continues. 

Innova Market Insights has also crowned “Gut Glory” as one of its Top Ten Trends for 2022. The market researcher notes that two in three global consumers believe gut health is key to achieving holistic well-being.

Aligning with corporate goals
Evans says that the anticipated outcomes of the research will enable Comvita to develop and deliver effective manuka honey products to millions of people worldwide who suffer from poor digestive health. 

Meanwhile, HVN’s challenge director Joanne Todd says the manuka research – the first of its kind – strongly aligns with the HVN mission to develop high-value foods with validated health benefits to drive economic growth. 

Earlier this year, HVN also provided funding for a study investigating Pāmu’s deer milk’s ability to help support a healthy lifestyle and improve the general nutrition of senior populations.

Edited by Katherine Durrell