Top 5 Healthiest Honeys in the World (and How to Choose the Right One)

What Are the Top 5 Healthiest Honeys?

If you’ve ever gone down the “healthiest honey” rabbit hole, you’ve probably seen bold claims:

“This is the world’s most medicinal honey.”
“Only this honey has real healing power.”

The truth is more interesting and more nuanced.

Most raw, minimally processed honeys can offer some general benefits. But a few types show especially rich profiles of polyphenols, flavonoids, and organic acids in research settings—and those are the honeys people usually mean when they say “medicinal honey.”

This article looks at five types of honey that have attracted scientific interest, without pretending that any of them are magic bullets. We’ll talk about what makes each one special, where the research is strongest, and why your own preferences and body still matter.

Nothing here is medical advice. These honeys are foods, not drugs. If you’re managing a health condition or taking medication, talk with your healthcare provider before changing your diet or adding concentrated sugars—honey included.

What Makes a Honey “Healthy”?

When researchers look at honey, they’re often measuring:

Total phenolic content – plant-based compounds with antioxidant potential
Flavonoids and other polyphenols – part of how honey may help buffer oxidative stress
Acidity and hydrogen peroxide production – related to antimicrobial effects
Unique compounds – like methylglyoxal in Manuka or trehalulose in some stingless bee honeys

From a real-life perspective, people also pay attention to:

How their body feels with a given honey (energy, digestion, blood sugar response)
Texture, aroma, and flavor (you’re more likely to use something you enjoy)
How the honey is sourced (wild vs intensive, single origin vs blended, raw vs heavily processed)

With that in mind, here are five honeys that consistently show up in research and in conversations about “healthiest” choices.

1. Manuka Honey (Leptospermum spp.)

If there were a celebrity honey, Manuka would be it.

Made primarily from Leptospermum species (often Leptospermum scoparium in New Zealand and related species in Australia), Manuka honey is famous for its:

MGO (methylglyoxal) content
Non-peroxide antimicrobial activity
Use in medical-grade wound dressings in clinical settings (under regulated conditions, not from the kitchen jar)

Why people consider it “healthy”

Studies have explored its antibacterial properties, including activity against certain oral and skin bacteria.
Medical-grade Manuka is used alongside standard care for wound management in specific, regulated contexts.
It often shows high phenolic and antioxidant levels compared with many table honeys.

Things to keep in mind

Not all Manuka is equal. UMF™, MGO, and similar grading systems try to quantify key compound levels.
The jar on your counter is not the same as a sterile medical dressing.

When it shines:
If you’re curious about a strongly researched “medicinal honey,” Manuka is a good reference point—and a useful comparison when looking at less famous honeys.

2. Tualang Honey (Apis dorsata, Malaysian Rainforest)

Tualang honey is produced by Apis dorsata, the giant honey bee, which builds massive combs high in Koompassia excelsa (Tualang) trees in the Malaysian rainforest.

Rather than being strictly monofloral, Tualang is:

Wild, multifloral, and
Sourced from complex rainforest ecosystems

What research has explored

Peer-reviewed studies have examined Tualang honey for:

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity
Antimicrobial properties in laboratory models
Potential roles as a supportive food in neurological and tissue studies (often in animals or cell models, not humans at scale)

Some reviews compare Tualang to Manuka in terms of antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds, noting that Tualang can be as rich—or richer—in certain phenolic compounds in test-tube settings.

Real-world translation

What we can honestly say:

Tualang honey tends to be deeply colored, complex, and rich in plant-based compounds.
It has a long history of traditional use in parts of Southeast Asia.
Modern research is promising but still early-stage—it does not make Tualang a drug or a guaranteed outcome.

At Apis Lux, our Tualang jars (including Nirwana-labeled harvests) are:

Wild-foraged, multifloral rainforest honeys
Minimally processed (strained, settled, gently demoisturized at low temperatures, then bottled at source in Malaysia)
Traceable back to regions and honey-hunting teams

We see Tualang as a honey that sits at the intersection of tradition, emerging research, and sensory depth.

3. Stingless Bee Honey (Kelulut / Trigona / Meliponini)

Stingless bee honey, sometimes called Kelulut honey in Malaysia, is made by tiny Meliponini bees that nest in hollow logs or cavities rather than exposed combs.

These honeys are often described as:

More fluid and tangy
Slightly more acidic
Naturally rich in certain polyphenols and organic acids

Why researchers pay attention

Several studies have reported that some stingless bee honeys:

Have distinctive polyphenol profiles
Contain trehalulose, a slowly digested disaccharide
Show lower glycemic index values than many common table honeys in research settings

That last point is particularly interesting for people watching blood sugar, but it comes with important caveats:

Trehalulose-rich honeys are still sugars.
Glycemic responses vary widely between individuals.
Small studies and lab measurements are not the same as large clinical trials in people with diabetes.

How to think about it

We’re comfortable saying:

Stingless bee honeys can be extraordinarily complex and rich in plant-derived compounds.
Trehalulose and their acidity may make them behave a bit differently than some other honeys—but they are still concentrated carbohydrates.

At Apis Lux, jars like Peninsular Jazz, Among the Greens, Up Hill Forest, and Bright Tang are examples of wild stingless bee honeys from Malaysian rainforest hives—bottled in Malaysia and minimally processed before they ever leave the country.

4. Buckwheat Honey

Buckwheat honey comes from Fagopyrum esculentum blossoms and is typically:

Very dark
Molasses-like
Rich, sometimes with malty or earthy notes

Why it’s often on “healthiest honey” lists

Multiple analyses have shown that buckwheat honey often has:

High antioxidant capacity compared with many lighter honeys
Significant levels of phenolic and flavonoid compounds

Some human trials have looked at buckwheat honey in the context of cough relief in children (alongside or compared to standard care), and while the focus is usually on symptom comfort rather than long-term health, it has added to buckwheat’s “functional” reputation.

How to use it

As a strong, dark table honey in teas, drizzled over yogurt, or used in robust marinades and dressings
As one of the darker honeys to rotate into your routine if you enjoy bold flavors and are seeking polyphenol-dense options

5. Honeydew Honey & Forest Honeys

Honeydew honeys aren’t made from floral nectar at all. Instead:

Bees collect honeydew, a sugary secretion from sap-feeding insects on trees and plants.
This yields dark, often resinous honeys with minerals and polyphenols in patterns different from nectar honeys.

Examples include:

Certain pine, fir, and oak honeydew honeys from Europe
Other forest honeys from diverse ecosystems

Why they’re interesting

Research has shown that some honeydew honeys:

Display high antioxidant capacity
May show strong antimicrobial activity in lab settings
Contain minerals and oligosaccharides that differ from many blossom honeys

They’re another reminder that the ecology around the hive—trees, insects, microclimate—shapes the chemistry of what ends up in the jar.

So… Which Honey Is Actually “Best” for Health?

Looking strictly at lab measurements, you’ll see a lot of “winners” depending on:

Which compounds you measure
Which plants are blooming that season
How the honey is processed and stored

A more honest, practical way to frame it:

Choose raw or minimally processed honeys from trustworthy sources.
Rotate between a few types (dark/light, different florals, maybe a honeydew and a rainforest honey).
Pay attention to how your body responds, especially if you’re watching blood sugar or living with a medical condition.
Use honey as a nourishing food and ritual, not a sole therapy.

Where our honeys fit into this picture

At Apis Lux and under the Nirwana label, we focus on:

Wild rainforest honeys like Tualang (Apis dorsata)
Stingless bee honeys (Kelulut / Trigona)
Gelam-forward wild honeys, drawing on a close relative of the tea tree (Melaleuca cajuputi)

These sit comfortably in the same conversation as Manuka, buckwheat, and honeydew honeys—not as replacements, but as distinctive expressions of another ancient ecosystem with its own chemistry and stories.

How to Choose a Honey That Fits You

When you’re staring at a shelf (or a screen) full of jars, here’s a simple decision path:

Start with your goal.
- Comfort ritual?
- Daily drizzle for tea or yogurt?
- Curious about darker, polyphenol-rich options?
Pick a type that matches that goal.
- For big, complex flavors and rich plant compounds → Tualang, stingless bee, buckwheat, honeydew.
- For gentler, aromatic sweetness → Monofloral honeys like acacia, or Gelam-forward wild honeys such as Golden Soothe in our Nirwana line.
Look for transparency.
- Clear origin
- Minimal processing (no ultra-filtering, no blending with syrups)
- Honest language around research and health (no miracle claims)
Introduce slowly if you have health concerns.
- Check with your clinician if you’re managing diabetes, undergoing treatment, or have food restrictions.
- If they’re comfortable, monitor your own response over time.

The Takeaway

There isn’t a single crowned “healthiest honey in the world.”
There are, however, families of honeys that:

Grow out of specific landscapes
Carry remarkable plant chemistry
Have attracted serious scientific curiosity

Manuka, Tualang, stingless bee honeys, buckwheat, and honeydew honeys all belong in that conversation. The “best” one for you will be the one that fits your body, your taste, your values—and that you’ll actually use with joy.

If you’re curious about the rainforest side of this story, you can explore our Tualang and stingless bee collections as a starting point, then compare them with other honeys you love. Your taste buds may end up being the best lab you have.