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Dietary supplement

Gut Health Manuka Honey Ingredients & Drug Interactions

by ManukaGuard

Other (e.g. Tea Bag) Category: Non-nutrient/non-botanical
Most serious interaction: Moderate
The interaction bottom line Most serious interaction: Moderate

Gut Health Manuka Honey is a dietary supplement by ManukaGuard with 1 active ingredient. Its ingredients are commonly taken for cough and sore throat, wound and burn care, soothing minor skin irritation.Based on those ingredients, 736 medications have a known interaction with it, the most serious rated moderate. The ingredients most likely to interact are Manuka Honey Blend. Use the checker below to test your specific medication, or read the full HelloPharmacist Interaction Report.

HelloPharmacist Scorecard of Gut Health Manuka Honey by ManukaGuard

Our pharmacy team’s full take, with four database checks built into the cards below — a summary of what is known, not a grade of the product itself.

From our pharmacy team — supplement deep dive

What’s inside

Full disclosure
Ingredient Transparency · database check
Full

Every active ingredient lists its own amount on the label.

Why this rating?
  • The label discloses an exact amount for 1 of its 1 active ingredient.
  • No proprietary blends here — you can verify the dose of every single component.

This product contains one active ingredient: Manuka Honey Blend. Manuka honey comes from bees that pollinate the Manuka tree, native to New Zealand, and has been used traditionally for throat and digestive health.

There are no inactive ingredients listed for this product.

Does it work?

Not established
Evidence for Intended Use · database check
By FDA rules, dietary supplements can’t claim to treat, cure, or prevent disease — so labels speak in careful marketing language. We discern each product’s intended use from its name, label claims, and label statements, then grade the clinical evidence for that use. How these ratings are computed
Not established

The graded evidence we hold for these ingredients covers different conditions than the ones this product is marketed for, so there's no established rating for its stated use — see Honey's own graded uses on its monograph.

Why this rating?
  • The label markets this product for: supports gut microbiome and digestive health.
  • We looked for evidence on: Diarrhea, Dysbiosis, Gastrointestinal health, Prebiotic effect.
  • The closest evidence on file: Honey is rated "Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate" for Diarrhea (Natural Medicines).

The evidence for Manuka Honey supports several uses, all rated Possibly Effective based on the data we hold: it may help with cold sores, cough, mouth sores from cancer treatment (oral mucositis), burns, and dry eye. These ratings mean there's some clinical support, but the evidence isn't conclusive yet.

If you're considering it for one of these purposes, talk with us about what the current research shows and whether it makes sense for your situation.

The evidence, ingredient by ingredient Honey

How safe is it?

Well-documented data
Safety Information · database check
Well characterized

Adverse-effect, pregnancy, and general safety data are on file for most of these ingredients.

Why this rating?
  • We hold adverse-effect (side-effect) data for 1 of the 1 matched ingredient.
  • Pregnancy & breastfeeding safety ratings cover 1 of 1.
  • General safety write-ups exist for 1 of 1.
  • Remember: this measures how much safety information exists. Thin data is not the same as being safe.

Honey is generally well tolerated as a food for children over 1 year old and adults. When taken by mouth or applied to skin, the most common side effects are mild—nausea, stomach pain, vomiting (oral), or burning and stinging (topical).

There is a rare but serious risk: honey from Turkey's Black Sea coast can contain grayanotoxins from rhododendrons, which may cause heart rhythm problems, low blood pressure, or heart attack within minutes to hours. As a food, pasteurized honey is considered safe; if you plan to use it medicinally, check with your doctor first.

Honey allergies are possible and can be severe (including anaphylaxis), especially in people with existing allergies or atopy. If you're breastfeeding, eating honey is fine, but talk to your provider about medicinal use.

Side effects, ingredient by ingredient Honey

Meds to double-check

Moderate interaction found
Known Interaction Concern · database check
Moderate identified

The most serious documented interaction for these ingredients is Moderate. Check your medications for a personalized result.

Why this rating?
  • 1 of the 1 matched ingredient can interact with medications — Honey.
  • The most serious interaction on file is rated Moderate.
  • Some involve high-stakes drug classes: anticoagulant / antiplatelet drugs.
  • For scale: 737 individual medications appear in the full list. A big number alone doesn't make a product dangerous — what matters is whether YOUR medication is on it, so run yours through the interaction checker on this page.

Check with your pharmacist if you take phenytoin (Dilantin) for seizures—honey may raise its blood levels. Also flag any blood thinners (anticoagulants) or antiplatelet drugs like aspirin, and medications processed by your liver's CYP3A4 system, since honey's effect on these is unpredictable.

Use the medication checker below with your exact drug names.

Check your own medication Run your meds through the checker above

The bottom line

Scorecard at a glanceFully disclosed formula with no established evidence rating for its marketed use. Moderate medication interactions have been identified, and safety information is well characterized.

Manuka Honey is a single-ingredient product with research supporting its use for cold sores, cough, mouth sores, burns, and dry eye. If you take phenytoin, blood thinners, or drugs processed by your liver, you'll want to check with your pharmacist first—interactions are possible though not always certain.

People with bee-product allergies should avoid it. It's generally well tolerated, but confirm medicinal use with your doctor.

Educational only — not medical advice; always confirm with your pharmacist. Our editorial policy · How we use AI

Assessment coverage: 1 of 1 active ingredient matched to our full ingredient reviews (monographs). Based on the product label dated Sep 25, 2023.

This Scorecard evaluates available label information, ingredient evidence, and known medication-safety considerations. It does not independently verify product identity, purity, potency, contamination, or manufacturing quality. How these ratings are computed

At a glance

General information

Key facts about Gut Health Manuka Honey, straight from the product label.

Brand ManukaGuard
Barcode (UPC) 858631002173
Net contents 8.8 Ounce(s); 250 Gram(s)
Market status On market
Date entered into DSLD Sep 25, 2023
DSLD ID 296813
Product type Non-nutrient/non-botanical
Supplement form Other (e.g. Tea Bag)
Dietary claims / uses All Other, Structure/Function
Intended target group(s) Adult (18 - 50 Years), Kosher, Children (All)
From the label
Everything in this section is reproduced from the manufacturer’s own product label — it’s the label speaking, not HelloPharmacist. We show it so you can see exactly what the maker states; we don’t verify or endorse those statements.

Supplement Facts

The label details for Gut Health Manuka Honey by ManukaGuard, sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.

Supplement Facts

Daily Value (DV) Target Group(s):
Adults and children 4 or more years of age
Minimum serving Sizes:
5 Gram(s)
Maximum serving Sizes:
5 Gram(s)
Servings per container
50
UPC/BARCODE
858631002173
IngredientAmount% DV
Calories20 Calorie(s)--
Total Carbohydrates4 Gram(s)1%, 1%
Sugars4 Gram(s)--
Manuka Honey Blend5 Gram(s)--

Tap any ingredient to jump to its full detail below.

Label statements
These statements are the manufacturer’s wording, reproduced from the product label — the label is saying it, not HelloPharmacist. We don’t verify or endorse them.
Formulation

ManukaGuard: Manuka honey supports the gut microbiome, it contains oligosaccharides which provide a prebiotic effect and are known to promote the proliferation of good gut bacteria.

Drug Free No Additives

Benefits: MGO 400 is the optimal strength to support GUT & DIGESTIVE health

GMO Free Does not contain alcohol Does not contain artificial ingredients

Gut Health Authentic New Zealand Manuka Honey

12+ Drug Free Stimulant Free New Zealand

MGO 400

Contains no added sugars.

Sugars occur naturally in Manuka Honey and are a natural part of the honey. Made in the USA with Manuka honey sourced in New Zealand

Formula

Methylglyoxal 400 mg/kg MGO 400.

OU (Kosher)

FDA Disclaimer Statement

These statement have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Storage

Directions: Take 1/2 teaspoon, one to three times a day, one hour before a meal. Can be taken with probiotics.

Can be kept at room temperature or refrigerated after use.

Precautions

Warning: Do not take if allergic to bee products.

If you are given a prescription for a medicine, always tell your healthcare professional which dietary supplements you are taking.

Keep out of reach of children. Safe for children over 1 year old.

General Statements

Recyclable

Seals/Symbols

OU (Kosher)

Brand IP Statement(s)

ManukaGuard The Science of Honey

FDA Statement of Identity

Dietary Supplement

See for yourself

Gut Health Manuka Honey by ManukaGuard label

The label scan from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Tap to enlarge.

What’s inside

The Ingredients in Gut Health Manuka Honey by ManukaGuard

This is the 1 active ingredient this product is made of. Select it to open its full monograph.

Serving size5 Gram(s) Dosage formOther (e.g. Tea Bag) Servings per container50 Amounts shown are per serving.

Manuka Honey Blend

Interacts with
736 drugs
5 Gram(s) per serving

Honey is a natural food with some real, modest evidence for easing coughs and helping certain wounds, especially when special medical-grade or Manuka...

Manuka Honey Blend monograph & interactions
Interaction report

Gut Health Manuka Honey by ManukaGuard Drug Interactions

Want to check YOUR meds against Gut Health Manuka Honey?

Ask about interactions with your drugs in plain English — “Can I take it with lisinopril?” — and we find you the answer in seconds, ingredient by ingredient.

Go to the checker
736Drugs
5 Moderate 731 Minor

Ingredients driving the most interactions

Each ingredient & the kinds of drugs it affects

For each ingredient in Gut Health Manuka Honey with known interactions, here are the types of medications it can affect. Open any type for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

Manuka Honey Blend3 drug types · 736 drugs

Phenytoin (Dilantin)

Theoretically, honey might increase levels of phenytoin.
In an animal model, the rate and extent of absorption of phenytoin was increased by honey. This effect has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Drugs

Theoretically, honey may increase the risk of bleeding when used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
In vitro, honey inhibits platelet aggregation and increases the time to clotting. Furthermore, animal research suggests that feeding mice large doses of honey for 12 days increases bleeding time when compared with no intervention. However, these effects have not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D
Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Cyp3A4) Substrates

Theoretically, honey might decrease levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4, but research is conflicting.
Some clinical research shows that honey induces CYP3A4. However, other clinical studies found no effect on CYP3A4 activity. Different honey preparations may have different effects on CYP3A4.

Likelihood Possible Evidence B
The maker

Brand information

Manufacturer and brand details for Gut Health Manuka Honey, from the product label.

ManukaGuard

See all ManukaGuard products
Name
NDAL BioMedical Group
Street Address
80 Garden Court Suite 100
City
Monterey
State
CA
ZipCode
93940
Phone Number
1-800-916-1220
Web Address
www.ManukaGuard.com
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Gut Health Manuka Honey by ManukaGuard: Common Questions

Does Gut Health Manuka Honey by ManukaGuard interact with any medications?
Yes. Based on its ingredients, Gut Health Manuka Honey has a known interaction with 736 medications. Use the checker to see how it interacts with a specific drug.
How can one product interact with so many drugs?
Gut Health Manuka Honey contains a single active ingredient, and that one ingredient can interact with many different medications on its own. We check it against each medication and show the mechanism responsible.
Where does this information come from?
The product label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD); the interaction data is built on the Natural Medicines database and reviewed by HelloPharmacist pharmacists.
Does this honey actually work for colds and cough?
The research we hold rates it Possibly Effective for cough. That means there's some clinical evidence it may help, but we can't say for certain yet. Many people find it soothing, and it's worth a try—just talk with us if you're on other medications first.
Is it safe for kids?
Honey is generally safe for children over 1 year old. Infants under 1 should not have honey due to botulism risk, but that's a separate concern. If your child has a bee-product allergy, avoid it.
Can I use this if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding?
The data rates honey as Likely Safe in pregnancy. If you're breastfeeding, eating honey as food is fine. If you want to use it medicinally—for a specific health purpose—talk with your doctor or midwife about what makes sense for your situation.
What are the side effects?
Most people tolerate it well. If you take it by mouth, the most common side effects are nausea, stomach pain, or vomiting. Applied to skin, it may sting or burn a bit. Allergic reactions, including severe ones, are possible if you're allergic to bee products.
Where does the honey come from?
The product facts don't specify the source. That matters because honey from Turkey's Black Sea coast can contain harmful grayanotoxins—check the label or ask the maker to be sure.
Does this have any fillers or other ingredients?
No—it's just the Manuka Honey Blend, no inactive ingredients listed.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Not sure if Gut Health Manuka Honey is safe with your meds?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

Label information is sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database and reflects the product version on file; always read your actual product label. This page is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Confirm with your pharmacist or doctor before combining supplements and medications.

Gut Health Manuka Honey label
Go deeper

The Full Monographs Behind Gut Health Manuka Honey’s Ingredients

Every ingredient we hold a full HelloPharmacist monograph for — uses, evidence, safety, and the complete interaction list.

Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Gut Health Manuka Honey's label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database; the ingredient interaction data is from the Natural Medicines database, reviewed by our pharmacists.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

The 40 references behind this product’s interaction data

Every citation that drives the interaction findings for this product’s ingredients, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Open an ingredient to browse its citations — links open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

Honey 40 references
  1. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
  2. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
  3. Bose B. Honey or sugar in treatment of infected wounds? Lancet 1982;1:963. PubMed
  4. Ozhan H, Akdemir R, Yazici M, et al. Cardiac emergencies caused by honey ingestion: a single centre experience. Emerg Med J 2004;21:742-4. PubMed
  5. Centers for Disease Control. Botulism in the Unites Sates, 1899-1996. Handbook for epidemiologists, clinicians, and laboratory workers, 1998. Available online: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/botulism.PDF.
  6. Simon A, Traynor K, Santos K, et al. Medical honey for wound care - still the 'latest resort'? Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2009;6:165-73. PubMed
  7. Gethin G, Cowman S. Case series of use of Manuka honey in leg ulceration. Int Wound J 2005;2:10-15. PubMed
  8. Ingle R, Levin J, Polinder K. Wound healing with honey - a randomised controlled trial. S Afr Med J 2006;96:831-5.
  9. Johnson DW, van Eps C, Mudge DW, et al. Randomized, controlled trial of topical exit-site application of honey (Medihoney) versus mupirocin for the prevention of catheter-associated infections in hemodialysis patients. J Am Soc Nephrol 2005;16:1456-62. PubMed
  10. Sukriti and Garg, S. K. Influence of honey on the pharmacokinetics of phenytoin in rabbits. Ind J Pharmacol 2002;34(147).
  11. Jung, A. and Ottosson, J. [Infantile botulism caused by honey]. Ugeskr Laeger 2001;163(2):169.
  12. Gunduz, A., Turedi, S., Uzun, H., and Topbas, M. Mad honey poisoning. Am J Emerg.Med 2006;24(5):595-598.
  13. van der Vorst, M. M., Jamal, W., Rotimi, V. O., and Moosa, A. Infant botulism due to consumption of contaminated commercially prepared honey. First report from the Arabian Gulf States. Med Princ.Pract. 2006;15(6):456-458. PubMed
  14. Tushar, T., Vinod, T., Rajan, S., Shashindran, C., and Adithan, C. Effect of honey on CYP3A4, CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 enzyme activity in healthy human volunteers. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2007;100(4):269-272. PubMed
  15. Nilforoushzadeh, M. A., Jaffary, F., Moradi, S., Derakhshan, R., and Haftbaradaran, E. Effect of topical honey application along with intralesional injection of glucantime in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. BMC Complement Altern Med 2007;7:13. PubMed
  16. Koca, I. and Koca, A. F. Poisoning by mad honey: a brief review. Food Chem Toxicol 2007;45(8):1315-1318. PubMed
  17. Akinci, S., Arslan, U., Karakurt, K., and Cengel, A. An unusual presentation of mad honey poisoning: acute myocardial infarction. Int J Cardiol 2008;129(2):e56-e58. PubMed
  18. Yildirim, N., Aydin, M., Cam, F., and Celik, O. Clinical presentation of non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in the course of intoxication with mad honey. Am J Emerg Med 2008;26(1):108.e-2. PubMed
  19. Shrestha, P., Vaidya, R., and Sherpa, K. Mad honey poisoning: a rare case report of seven cases. Nepal Med Coll J 2009;11(3):212-213.
  20. Fetzner, L., Burhenne, J., Weiss, J., Völker, M., Unger, M., Mikus, G., and Haefeli, W. E. Daily honey consumption does not change CYP3A activity in humans. J Clin Pharmacol 2011;51(8):1223-1232. PubMed
  21. Thamboo, A., Thamboo, A., Philpott, C., Javer, A., and Clark, A. Single-blind study of manuka honey in allergic fungal rhinosinusitis. J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2011;40(3):238-243.
  22. Ahmed, A., Khan, R. A., Azim, M. K., Saeed, S. A., Mesaik, M. A., Ahmed, S., and Imran, I. Effect of natural honey on human platelets and blood coagulation proteins. Pak.J Pharm Sci 2011;24(3):389-397.
  23. Yarlioglues, M., Akpek, M., Ardic, I., Elcik, D., Sahin, O., and Kaya, M. G. Mad-honey sexual activity and acute inferior myocardial infarctions in a married couple. Tex.Heart Inst.J 2011;38(5):577-580.
  24. Biberoglu, S., Biberoglu, K., and Komsuoglu, B. Mad honey. JAMA 4-1-1988;259(13):1943.
  25. Biberoglu, K., Biberoglu, S., and Komsuoglu, B. Transient Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome during honey intoxication. Isr.J.Med.Sci. 1988;24(4-5):253-254.
  26. Gössinger, H., Hruby, K., Pohl, A., Davogg, S., Sutterlütti, G., and Mathis, G. [Poisoning with andromedotoxin-containing honey]. Dtsch Med Wochenschr 1983;108(41):1555-1558.
  27. Fenicia, L., Ferrini, A. M., Aureli, P., and Pocecco, M. A case of infant botulism associated with honey feeding in Italy. Eur J Epidemiol 1993;9(6):671-673. PubMed
  28. Sutlupinar, N., Mat, A., and Satganoglu, Y. Poisoning by toxic honey in Turkey. Arch.Toxicol. 1993;67(2):148-150. PubMed
  29. von Malottki, K. and Wiechmann, H. W. [Acute life-threatening bradycardia: food poisoning by Turkish wild honey]. Dtsch.Med.Wochenschr. 7-26-1996;121(30):936-938.
  30. Abdulla CO, Ayubi A, Zulfiquer F, Santhanam G, Ahmed MA, Deeb J. Infant botulism following honey ingestion. BMJ Case Rep. 2012 Sep 7;2012.
  31. Johnson DW, Badve SV, Pascoe EM, Beller E, Cass A, Clark C, de Zoysa J, Isbel NM, McTaggart S, Morrish AT, Playford EG, Scaria A, Snelling P, Vergara LA, Hawley CM; HONEYPOT Study Collaborative Group. Antibacterial honey for the prevention of peritoneal-d
  32. Matos D, Serrano P, Menezes Brandão F. A case of allergic contact dermatitis caused by propolis-enriched honey. Contact Dermatitis. 2015 Jan;72(1):59-60. PubMed
  33. Oduwole O, Meremikwu MM, Oyo-Ita A, Udoh EE. Honey for acute cough in children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Dec 23;12:CD007094. PubMed
  34. Vezir E, Kaya A, Toyran M, Azkur D, Dibek Misirlioglu E, Kocabas CN. Anaphylaxis/angioedema caused by honey ingestion. Allergy Asthma Proc. 2014 Jan-Feb;35(1):71-4. PubMed
  35. Wang YT, Qi Y, Tang FY, et al. The effect of cupping therapy for low back pain: A meta-analysis based on existing randomized controlled trials. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil. 2017;30(6):1187-1195. PubMed
  36. Oduwole O, Udoh EE, Oyo-Ita A, Meremikwu MM. Honey for acute cough in children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;4:CD007094. PubMed
  37. Wong D, Albietz JM, Tran H, et al. Treatment of contact lens related dry eye with antibacterial honey. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2017;40(6):389-393. PubMed
  38. Martina SJ, Ramar LAP, Silaban MRI, Luthfi M, Govindan PAP. Antiplatelet Effectivity between Aspirin with Honey on Cardiovascular Disease Based on Bleeding Time Taken on Mice. Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2019 Oct 14;7(20):3416-3420. PubMed
  39. Jhawar N, Gonzalez-Estrada A. Honey-induced anaphylaxis in an adult. QJM 2022;115(5):325-326. PubMed
  40. Di Costanzo M, De Paulis N, Peveri S, Montagni M, Berni Canani R, Biasucci G. Anaphylaxis caused by artisanal honey in a child: a case report. J Med Case Rep 2021;15(1):235. PubMed

See these in context on the Honey monograph →

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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