Expert Dr Suki Harding is unlocking the benefits of our native mānuka tree
The Mānuka Tree: A Powerhouse of Health Benefits
An Interview with Dr. Suki Harding
Once overlooked, the mānuka tree is now celebrated for its numerous health benefits. Dr. Suki Harding shares her insights with Donna Fleming about this remarkable native plant.
Dr. Suki Harding has always been fascinated by mānuka trees. Despite their humble appearance, with sharp-tipped leaves and white flowers, these trees were often considered weeds and removed to make way for livestock pasture or more favored plants.
Over 20 years ago, when Suki purchased a bush-covered property in West Auckland, she ensured that many of the native shrubs were preserved during the clearing process for building a house.
“I just like them,” she says. “I like the white flowers, I like the smell of the leaves. I never understood why people got rid of them.”
Little did she know that her fondness for mānuka trees would evolve into a passion, driven by the discovery of their oil’s extraordinary properties. With a background as a research scientist at the DSIR and an extensive career in international business and technology commercialization, Suki was appointed in 2019 as a director and head of research and development at Manuka Bioscience, a New Zealand company that produces skincare products from mānuka leaf oil.
Suki is not only enthusiastic about the use of mānuka oil in skincare products like skin oil and face cream but also excited about studies showing its effectiveness against potentially dangerous bacteria, including some that are resistant to antibiotics.
“We have something that is unique to New Zealand – in fact, to the East Cape – and cannot be found anywhere else in the world,” says Suki, who formerly served as New Zealand Trade Commissioner in Indonesia and Taiwan. “It is a natural product that’s extremely effective in treating a range of infections that can be very serious – life-threatening in some cases. It really is a big deal, and it’s in our backyard.”
The Science Behind Mānuka Oil
While mānuka honey is derived from the flowers, mānuka oil is extracted from the leaves and boasts even more beneficial properties. Although Māori have long recognized the special properties of this native plant, the full extent of the oil’s potency has only been widely acknowledged in the last 20 to 30 years.
Studies have shown that mānuka oil is antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral, meaning it can stop the growth of and kill harmful microbes like bacteria, fungi, and viruses. It is effective against the bacteria that cause acne and the dangerous Staphylococcus aureus, which can lead to common skin infections like impetigo, boils, cellulitis, and surgical wound infections.
One of the most exciting aspects of mānuka oil is its effectiveness against the antibiotic-resistant “superbug” MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).
“MRSA is dreadful,” says Suki. “People often contract it in hospitals, where it causes very serious infections, especially in surgical wounds. It can be fatal and is resistant to antibiotics, but mānuka oil can be highly effective in killing it.”
Mānuka oil can also inhibit the growth of fungi that cause conditions like athlete’s foot, diaper rash, and thrush. Additionally, it can combat viruses like the herpes simplex virus, which causes cold sores, and treat inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
A 2013 study showed that mānuka oil can suppress the development of wrinkles caused by sun exposure, another reason it is added to skincare products. It not only kills or reduces bacterial or fungal growth and reduces inflammation but also contains compounds that calm the skin, promoting faster healing and less scarring.
The Future of Mānuka Oil
As head of research and development, Suki is eager to explore the full potential of mānuka oil. Ironically, the unique properties of East Cape mānuka oil are due to the high levels of ultraviolet (UV) light in New Zealand, a result of the hole in the ozone layer.
Suki explains that indigenous plants have adapted to protect themselves against UV rays by producing chemicals that act as sunscreen. These chemicals, called triketones, not only protect plants from UV damage but also possess powerful antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties.
“The only place in the world where you find mānuka plants very high in triketones is East Cape, due to the high levels of sunshine there,” Suki points out. “Mānuka trees in the Marlborough Sounds are also quite high in triketones but not as high as the East Cape trees. Tests show that mānuka growing in other places, like eastern Australia, have no triketones.”
This is great news for the East Cape, where mānuka plantations are now being established for the sustainable harvesting of mānuka leaves for oil production.
“It’s wonderful for the region’s economy because people are getting jobs in the mānuka industry, either with honey or oil,” Suki says. “And the potential export value for New Zealand is significant – hundreds of millions of dollars.”
The process of harvesting the oil is carefully managed to ensure that native forests are not harmed. Additionally, mānuka scrub helps control erosion, stabilizes steep slopes, and improves stream water quality by filtering surface water run-off.
Early settlers once waged a war against this “weed,” battling to remove the trees to make way for pasture. Now, as the valuable properties of mānuka become more widely known, some of that land is being returned to mānuka.
“A lot of people still don’t like it, which is such a shame, but hopefully, they will come to appreciate mānuka when they realize what the oil from it can do,” says Suki.
Research conducted in New Zealand and overseas over the past 20-plus years has demonstrated the capabilities of mānuka oil. Manuka Bioscience is now gathering independent data on its mānuka oil-based formulations and conducting its own clinical trials.
“Did I mention how excited I am about everything happening with mānuka oil?” Suki smiles. “With a scientific background, I have seen the evidence, and it tells us that this stuff works. I believe everything has a season, and I think mānuka oil’s time is now.”
