The Making of Manukora’s Bioactive Blends (Coming Soon)

Manukora’s Mānuka honey is one-of-a-kind. The level of care, transparency, quality, and just straight New Zealand soul that gets poured into these jars sets an extremely high bar for any products we launch. As a clinical herbalist and formulator, I knew that adding herbs to this honey would be no small endeavor. How do I create products that accentuate, not dilute, the beautiful experience of raw Mānuka honey?

My approach was threefold. First, only pure and potent botanicals. Second, superior absorption. And third, to create a craveable daily ritual.

Pure and Potent

I’ve spent my career traveling to unique locations, from the Peruvian Andes to China’s untouched wilderness, searching out the highest-vitality herbs the world has to offer, and learning how these herbs are grown and wildcrafted sustainably. So before even starting on formulation, we wrote down our non-negotiables: Our herbs will be non-GMO certified, sustainably grown, and organic when possible. They will not have low-quality carriers or fillers like maltodextrin. We will use real doses for potency you can trust and feel. We will respect the honey and will not add glycerin, sugars, natural flavors, or anything besides pure botanical extracts.

In an industry that often uses low-grade extracts at insufficient doses (I call this fairy dusting!), to have a conversation about quality before having a conversation about costs is rare. Mike Bell, our Founder & CEO, was adamant from the beginning that we would only have the best. This ethos allowed me to pour my heart into these formulations and build something I can’t stop talking about.

For instance, to say our elderberry extract in Immunity + Defense is exceptional would be an understatement. Not only is it the most clinically-studied elderberry extract on the market, but the care that goes into producing it is unparalleled. In a facility located in the Italian Alps, Austrian black elderberries are extracted gently with water, instead of harsh chemical solvents, in a patented process that preserves the prized bioactives. The result is an extremely potent 64:1 extract. This means 64 lbs of elderberries are concentrated to 1 lb of extract. This extract is standardized to 14% anthocyanins, which are the main immune-boosting antioxidants, and are also responsible for the deep purple color. A serving of our elderberry honey is more than double the strength of the leading elderberry syrup.1

Superior Absorption

We could offer the most potent extracts possible, but if they aren’t bioavailable and absorbed well by the body then it doesn’t matter! And so the second part of the formulation strategy was focused on superior absorption. Extracts themselves are more bioavailable than the raw herbs they are produced from, simply because the extraction process has done the work of pulling out bioactive compounds from a hard root or a dense mushroom. But we’ve gone a step farther.

Let’s take the turmeric extract in Body Recovery + Gut as an example. The blend is a deep orange instead of the bright yellow you might expect. This is because we use a special full-spectrum turmeric extract that retains its natural complexity, including essential oils and minor curcuminoids usually lost in the extraction process. This results in an extract that is 39 times more bioavailable than the standard bright yellow 95% curcumin turmeric extract that you find in most supplement bottles!

The two main herbs in Energy + Clarity are also hand-picked for bioavailability. Our ginseng extract is fermented (aka pre-digested) to ensure key ginsenoside metabolites like compound K are absorbed faster and in higher amounts than standard ginseng extracts. Our lion’s mane mushroom is impressive as well. It’s organic, 100% fruiting body mushroom (no mycelium or fillers), and most importantly it is dual-extracted with hot water and alcohol to draw out a fuller spectrum of natural compounds. Water extraction pulls out beta-glucans, the immune-supporting compounds, while alcohol extraction helps access the hericenones and erinacines that have been studied for cognitive support. Most consumers don’t know to look for dual-extracted lion’s mane and end up with ‘brain-boosting’ supplements that may completely miss the crucial chemistry!

Besides our bioavailability-optimized herbal extracts, the honey itself is a valuable absorption accelerator. Because both the honey and the botanicals are essentially “pre-digested,” the body has immediate access to them. Mānuka’s natural sugars are rapidly absorbed in the GI tract, helping carry the botanical bioactives along with them. And unlike traditional pills, which can be harsh on digestion and often lack bioavailability, honey as a carrier means more of the good stuff gets into your system, faster and more efficiently. The result? Gentle on your stomach, powerful in your body, with benefits you can actually feel.

Craveable

How many times do we forget to take our supplements because pill popping is not enjoyable nor a self-enforcing habit? We developed our Bioactive Blends so this will never be a problem. One of the best lessons I’ve learned from seeing clients and developing products is that the right herbs only matter if people take them. With potency and bioavailability locked in, the finishing touch on these formulations was the taste journey. What is the experiential arc these blends want to take us on? This is a profoundly fun and frustrating process. The endless iterations to get the taste just right can start to feel sisyphean. But when it finally hits, wow, it’s so worth it.

At this point, I’m so deep in the dream of these creations that they feel a bit like poetry. So you can’t blame me if I attempt to capture the sensory experience with words:

Immunity + Defense: smooth and soothing, a berry tartness complements the sweetness of raw mānuka, with subtle herbaceous mid-notes and a lifting finish of cool mint.

Body Recovery + Gut: a soft and sweet earthy base of turmeric and honey with top notes of bright citrus and a long lingering finish of vibrant, peppery ginger. Both comforting and invigorating.

Energy + Clarity: opens with rich caramel and a hint of honeyed toffee, followed by notes of vanilla bean and a subtle cacao-like bitterness that adds structure to the sweetness.

Why Daily Rituals Matter

Building these blends to be a daily ritual goes well beyond taste. These are powerful plants, and while you will likely feel their effects with the first spoonful, the real magic is in cumulative daily use. Whether it is support for building a more resilient immune system, nourishing our joints and digestion, or developing regenerative energy, these herbs are meant to be companions for months, not days. The honey and the plants are speaking with us in an old language of interconnectedness with nature. Berries, roots, leaves, and bees are fundamental teachers in how our bodies move through the world. The longer we stay in conversation with them the more our bodies remember.