The Making of Manukora’s Immunity + Defense Bioactive Blend

The Making of Manukora’s Bioactive Blends

Benjamin Nahar, Head of Product & Herbal Science

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 clean botanicals. Second, absorption accelerator. And third, to create a craveable daily ritual.

Pure and Clean

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 concentrated 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. 

Absorption Accelerator

We could offer the most concentrated 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. 

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.

Why Daily Rituals Matter

Building these blends to be a daily ritual goes well beyond taste. These are powerful plants. While many people notice the experience of these blends right away, their design is rooted in consistent, daily use over time as part of a long-term wellness ritual. 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.

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