Raw Honey vs. Pure Honey: Everything You Need to Know (2024)

FAQs

Raw Honey vs. Pure Honey: Everything You Need to Know? ›

Raw honey comes straight from the hive and will likely contain more nutrients, but it is not pasteurized. Regular honey is pasteurized to remove particles and bacteria, but this may destroy antioxidants. It may also contain added sugar.

When it comes to choosing the healthiest honey, you should look for one that is raw. Raw honeys are not pasteurized and bypass filtration, a process that may reduce its nutrients. A great variety of raw and unfiltered honey is available on Amazon.

Pure honey only means that it has not been cut with corn syrup, sugar or another ingredient to dilute it. Usually, pure honey has been heated for pasteurization and filtered at least once if not twice, which is what separates it from raw honey.

Raw honey often has a cloudy appearance, since very small pieces of honeycomb cannot be removed without added filtration. This cloudy appearance may be further impacted by the crystallization process, which is more common in raw honey due to the absence of pasteurization.

Unpasteurized or raw honey is not uncooked or unprepared for eating. It's safe to eat and enjoy and includes all the benefits of retaining the many nutrients that heating can destroy. Occasionally, unpasteurized honey is referred to as raw honey.

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Though commercial honey prevails on the market, some retailers do offer healthier alternatives. To make sure you are buying raw honey, look at the label. It should say “100% raw” or “unpasteurized”. Words like “organic” and “pure” do not indicate that the honey was unheated.

Unlike processed honey, raw honey may contain small amounts of pollen grains. According to literature, there were cases of allergic reactions after ingestion of raw honey that contained pollen. Symptoms could range from itching in the oral mucosa to anaphylactic shock.

Take a tablespoon of honey and mix it in a glass of water. If the honey is pure, it will lump together and settle at the bottom without readily dissolving. On the other hand, if it dissolves easily and blends uniformly with the water, it may indicate adulteration, possibly containing added moisture or syrups. 2.

As long as a person is not allergic to bee pollen, raw honey is generally safe to use. The Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) say that people should not give honey to infants under the age of 1 because of the risk of infant botulism. Honey is safe from the age of 1 upwards.

Does raw honey go bad? ›

No, honey does not go bad. Because honey has a low water content and high acidity, it's an unfriendly place for bacteria to thrive. As long as the lid stays on and the honey stays free of added moisture, honey can be stored in the cupboard indefinitely.

The price per pound of raw honey depends on the higher production costs of honey, while adulteration of some processed honeys with cheaper sugar syrups drives the prices of processed honeys down. That processed “honey” on the store shelf may not be purely honey, regardless of what the label says.

It's believed that the sweetness of honey triggers your salivary glands to produce more saliva. This may lubricate your airways, easing your cough. Honey may also reduce inflammation in the bronchial tubes (airways within the lungs) and help break up mucus that is making it hard for you to breathe.

Avoid giving honey — even a tiny taste — to babies under the age of 1 year. Honey can cause a rare but serious gastrointestinal condition (infant botulism) caused by exposure to Clostridium botulinum spores. Bacteria from the spores can grow and multiply in a baby's intestines, producing a dangerous toxin.

However, it is best for your health to opt for raw honey. Raw honey is unprocessed and can be purchased at health food stores and vitamin shops. "It is best to always try to use raw, organic honey with no preservatives, added sugar, or any other types of additives," says Selvakumar.

Honey is also very sweet because it contains lots of fructose and glucose. This much fructose may not be well absorbed from the intestines hence reaching the big intestines where it will get fermented by bacteria and fungi producing lots of gas. This can cause bloating, and abdominal cramps.

Taking one spoonful of honey every day can have numerous benefits to your health. Honey has been used for its nutritional value since ancient times. It has also been found to be beneficial in the treatment of many clinical conditions. The main nutrients in honey are carbohydrates in the form of glucose and fructose.

Honey Health Benefits

"Honey's advantages over sugar include a slightly lower glycemic index (i.e. it doesn't affect your blood-sugar levels as much)," Dr. Dixon says. 10 "It also contains more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, such as calcium, potassium, vitamin C, zinc, phenolic acids, and flavonoids."

Honey has a lower glycemic index (GI) than sugar, too. The glycemic index measures how quickly a carbohydrate raises blood sugar levels. Honey has a GI score of 58, and sugar has a GI value of 60. That means honey (like all carbohydrates) raises blood sugar quickly, but not quite as fast as sugar.

Heating honey destroys its natural enzymes and probiotics. Also, the filtration process removes beneficial pollens, propolis, and waxes that naturally occur in unfiltered honey. This means that filtered honey is less nutritious and has fewer overall benefits for your health.