Raw or Regular Honey what's The difference?

February 17, 2021

Raw or Regular Honey what’s The difference?

The main differences between Raw and Regular honey

Honey is a sweet, golden-coloured liquid made by honeybees. The bees store honey in the beehive to use for food and nutrients. Raw honey comes straight from the bee hive, while regular honey undergoes processing before being bottled. As they are processed differently there is a distinct difference in the quality.

People have used honey as both food and medicine for many thousands of years. Originally, the only option was to use raw honey. But we now have honey on supermarket shelves that is now processed through pasteurisation and filtration. Many regular processed honey may contain added syrups or sugars. Regular processed honey also appears clear and smooth as the pasteurisation process improves the honey’s appearance, increases its shelf-life, and kills yeast cells that can affect the overall taste of the honey.

Studies have shown that pasteurisation and other processes may remove or reduce some of these elements, these include:

-Bee Pollen; which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties

-Bee propolis; a glue-like substance that helps keep the hive together

-Vitamins and minerals

-Enzymes

-Amino acids

-Antioxidants

“Apis mellifera – (Bee)”

“Raw & Natural Beekeeping”

Many studies have found that raw honey has many health benefits. Raw honey is only strained before it is bottled, this means that raw honey retains most of the beneficial nutrients and antioxidants that it naturally contains. Raw honey tends to have more variation in colour and texture than regular honey. The colour of the honey depends greatly on what flowers the bees have pollinated. Raw honey contains a wide variety of nutrients and minerals. Studies have shown that there is approximately 22 amino acids, 31 different minerals and a wide range of vitamins and enzymes. Bee pollen has been found to have antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory effects, antibacterial and anti fungal action, and pain relieving properties. All of these properties make bee pollen a useful addition to honey as it contributes to honey’s natural ability to heal wounds and kill bacteria.

“Many studies have found that raw honey has many health benefits. Raw honey is only strained before it is bottled, this means that raw honey retains most of the beneficial nutrients and antioxidants that it naturally contains.”

Scientists also believe that bee propolis also has many healing properties and contains many vitamins and minerals.

Raw honey may crystallise more quickly than regular honey. Place the jar of honey in a pot of warm water to allow the crystals to melt and turn the honey into liquid again. Be very careful not the overheat the honey, as this may destroy some of its nutrients and healing properties.

When choosing a brand of healthy honey, it is always best to go for the raw version because you know exactly what you are getting.

References

S.Samarghandian., T.Farkhondeh. & F.Samini. Honey and Health: A Review of Recent Clinical Research. Natural Library of Medicine.

http://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28539734/

K.Komosinska-Vassev., P.Olczyk., J.Kazmierczak.,L.Mencner., K.Olczyk. Bee Pollen: Chemical Composition and Therapeutic Application. (2015) Evid Based Complement Alternat Med.