Raw Honey

Raw honey is honey (nectar from flowers) that is pure, unheated, unpasteurized and unprocessed. Raw honey can be in liquid or solid (creamed) form. Its color can vary from white, to various shades of yellow/brown, depending on the type of flower that the bees retrieved the nectar for the honey from.

 

It is most optimal for our health to consume honey which produced locally because raw honey from local sources is beneficial for treating seasonal allergies like Hay Fever, as well as helping with asthma and being most beneficial for our immune system's particular environment needs. 

 

Natural Health Benefits

Raw honey obviously offers a quick source of energy. The other main health benefits come from its unique blend of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, phytonutrients and other health components that it possesses. The two key beneficial components of truly raw honey are bee pollen and propolis. 

 

Bee pollen is a super nutritious compound, containing all the nutrients required by the human body. It is a source of proteins, vitamins, minerals, beneficial fatty acids, carotenoids and bioflavonoids which are antiviral, antibacterial and helpful to cardiovascular health.

 

Propolis also has antibacterial and antiviral qualities, as well as antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This, along with some of its other characteristics, makes honey highly sought after.

 

Some phytonutrients found both in raw honey and propolis have been shown to possess cancer-preventing and anti-tumor properties. Other benefits of raw honey include boosting the immune system, being a cough suppressant, decreasing allergies to pollen, aiding blood sugar regulation, aiding cholesterol regulation, healing ulcers, and treating various bacterial infections.

 

Raw honey does not ferment in the stomach and can actually be used in aiding stomach upset and nausea. Unlike most sugars, raw honey is not known to aggravate things like indigestion or acid reflux. It has also been linked to helping with Candida problems.

 

Additionally, raw honey is alkaline forming unlike processed honey which is acid forming. As for the best natural health, our daily food supply should be higher in alkaline forming foods, rather than acid forming foods.

 

But there are two facts we should be aware of: 

1. Honey is about 40% fructose and 30% glucose, with the remaining carbohydrates including maltose, sucrose, and other complex carbohydrates. Even though raw honey has been studied in actually aiding insulin regulation, regular or high consumption of any sugar can cause various imbalances. 
2. Due to the fact that honey is very low in water content and very high in sugar content, this makes it undesirable for microbial growth. However, in rare cases endospores of Clostridium botulinum (the bacteria that can cause botulism) have been found. This is normally never a problem for an adult digestive system, but the reason why honey should not be given to infants.