Raw Honey Vs Commercial Honey- All you must know

Raw Honey Vs Commercial Honey- All you must know

Honey is a sweet liquid that is made by honeybees. Honey has various health benefits, and it has been used to treat numerous health-related issues. One can find raw honey and also regular or commercial honey. Well, if you are wondering what raw honey is and what is commercial honey, then do not worry. In this article, we are going to share detail information about raw honey and commercial honey and also share their differences.

Raw Honey –

Raw honey comes straight from the beehives. It is extracted from the honeycombs by segregating the dead bees and beeswax. After straining, it is bottled and is ready to use.

Well, it is loaded with beneficial nutrients and antioxidants, which are unprocessed and unpasteurized. Therefore, raw honey is more effective and nutritious.

Commercial or Regular Honey-

Regular or commercial honey is processed, pasteurized, and filtered before it is bottled. You can easily get it in grocery stores.

The pasteurization process applies high heat, which destroys the yeast found in honey. The process makes the honey smoother and also extends the shelf life.

Besides, filtration removes further impurities like air bubbles and debris. It makes the honey clear. Also, some commercial honey goes through an ultrafiltration process. It makes the honey smoother and more transparent. However, these processes may remove Pollen, antioxidant properties, and enzymes of honey.

What are the main differences between raw and regular honey?

1. Raw honey is nutritious-

Raw honey is more nutritious and contains 31 different minerals, 22 amino acids, vitamins, and enzymes. It also includes 30 bioactive plant compounds or, in other words, polyphenols. It works as an antioxidant.

Studies have shown that antioxidant properties of raw honey have various health benefits. Such as it decreases inflammation and also reduces heart diseases and the risk of certain cancers.

However, commercial honey has lower antioxidant properties because of various processing methods like pasteurization and ultrafiltration. According to studies, raw honey contains 4.3 times more antioxidants than processed honey.

The National Honey Board of USA has found that minimally processed honey has the same antioxidants and mineral level as that of raw honey.

2. Commercial honey doesn’t contain Pollen-

Honeybee travels one flower to another to collect Pollen and nectar. These are their food source which they store in beehives. Surprisingly, this Pollen contains 250 substances such as micronutrients, essential fatty acids, vitamins, antioxidants, and amino acids.

Moreover, the German Federal Ministry of Health identifies it as a medicine as it has various health benefits. It helps to treat inflammation and also enhances liver function. Besides, it helps to fight heart disease and even stroke.

However, most regular honey doesn’t contain any pollen. The processing method of commercial honey removes bee pollen. Regular honey is made by heating for hours, and ultrafiltration can remove bee pollen.

A study which was conducted by taking samples of 60 retail honey brands in the US revealed that more than 75% of the samples contained no pollen.

3. Regular honey has hidden sugar.

Regular honey is very popular. Every year in the USA, 400 million pounds are consumed, and the demand is increasing too.

Commercial honey contains hidden sugar or sweeteners. It has high-fructose corn syrup, which is a sweetener. So, it can cause various health issues.

Thus, we can see that raw honey is full of health benefits. Studies have shown the nutritional properties of raw honey helps to treat heart disease, lower cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of certain cancers, reduce inflammation, heals wounds also helps to treat sore throat and cough.