Until yesterday, I thought that honey was honey...and then I was faced with the phrase "raw honey". What do you mean raw honey...isn't honey just...honey? I noticed the double in price as I looked from the 5.99 jar of raw honey at Trader Joes to the 2.99 clover honey that was sweetly packaged in a plastic bear jar. Could whatever benefits from raw honey be worth the extra 3 dollars?1. Taste. Last night as I got a snack craving, I took out some crackers, peanut butter and my new raw honey jar. The difference in taste was immediate. It is hard to put into words, but it taste more PURE. More rich in flavor. Much BETTER than the usual honey I bought before.
2. Health. RAW honey is anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal. Research has shown cancer preventing and anti-tumor properties. It has been shown to be an effective alternative treatment for symptomatic relief of nocturnal cough and sleep difficulty. It is a prebiotic - possessing a large amount of friendly bacteria and in addition, it boosts immunity. Honey may promote better blood sugar control.
3. Athletic Performance. In a study, honey helped athletes maintain optimal blood sugar levels throughout two hours following a workout. In addition, muscle recuperation and glycogen restoration (carbohydrates stored in muscle) was favorable in those individuals consuming a honey-protein combination.
4. Protective Antioxidant. Studies have shown that there is a direct link between the subjects' honey consumption and the level of polyphenolic antioxidants in their blood.
5. Helpful with Cholesterol & Type 2 Diabetes. In a series of experiments involving healthy subjects and those with either high cholesterol or type 2 diabetes, honey has proved itself the healthiest sweetener and is a source of vitamin B2, vitamin B6, iron and manganese.
Regular honey (not "raw") IS pasteurized which means that it is heated up and then rapidly cooled so that it looks cleaner, smoother and more delicious on the store shelf. This process of pasteurization kills the yeast and enzymes which are responsible for activating vitamins and minerals in the body system. For these reasons, raw honey is considered more nutritious than honey that has undergone heat treatment.
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The thought of buying raw honey has never occured to me - as I have always gone for the cute "honey bear" plastic containers. Guess I'll have to take the plunge and go for the more expensive raw route. What is the benefit of pasteurizing, anyway? Just for looks?
ReplyDeleteInteresting! I didn't know this. I wonder whether the honey we've bought at farmer's markets was raw or pasteurized...
ReplyDeleteI *finally* got around to buying a jar of raw honey today! I'm ready for my peanut butter and honey on crackers snack and health benefits!
ReplyDeletei never knew the difference either. i always heard the phrase "raw" honey and just thought it was high quality or something...who knew! thanks for this post :)
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