The Benefits of Raw Honey
Honey has been enhancing health and delighting taste buds for over 8,000 years. Piesseful Bees Honey is a proud supplier of the raw honey Australia loves, and we are huge proponents of the benefits of this remarkable product in your diet.
Throughout history, raw honey has been celebrated not only for its sweetness but also for its medicinal properties. It has been used as a remedy for various ailments and is even employed in some hospitals as a treatment for wounds.
Originally, all honey was raw, harvested directly from its natural source. However, today it can be challenging to find genuine raw honey amidst a market flooded with imitations. Much of the honey on supermarket shelves undergoes pasteurisation—a heating process that often includes added sugars—stripping away many of its valuable nutrients and health benefits.
Fun Fact
Raw, unpasteurised honey will not dissolve instantly in water whereas pasteurised honey will.
So you might be asking, “What makes raw honey so special?” The health benefits associated with raw, unpasteurised honey are numerous and distinct, making it a unique addition to your diet.
Isn’t all honey “raw”?
You might be forgiven for thinking that all honey comes fresh from a hive and straight to a retailer, but most of the honey you find in grocery stores is pasteurised. The high heat kills unwanted yeast, can improve the colour and texture, removes any crystallisation, and extends the shelf life. All sounds fair, but unfortunately many of the beneficial nutrients are also destroyed in the process. Choosing to source your honey from a small business like Piesseful Bees Honey ensures your honey is truly raw honey – we stock the raw honey Australia trusts!
The Benefits of Raw Honey:
The benefits of raw, unpasteurised, unadulterated honey include:
Rich in Nutrients: Raw honey is a great source of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and enzymes, all of which contribute to overall health and well-being.
Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties: Its natural antibacterial and antifungal qualities make raw honey effective in fighting infections and promoting healing.
Supports Digestive Health: Raw honey can help alleviate digestive issues, acting as a prebiotic that nourishes the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
Soothes Sore Throats and Coughs: Its soothing texture and natural sweetness provide relief for sore throats and can help suppress coughs, making it a popular home remedy.
Better for Blood Sugar Regulation: While it does raise blood sugar levels, raw honey may offer slight advantages over regular sugar due to its unique composition, including beneficial antioxidants that can mitigate some of its effects.
Eases Seasonal Allergy Symptoms: Some studies suggest that consuming raw honey may help reduce symptoms of seasonal allergies, possibly due to its small amounts of pollen, which can help build tolerance.
Boosts Immunity: Raw honey can enhance the immune system, helping to fend off illness and infections, thanks to its rich array of nutrients and antioxidant properties.
What is In Western Australian Raw Honey That Makes it So Good?
Raw honey is a powerhouse of nutrients that contributes to overall health in various ways. It contains calcium, which helps keep your bones strong, and magnesium, which promotes heart health and reduces inflammation. Niacin in raw honey can lower blood pressure and enhance brain function, while manganese supports calcium absorption and blood sugar regulation. Phosphorus aids in the growth and repair of cells and tissues, and pantothenic acid helps maintain healthy skin. Additionally, potassium assists muscle function, riboflavin aids in breaking down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, and zinc boosts the immune system, promotes wound healing, and enhances the senses of taste and smell. Raw honey is also rich in amino acids that regulate digestion and support the immune system, along with enzymes that facilitate digestion and promote healthy liver function.
Raw honey is valued throughout Australia because by reducing the processing, we are maintaining peak levels of all of these nutrients, making our honey a wonderful way to supplement your diet.
Is Pure Honey the Same as Raw Honey?
Raw honey and pure honey are terms that may seem interchangeable, but they refer to very different products. Raw honey is honey that has not been heated for pasteurisation, ensuring that it retains all its natural properties. This means it hasn’t been diluted with corn syrup, sugar, or other ingredients, nor has it undergone extensive filtering to remove pollen and air bubbles. While raw honey is lightly filtered to eliminate pieces of honeycomb and other debris, it undergoes minimal processing, making it as close to the beehive as possible.
On the other hand, pure honey usually indicates that it has not been mixed with additives like corn syrup or sugar to dilute it (although sometimes “pure” honey is anything but so!). However, pure honey is typically heated during pasteurisation and filtered at least once, if not twice. These processes are designed to enhance the honey’s visual appeal by removing air bubbles and creating a more uniformly transparent appearance. Unfortunately, this filtering and heating can also strip away valuable pollen and nutrients, diminishing the unique flavour and health benefits that honey can offer.
So while both raw and pure honey are natural and free from additives, raw honey is minimally processed and retains its full range of nutrients and flavours, whereas pure honey, though (sometimes!) unadulterated, is subjected to heating and more extensive filtration, reducing the benefits somewhat.
Is a Spoonful of Raw Honey a Day Good For You?
Incorporating a spoonful of raw honey into your daily routine can offer numerous health benefits. Packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, raw honey supports overall health and provides natural antibacterial and antifungal properties, making it an excellent choice for boosting the immune system and aiding in wound healing. Additionally, honey can soothe a sore throat, provide a quick energy boost, and assist with digestion.
When it comes to blood sugar management, honey may have some slight advantages over regular sugar. While honey does raise blood sugar levels like other types of sugar, its antioxidants may help protect against metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Research has shown that honey can increase adiponectin levels, a hormone that reduces inflammation and improves blood sugar regulation. There is also evidence suggesting that daily honey intake may improve fasting blood sugar levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
However, moderation is crucial. While honey may offer some benefits over refined sugar for those managing diabetes, it is still high in natural sugars and calories. A daily spoonful can be a delicious way to enhance your diet, but it’s essential to balance it with other nutritional choices.
Raw Honey and Wound Healing Properties
Since ancient times, including the era of Ancient Egypt, people have used topical honey to promote healing and prevent infection in wounds. Pure, raw honey has been shown to be effective in treating partial thickness burns, infected wounds, and foot ulcers resulting from diabetes.One study even reported a 97% success rate for using raw honey on diabetes-related foot ulcers. Honey can also help alleviate skin conditions such as psoriasis, burns, and herpes lesions.
How to Maximise the Nutritional Value of Your Honey
Raw honey is extracted directly from the honeycomb, filtered to eliminate debris, and processed at low temperatures to preserve its rich array of vitamins and minerals.
There are many ways to enjoy honey, from taking a sweet spoonful in the morning to mixing it with warm water for an energising boost, or adding it to bliss balls and breakfast recipes.
However, most commercially available honey undergoes heating during pasteurisation, which can strip away essential nutrients. While this process may enhance the honey’s appearance and extend its shelf life, it often results in a product that is less flavourful and of inferior quality. It’s one of the reasons Australia loves our raw honey – it is not only good for you, but is packed with flavour.
Once you savour raw honey, you might be tempted to use it in a variety of dishes. Keep in mind, though, that pasteurisation can happen even outside of large production facilities—simply heating honey above 40 degrees Celsius can degrade its beneficial enzymes. To ensure you maintain its nutritional benefits, use warm water when mixing it into drinks and try to maintain it in a raw form wherever possible.
Why Does My Honey Crystallise?
The answer is simple; chemistry.
The two main sugars found in honey are glucose and fructose, along with approximately 15-20% water. Because there’s more sugar than can naturally remain dissolved, crystals begin to form over time. Honey with a higher glucose content crystallises more quickly. For instance, Jarrah honey has a high fructose level and low glucose content, which is why it remains liquid and doesn’t crystallise.
Another factor that contributes to honey crystallisation is temperature. As honey cools, the sugars start to solidify. Bees work diligently to maintain the ideal temperature for honey production, which is around 35°C. For this reason, we recommend storing your honey at room temperature or in a warm location.
Many people mistakenly believe that crystallised honey is contaminated or has gone bad. In reality, the crystallisation process is completely natural and indicates that the honey has not been pasteurised, and is in fact, raw honey. The crystallisation transformation has little effect on the honey’s quality, other than altering its texture, density, and colour.
Did You Know
Creamed honey is crystallised honey that has been whipped (with no additives) and then set in the fridge?
Piesseful Bees Honey are suppliers of raw honey Australia loves, from Jarrah Honey, Marri Honey, White Gum Honey and wildflower honey. Each of our honey varieties has its own distinct flavour profile, and we are proud of our processes which maintain the natural integrity of our honey, keeping all of the best bits in the pot, ready for you.
