Organic Raw Honey and
The Health Benefits of Honey

Organic raw honey is made from regurgitated flower nectar or in other words - bee vomit. 

Actually bees store nectar from flowers in a special stomach called the honey stomach which is essentially a holding place for the nectar.

Bees will then secrete enzymes into this nectar which starts the digestion of its sugars.

The bees will then pass this nectar to other bees in the hive - it gets stored in a honeycomb and eventually turns into honey.

Eating organic raw honey or unheated honey is a great way to enjoy the many health benefits of honey.

Most of the health benefits of honey are derived from raw honey or unpasteurized honey that has not been heated above 95 degrees F.  And honey can be used both internally and externally.

Nutrition of Organic Raw Honey

Organic raw honey contains all of the substances necessary to sustain life. 

This includes water, sugars, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, and powerful antioxidants.

Organic raw honey may come with over 31 vitamins and minerals. 

Unheated honey will contain vital nutrients like B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, selenium, and iron.

Organic raw honey can also come with a whooping amount of enzymes - like 5000!  The most well known enzyme is amylase which digests carbohydrates.

However, the final composition of honey will depend on the condition of the plant or flowers, environmental conditions, and the ability of beekeepers.

The Health Benefits
of Organic Raw Honey

  • The enzymes in raw honey help with the digestion of complex carbohydrates like bread
  • Unpasteurized or raw honey can help you absorb calcium into your body
  • Unheated honey will give you energy
  • Raw honey increases insulin and promotes stable blood sugar
  • Raw honey helps with insomnia and promotes sleep
  • Unheated honey is an incredible natural preservative
  • Raw honey is used as a treatment for stomach ulcers
  • Unheated honey is an effective treatment for common allergies
  • Raw honey has anti-cancer properties
  • Raw honey is great in fighting off respiratory infections such as colds and flus
  • Raw honey can help to relieve sore throats
  • Honey is the ultimate moisturizer for skin and hair
  • Raw honey is recognized for its anti-microbial activities and was used as a dressing for serious wounds for centuries
  • Raw honey has the ability to eliminate free radicals in the body
  • Unpasteurized honey has powerful antioxidants
  • Raw honey promotes circulation and increases nitric oxide in the body

What Happens When You Heat Honey?

Excessive heat can have a detrimental effect on the nutritional value of unpasteurized or raw honey.

  • Heating up to 37 Degrees C (98.6 F) causes loss of nearly 200 components, part of which are antibacterial
  • Heating up to 40 Degrees C (104 F) destroys invertase, an important enzyme
  • Heating up to 50 Degrees C (122 F) turns the unpasteurized honey into carmel (and then valuable honey sugars become analogous to sugar)

Look for labels that say that the honey is raw and was never heated.  Also, look for unprocessed or unfiltered organic raw honey because you want the bee pollen!

Beware of Non-Organic Raw Honey!

Apparently, there are no government regulations concerning unpasteurized honey, so know your supplier! 

Raw honey that contains pesticides is not very healthy.

What is Certified Organic Honey?

According to the USDA regulations, honey can't be labeled certified organic if its production uses even traces of prohibited chemicals, drugs, or antibiotics.

If you eat conventionally produced unpasteurized honey or pasteurized honey - you may be getting a dose of chemicals, drugs, and antibiotics.

Beware of beekeepers that routinely use any of these substances to control bee diseases.

Organic beekeepers protect the natural life cycle of bees by safeguarding their natural habitat.

Because organic is costly - they do not exterminate the bees at the end of the season with harmful chemicals like a lot of conventional beekeepers.

Vegans and Organic Raw Honey

During the early part of the vegan movement in the 1940's........

The Vegan Society in England defined veganism as "the practice of living on the products of the plant kingdom to the exclusion of flesh, fish, fowl, eggs, honey, animal milk and it's derivatives".

They also encouraged the use of alternatives for all commodities derived wholly or in part from animals.

Following this advice, some vegans do not eat honey as it is considered an animal product. 

However, there is active debate in the vegan community about the health benefits of honey.

And some vegans have decided to go ahead and consume organic unpasteurized honey to get the health benefits of honey.

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