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.
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.
Excessive heat can have a detrimental effect on the nutritional value of unpasteurized or raw honey.
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!
Apparently, there are no government regulations concerning unpasteurized honey, so know your supplier!
Raw honey that contains pesticides is not very healthy.
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.
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.