Honey is healthier than regular sugar, but which variety of honey is the healthiest?
So raw or regular?
HIGHLIGHTS
- Most people believe that raw honey offer more health benefits
- Raw honey is described as honey the way it existed inside the beehive
- Raw honey contains 4.3 times more antioxidants than the refined variety
Honey is healthier than sugar, we all know that. But it doesn't end here. The quest to find healthier is never ending. When we realized that honey is healthier, we went on to find out if there is another form of honey which is healthier and we came across raw honey. Where most people believe that raw honey offer more health benefits than regular honey, others believe that the two are not very different. So what is the truth? Which one is healthier and which one appears to be healthy? Let's find out!
What is raw honey?
Raw honey is described as honey the way it existed inside the beehive. This one is prepared by extracting honey from the beehive itself and pouring it over a mesh or nylon cloth. It is then cleared of all impurities like beeswax and dead bees, and raw honey is ready.
Photo Credit: iStock
How is regular honey prepared?
However, regular honey has to go through some procedures. When raw honey undergoes pasteurization and filtration, it is commonly known as regular honey. Pasteurization involves the removal of yeast from the honey with the application of heat. It also aims at increasing the shelf life of honey and making it smoother and silkier to look at.
Filtration, on the other hand, involves the removal of debris and air bubbles from honey to make it look more appealing to consumers. Some forms of honey go through ultrafiltration, wherein honey becomes smoother and clearer to look at. But this procedure removes the important pollens and antioxidants that honey is known for. Some manufacturers may even add sugar to reduce their cost of production, hence making honey unhealthy.
Photo Credit: iStock
Key difference between the two
When compared, we found that raw honey wins with higher nutritional content as compared to regular honey. 22 amino acids and 31 different mineral and vitamins in raw honey, along with the 30 different types of antioxidants, are all present in raw honey. Together, they prevent you against heart disease and cancer risk. But regular honey does not possess these qualities due to the filtration procedures. It may look more appealing but on the health meter, raw honey takes the toll. A study compared the antioxidant content in both varieties and found that raw honey contains 4.3 times more antioxidants than the refined variety.
To make it worse, regular honey may even contain artificial sweeteners and added sugar. So the honey that you get from the market, you never know, it may actually be contaminated with fake sweeteners!
So you know that raw is the healthy way to go!
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