Raw Honey...Is it Better?

                One of my readers asked me a very interesting question: “Is raw honey better than processed honey?” My answer is “No.” Okay, that is the end of this blog.

                Just kidding! I’ll give you a bit more information. Most people would say honey is raw if it was not heated or processed in another way. There are claims that raw honey is better because it has some pollen that is removed when honey is heated and filtered. While it is true that heating and filtering the honey will reduce the pollen content in it, a study that was presented as an abstract at a conference showed that this did not change the nutrient content of the honey[1]. That is to say, the micronutrient and antioxidant content was the same before and after it was heated and filtered. Regarding the benefits of pollen, I had difficulty finding any studies that showed definite health benefits of bee pollen.

                The reason why I almost did not want to give this explanation is because I do not like to focus on the insignificant differences between two items. Somehow, the media picks up on these “nutrition” issues and focuses on them. Then, we as consumers are led to believe that we need to start being concerned about differences between types of honey.

What if there was a difference between the two honeys? Do you think you are eating enough of it for the difference between the little amounts of micronutrients to actually affect your health? If you have concerns about whether or not you are getting enough vitamins, minerals, or antioxidants, the answer is to eat more fruits and vegetables, not to choose a honey that might have a drop more micronutrients than the other one! And quite frankly, honey is another type of sugar, so honey should not be eaten in large quantities anyway.

You may wonder, maybe there are health benefits of pollen—there are some studies that seem to seem to indicate some sort of link. Well, perhaps there might some health benefits that have not yet been clarified by research, but I do know some nutrition changes that are actually supported by a lot of high quality literature—eating more fruits and vegetables, drinking less soda, and eating less red meat. Perhaps these may be areas of nutrition change that can be more impactful on our health than eating raw honey.

                This is a theme in how I practice nutrition: We need to be looking at our overall diet to determine its quality. Am I eating vegetables a few times per day? Am I choosing whole grains and other foods with fiber? Am I choosing beverages that do not contain sugar? Am I eating food that tastes good and is good for my health? Let’s focus on the main stuff before moving on the “extra credit” of nutrition.

                Check out this link for my blog about the basics of good nutrition.

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[1] Beals K, Ropa D. Effects of processing on the pollen and nutrient content of honey. The FACEB Journal. April 2013. vol. 27 no. 1 Supplement 859.7.