Raw Honey vs. Honey: Which Is Right for You?

Honey is a natural remedy that people have used for more than 5,000 years. Raw honey, in particular, has numerous scientifically supported health benefits. It’s used for wound treatment, diabetes, asthma, digestive conditions, arthritis, cancer, and more.

Raw honey comes straight from the hive and is not filtered or pasteurized. Although convenient, processed honey, which you can buy at most stores, may not be as beneficial. Regular honey goes through processing that could destroy some of the honey’s healthiest compounds, like antioxidants.

This article looks at raw vs. processed honey, which is more nutritious, and the potential disadvantages of adding raw honey to your diet.

What Is Raw Honey?

Raw honey is essentially unchanged from when it was in the hive. It’s collected, strained to remove debris, and packaged and sold.

Studies show that raw honey has many properties that benefit your health, including:

• Antioxidant: Promotes cellular health and staves off many kinds of diseases
• Antimicrobial: Can help deter viruses, bacteria, and fungi
• Anti-inflammatory: Can help reduce redness, swelling, and pain
• Anticancer: Helps prevent cancer and its spread

Due to its long history, raw honey has been studied heavily compared to many other natural treatments. Experts recommend using raw honey to help manage certain diseases and conditions.

What’s the Difference Between Raw and Regular Honey?

While raw honey comes straight from the honeycomb, regular honey is processed more. Once extracted from the hive, honey is often heated to thin out so it’s easier to filter. It may also be pasteurized, heating it to about 160 degrees F.

This process makes the honey crystalize more slowly and lengthens its shelf life by destroying yeast. It’s then filtered to remove impurities.

Processing, especially with heat, removes or changes some of the beneficial compounds in the honey. Some companies use ultrasound equipment to have a similar effect as pasteurization but without the heat, which may help the product retain some health benefits that could be lost.

Raw Honey Is More Nutritious

Honey also provides small amounts of:

• Several vitamins and minerals
• Enzymes and acids
• Pollen

Because some of these benefits are lost to processing, raw honey is better for you than processed honey. Even so, because honey is generally consumed in small quantities, it's unlikely to be a major source of any nutrients.

Many Regular Honeys Don’t Contain Pollen

Although some people are allergic to pollen, it has some health benefits, especially when gathered by bees and combined with nectar and bee secretions.

Bee pollen contains many beneficial substances, such as:

• Essential amino acids
• Essential fatty acids
• Vitamins
• Macronutrients and micronutrients
• Flavonoids

Research shows pollen is at least in part responsible for honey’s wound-healing properties and other health benefits. When processing removes pollen, it likely also reduces honey’s effectiveness.

Regular Honey May Have Hidden Sugars

Honey is often used as an alternative to sugar. However, some processed honey includes added sweeteners, such as corn syrup or brown rice syrup.

Legally, all ingredients are to be listed on labels, and calories from added sweeteners should be noted under nutrition facts. However, some food manufacturers may illegally add them. This fraudulent practice can be hard to detect.

Some tests have been developed to identify whether additives are present. Testing honey is not a common practice, though.

Raw Honey Linked to the Most Health Benefits

Raw honey is considered better for you than processed honey. This doesn’t mean processed honey is bad for you; it appears to be less beneficial.

Disadvantages of Eating Raw Honey

Raw honey is safe for most people, except infants. In babies under 12 months, eating honey can cause a botulism infection. No honey—raw or processed—is recommended during the first year of life. Adults and older children are rarely susceptible to this bacterial infection.

Keep in mind that honey is primarily composed of sugars. While it does contain beneficial substances, you should still be mindful of the calories it adds to your diet.

Is Raw Honey Organic?

“Raw” and “organic” do not mean the same things on food labels. Raw honey cannot be pasteurized or processed. Organic honey must be grown on a bee farm that meets federal organic livestock criteria, which includes no contact with pesticides or other potentially harmful chemicals.

Organic honey may be either raw or processed, while raw honey may not be organic. Check labels so you know you’re getting the product you want.

How to Tell If Your Honey Is Raw

Raw honey should be clearly labeled as such. If it doesn’t say it’s raw, assume it’s processed.

Some people prefer the texture of minimally processed honey to that of raw honey. With most honey on the shelf, it’s difficult or impossible to discern how it’s processed. 

You may want to source honey from local beekeepers, which allows you to ask questions about processing.

How to Choose the Healthiest Honey

Raw honey is better than processed honey, so opt for raw honey to reap the health benefits. Whether you should choose organic raw honey depends on your personal feelings about organic vs. nonorganic food products.

Summary 

Raw honey comes straight from the hive, while processed honey often goes through heating and filtering processes that can reduce or eliminate healthful substances. Raw honey has health benefits that processed honey does not.

Research suggests honey is effective for wound treatment and fighting several diseases, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, neurological illness, and digestive problems. Honey is not safe for babies under 12 months. Older children and adults are not at risk from raw or processed honey.