Honey has been used as a natural sweetener and health remedy for thousands of years. And it’s still popular today—for good reason. Honey, specifically raw honey, has many incredible uses for your body and health.

Benefits of Raw Honey vs Processed Honey

To get the most health benefits and practical use from honey, choose raw.

Raw honey is pure, meaning it hasn’t been pasteurized (heated) or filtered.

Most honey you find in grocery stores has been heated to keep it from crystallizing and make the texture and color better. But doing this also destroys the beneficial bacteria, vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants of honey.

Because it’s not processed like the typical store-bought honey, raw honey maintains its natural benefits, which we’ll go into below.

1. High in Good Antioxidants: Polyphenols

Honey contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants found naturally in fruits, vegetables, and certain teas. Polyphenols may help reduce the risk of diseases, including heart disease and cancer [1].

A 2004 study where 25 participants were fed polyphenol-containing buckwheat honey every day (along with their normal diets) for 29 days found the more honey they had, the higher their blood levels of antioxidants [2].

These antioxidants are necessary for fighting free radicals in the body that can cause disease.

2. Rich in Plant Phytonutrients

Along with antioxidants, more benefits of raw honey include phytonutrients, plant substances that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and potentially disease-fighting qualities.

These phytonutrients are present in the nectar bees collect from plants, which is then transferred to the honey.

(Honey that has been filtered or overheated will not include these phytonutrients, making it all the more important to choose raw honey.)

3. Naturally Antibacterial: Used for Wounds and Burns

Glucose oxidase, an enzyme in honey, produces hydrogen peroxide, a natural mild antiseptic that can help prevent infection.

Because it acts as a natural antiseptic and antibiotic, raw honey has been used for thousands of years to accelerate wound and burn healing. And it’s still used today:

• Research published by the National Institutes of Health has shown raw honey applied to infected wounds can help decrease swelling, redness, and total healing time. [3] It can also seal off burns from air contact, possibly fighting infection and reducing pain [4].

• Manuka honey specifically, a type of honey made by bees in New Zealand, has been shown to have antimicrobial effects against disease-causing bacteria like Helicobacter pylori and Staphylococcus aureus [5].
• Manuka honey is also sometimes used in treatment of pressure sores and chronic leg ulcers.

4. Useful for Sore Throats and Coughs

Raw honey is a common alternative remedy for cold symptoms.

One study found giving honey to children at bedtime seemed to relieve coughingand lead to better sleep more than no treatment or a placebo. It also found honey to be as effective for suppressing coughand improving sleep as a common cough syrup ingredient, dextromethorphan, and to possible better than an antihistamine ingredient, diphenhydramine [4].

In addition, honey may also help soothe membranes and fight infection resulting from a cold or sore throat.

(Note: If you or your child is otherwise healthy and the cough isn’t severe or affecting sleep, it might be healthiest to not suppress it. Coughing is your body’s natural way of clearing mucus!)

5. Healthy Alternative to Refined Sugar

Considering the fact that the average person eats over 150 pounds of sweetener per year, honey offer a more nutritious sweetener than white and refined sugars. (See more healthy sugar alternatives here).

While honey is still a sugar and should be consumed in moderation, it’s a sweet option with added nutrition and health benefits.

Use raw honey as a sweetener and nutrition boost in your tea or coffee, salad dressings, sauces, yogurts, or smoothies.

Raw Honey Cautions and Tips for Buying

A word of caution: Never give honey of any type to a children less than a year old. Although raw honey carries tons of beneficial nutrients and good bacteria, it also has the rare potential to carry harmful bacteria that would be dangerous for babies.

And keep in mind that when shopping for honey, usually the darker the color, the better. Darker typically means more of the benefits of raw honey: higher antioxidant and antibacterial power.

At Nature’s Ideal, we carry a variety of raw honey brands for you and your family. Browse our options here and order what you need without even having to leave the house!

Disclaimer: Statements made have not been evaluated by the FDA. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.