Raw Honey vs. Processed Honey: What Your Body Really Absorbs
Honey has been used as a natural sweetener, remedy, and nutrient source for thousands of years. But not all honey is the same. Today’s market offers everything from highly processed supermarket honey to pure raw honey taken straight from the hive with minimal intervention. While both products share a common origin, their nutritional profiles differ in meaningful ways. Understanding what happens to honey during processing—and how it affects your body—can help you make better choices for your health. What Is Raw Honey? Raw honey is honey that has been extracted, strained, and bottled with minimal handling. It is not heat-treated or heavily filtered. Because of this, raw honey retains its natural enzymes, trace pollen, antioxidants, amino acids, and minerals. This makes it a biologically active food rather than just a sweetener. Raw honey often crystallizes over time. This natural process is actually a sign of purity and the presence of natural glucose crystals—not a quality iss...