Raw Organic Wild Honey

Raw organic honey differs from typically processed honey commonly found in supermarkets. The big difference this that processed honey is cooked. Cooking saves time and money during the production process. Still, it also destroys the natural enzymes and minerals in raw organic honey.

Organic honey can be warmed gently with tea and hot beverages but never heated to high temperatures.

Other Beehive Foods

Honey is just one of the foods produced in a bee hive; other bee hive foods include bee pollen which we use to make our organic bee pollen capsules, bee bread, propolis, royal jelly and bee wax.

Certified Organic Honey

Honey is determined to be organic by a complex and rigid certification process. The two main factors in the certification process are the origins of the bees and the apiaries. Apiary is a Latin word describing bee hives’ location and surroundings.

For wild honey, bee pollen or any other bee hive superfood to be certified organic, the apiaries must be located on certified organic or uncultivated land for a minimum radius of 4 miles. Also, within the 4-mile radius, there must be no other means of contamination for the honey, such as motorways, industrial zones, rubbish dumps, urban areas and waste incinerators.

Four miles is the distance set out by The National Pollen Research Institute. Therefore, bees travel the maximum distance from the hive when collecting nectar.

As such, unfortunately, these strict guidelines mean that it is almost impossible for any honey producer in the UK to be certified as organic. As a result, most raw organic honey is imported from Europe and further afield into the UK.

Benefits of Raw Organic Honey

There are many health benefits to eating raw organic honey. The ancient Greeks first discovered these. Hippocrates was responsible for many of the significant discoveries about bees and the medical benefits of honey. You can read about these in a previous post.

Here are a few better-known benefits, both as a nutritional supplement and direct health benefits.

Anti-Bacterial & Anti-Fungal Properties

In raw honey, there are no bacteria present. Hippocrates first documented this fact; the bees add an enzyme which makes a ‘natural hydrogen peroxide, which sterilises the honey. This same enzyme ensures no fungal spores or properties can be present.

Reduces Risk of Heart Disease & Cancer

Organic, unprocessed honey contains flavonoids and antioxidants. This help boosts the immune system by reducing the levels of ‘free radicals in the body and allowing the immune system to focus on repairing damaged cells rather than cleaning the body.

Reduces Ulcers & Gastrointestinal Disorders

Organic honey has been proven to reduce the presence of ulcers and bacterial gastroenteritis.

Reduce Coughs, Throat Irritations & Allergies

She was prescribed Ayurveda medicine since ancient times to cure coughs, throat infections, mild respiratory disorders and allergies. However, in more recent scientific experiments on 110 children, a single dose of buckwheat honey was deemed just as ineffective as a single dose of dextromethorphan in relieving nocturnal coughing.

Blood Sugar Regulation

A surprising one this one although organic honey does contain simple and complex sugars, these are not the same as processed white sugar or artificial sweeteners. The makeup of fructose and glucose within honey helps the body regulate blood sugar levels naturally. As a result, honey has a lower glycemic index which puts less strain on the pancreas and doesn’t produce an enormous ‘sugar rush’ as with processed white sugars.

Healing & Cleansing

It is a mild antiseptic that can sterilise cuts and burns when applied. The honey also absorbs moisture around wounds, impeding mould and bacteria growth. Its antibacterial properties can also relieve mild pain and sterilisation, making it perfect for minor cuts and grazes.

Skin Moisturiser & Nutrition

Being a humectant, it naturally provides moisturisation to the skin and hair. Therefore, humectants are the main active ingredient in most high-quality skin & hair care products.

Immunity Boost

The naturally occurring flavonoids and antioxidants that are found in raw organic honey provide the human immune system with a boost. These antioxidants help the body reduce the levels of ‘free radicals, which in turn helps the immune system get on with what it should be doing, repairing cells which allows the better flow of oxygen around the body.