Raw vs Unfiltered Honey: Key Differences

Do you love sweetening your tea or toast with honey? If so, you may have come across the terms raw and unfiltered when searching for honey. While these two types of honey may seem similar at first glance, they are not one and the same. In this blog post, we’ll explore the key differences between raw and unfiltered honey.

How is Raw Honey Different from Unfiltered Honey?

Raw honey is a type of honey that has not undergone any processing or heating. It comes straight from beehives and contains naturally-occurring pollen, enzymes, and antioxidants. This makes it more nutritious than other types of processed honeys available in supermarkets.

Unfiltered honey, on the other hand, refers to a specific filtering process that some beekeepers use after harvesting their raw honey. This process involves passing the raw honey through a mesh or cheesecloth to remove larger particles such as wax bits or propolis fragments while retaining smaller particles like pollen grains.

Benefits of Raw Honey

Raw honey offers numerous health benefits due to its natural state. For instance:

1 – Contains Antioxidants

Raw honey contains high levels of antioxidants which help protect your body against free radicals – harmful molecules that can damage cells in your body leading to chronic diseases like cancer.

2 – Boosts Immunity

Since it’s packed with vitamins B6, C & E along with minerals such as iron and zinc (among others), consuming raw honey regularly can boost immune system function thereby reducing susceptibility to various infections including flu-like viruses.

3 – May Help Relieve Allergies

Some people believe that eating locally produced raw unprocessed wildflower-packed bee-honey can help relieve symptoms related to seasonal allergies since it exposes them gradually over time which could train their bodies into developing immunity against local allergens present around them.

Benefits of Unfiltered Honey

Unfiltered honey, although not as nutritious as raw honey, does offer some benefits.

1 – Contains Small Pollen Particles

Since unfiltered honey has undergone minimal processing, it contains small pollen particles that can help boost your immune system by exposing you to a wide array of local allergens. Eating locally sourced honey is particularly beneficial for this purpose since bees collect pollen from local plants and flowers which helps build immunity against these substances.

2 – Retains Natural Taste & Aroma

Unfiltered honey retains its natural taste and aroma due to the filtering process used – only larger wax or propolis fragments are removed via mesh filters. This makes it ideal for use in cooking or as a spread on bread!

Which One Should You Choose?

When it comes down to choosing between raw and unfiltered honey, there isn’t really a “right” answer – both types have their own unique benefits! If you’re looking for more nutritional value out of your sweetener, then go for raw honey; however if taste & texture are more important factors than look into trying some high quality filtered honeys like Manuka which have been known to be extremely beneficial overall. Ultimately the choice depends on what works best with your personal preferences and needs!