You know what?
Honey is absolutely delightful.
I think most people like it!
It's very delicious.
It has a thick texture and a taste that goes well with many foods in your kitchen.
And the best part is,
it's completely healthy.
And a joy to eat!
(Okay!)
Just imagine if honey was sour.
Probably nobody would eat it.
Maybe you've heard or tasted different kinds of honey.
Different color, texture, or flavor.
In today's video,
we're going to talk about raw honey,
its benefits,
how it differs from regular or pasteurized honey,
if it can help with weight loss,
and finally we're going to see if it's helpful with seasonal allergies.
So please stay tuned.
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Hi and welcome to Fancied Facts,
fun and interesting facts for you.
So what is raw honey?
Is it like fresh and cooked fish or meat that taste chewy and tough?
Hmm, not quite.
Actually the term "raw,"
in the case of food,
generally means uncooked or unchanged from its natural state.
The term "raw honey" means
as it exists in the beehive
or extracted, collected, or poured in its designated containers.
Furthermore, it is not heated to a degree
where vital enzymes and proteins are compromised.
Of course, that also applies to any honey producers
who use serious filtration,
which removes natural substance like pollen from it.
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Now let's talk about the differences between raw and pasteurized honey.
First, let's look at the consistency of raw honey.
When extracted, it's relatively runny and soft.
However, as time passes it will become thicker and denser
if it stays at room temperature.
Pasteurized honey, though, has a runny consistency
that will remain this way for an extended period of time.
Eventually all honey will harden and become crystallized
when more liquid evaporates from it.
Pasteurized honey is collected and filtered
through a mesh or screen to separate wax,
pollen grains, dead bees, and undesired particles.
Then it's heated up
to 154°F for about 30 minutes.
The degree of heat may vary depending on preference.
Honey producers heat it up to kill any yeast and bacteria
that could be present to prevent fermentation
and to reduce crystallization time frame.
Due to these changes,
it doesn't have the same antioxidant properties.
It's uniform in color and has a consistent texture.
Some processed honey may contain added sugar
or high fructose syrup such as corn syrup to make it sweeter.
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Raw honey is unfiltered, contains beeswax and pollen,
which gets stuck on tiny hairs on the bee's legs while it flies
from one flower to another, collecting nectar.
It has a thick, creamy consistency,
and it's golden or smooth white.
Now let's jump to the health effects
of raw honey on your body.
Before consuming raw honey,
you should take some considerations.
This is because honey differs
depending on several factors
like region, country, type of flower,
environment,
and season nectar is collected.
After taking all these differences into account,
there are considerable benefits
for the most reliable sources of honey.
So make sure you buy yours from a trustworthy store!
According to medicalnews.com,
raw honey contains the following components
that might be absent in processed honey.
Pollen, which has antioxidants
and anti-inflammatory properties.
Bee propolis, a glue-like substance
that help keeps the hive together
and is helpful in wound healing.
Vitamins and minerals,
which help build your bones,
boost your immune system,
and repair cellular damages.
Enzymes help break down food for energy.
Amino acids aid in building muscles and decrease fatigue.
Antioxidants,
substances that help protect your cells
against misshaped or harmful molecules
also known as free radicals.
Additionally, raw honey contains hydrogen peroxide,
which means it's an antiseptic.
In other words,
it prevents the growth of disease-causing microorganisms
like unwanted fungus and bacteria.
Raw honey has also been found to aid
in the speedy healing of wounds
and tissue regeneration.
But please consider!
That there is specific wound-healing honey
that is safe and sterile to use
after consulting with an expert.
Avoid applying regular raw honey bought from an ordinary store
to wounds.
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By the way, did you know that raw honey is probiotic?
It simply means,
it aids in the nourishing of your good bacteria in the intestines
for better food digestion.
Here's a quick health tip.
Try drinking one glass of natural lemon juice
and one teaspoon of raw honey
to increase your metabolism.
It's also an effective way to treat cellulite.
And it helps lower cholesterol levels in your system.
♪
All right, let's address if raw honey helps you lose weight.
Let's focus on the contents of raw honey.
Basically it's a sugary secretion, nectar,
that bees collect from flowers.
Generally speaking,
all sugar is a simple carbohydrate
that the body converts into glucose
and uses it for energy.
If you look at the aspect of refined sugar,
it has little to no nutritional value.
And it's devoid of any calories, minerals, and vitamins.
On the other hand,
raw honey contains minerals and vitamins
that aid in weight loss
and help you speed up your metabolism and fat burning.
Refined sugar has a simple carbohydrate chemical structure
which simply means it breaks down very rapidly,
giving you a feeling of being unsatisfied
even though you ate enough food.
Refined sugar is correlated with obesity and diabetes.
You may substitute regular sugar with honey
for a healthier and more natural sweetener.
Taking raw honey before a workout
has been shown to prevent you from quitting early,
and also helps speedy muscle recovery when taken after exercise.
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And finally,
can raw honey help with allergies?
There is a widespread belief
that raw honey may help
with lessening the symptoms of pollen allergies.
How is that possible, you may ask.
Okay, let's understand allergies first.
It works in the following matter.
When a person with an allergy is exposed to pollen
through their nose, mouth, or eyes,
their immune system triggers a response
reserved for harmful invaders
like bacteria, viruses, germs, or any foreign body.
It can't seem to recognize
the pollen particles as harmless bodies.
Therefore, it begins to attack.
Then the immune cells start to produce antibodies
that come out searching for the invader.
When it's found,
the antibodies capture it
and send it off to the nearest white blood cells.
Once it reaches the white blood cells,
it produces a group of chemicals
called "histamines"
which cause an allergic reaction:
sneezing,
watery eyes,
and runny nose.
It's making a serious attempt
to expel pollen particles from your system.
The person feels completely miserable,
so often people visit their immunologist
to get a shot
that helps them increase their body's tolerance to pollen
during an allergy season.
More pollen particles and a variety of injections means
the immune system learns to cope
and not react negatively
when exposed to harmless pollen.
All right, so how can raw honey help with allergy symptoms?
It works in the following way.
When a bee travels from flower to flower collecting nectar,
pollen does get stuck on tiny hairs on its leg and back.
When they return to the hive,
it gets mixed with the honey.
Therefore consuming raw honey along with pollen
might have the same effects as injection treatment
to reduce the allergic reaction.
The problem is,
raw honey contains a much smaller variety of pollen
when compared to allergy shots.
The answer is yes!
It can help, but in a limited way
because bees do not cover enough flowers and plants
for it to be an effective treatment.
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Thank you for watching this episode of Fancied Facts.
Please come back for more fun and exciting episodes in the future!
Take care and have a great day!
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