Thursday, October 11, 2007
Honey, Get the Honey!
Honey has numerous beneficial properties, many of which I've reported on this site in the past. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of confusion when it comes to this natural sweetener.
What is honey good for? Well, it's been shown to provide natural support for a wide range of body structures and functions. For one thing, honey contains a number of good health-promoting antioxidants.
Vitamins found in honey include thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-12, and biotin. Along with minerals and amino acids, honey also contains a number of live enzymes that help promote optimal health.
Honey is also known to help with occasional diarrhea and insomnia.
The Problem With the Majority of U.S. Honey
If you've read my book Sweet Deception, you're likely already familiar with the massive fraud going on with U.S. honey. As many VitalVotes readers have pointed out, much of the honey in the United States (perhaps up to two-thirds of the annual honey production) is made by force-feeding bees high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or other sugars.
This is done so that the bees can produce honey year-round; however the end result is NOT pure honey, but rather a partial honey/HFCS mix.
Most honey sold is also pasteurized, which means that the beneficial enzymes have been damaged or killed off entirely.
So if you choose to use honey, either topically to soothe your skin or as a sweetener, make sure you are getting pure RAW honey. Perhaps the best way to do this is to find a local source for the raw honey, and then ask the beekeeper directly whether or not he or she supplements the bees' diet with HFCS.
If you are unable to find any reliable sources of raw honey, I recently found one I can recommend. I was also able to secure a supply for our store to make it more convenient for you. Pure Gold Raw Honey is an awesome alternative to table sugar.
What is honey good for? Well, it's been shown to provide natural support for a wide range of body structures and functions. For one thing, honey contains a number of good health-promoting antioxidants.
Vitamins found in honey include thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-12, and biotin. Along with minerals and amino acids, honey also contains a number of live enzymes that help promote optimal health.
Honey is also known to help with occasional diarrhea and insomnia.
The Problem With the Majority of U.S. Honey
If you've read my book Sweet Deception, you're likely already familiar with the massive fraud going on with U.S. honey. As many VitalVotes readers have pointed out, much of the honey in the United States (perhaps up to two-thirds of the annual honey production) is made by force-feeding bees high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or other sugars.
This is done so that the bees can produce honey year-round; however the end result is NOT pure honey, but rather a partial honey/HFCS mix.
Most honey sold is also pasteurized, which means that the beneficial enzymes have been damaged or killed off entirely.
So if you choose to use honey, either topically to soothe your skin or as a sweetener, make sure you are getting pure RAW honey. Perhaps the best way to do this is to find a local source for the raw honey, and then ask the beekeeper directly whether or not he or she supplements the bees' diet with HFCS.
If you are unable to find any reliable sources of raw honey, I recently found one I can recommend. I was also able to secure a supply for our store to make it more convenient for you. Pure Gold Raw Honey is an awesome alternative to table sugar.
Labels: health food, honey, Mercola, Vitamins
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