Raw honey is extracted directly from the honeycomb cells within a beehive.

This honey contains pollen and propolis, both very beneficial for health. It may also contain dead bees, legs, wings, wax particles, and other impurities, which are filtered out before packaging.

Raw honey cannot be heated above 35 degrees Celsius, which is the normal temperature of a beehive. While it is acceptable to strain raw honey, it is never filtered or pasteurized. It also cannot contain any other additives.

Commercial honey is often highly processed and even chemically refined. Excessive heat can destroy the natural enzymes, vitamins, and minerals in honey.

Filtering and processing remove many beneficial phytonutrients, including pollen and propolis.

The only way to achieve clear, bright honey is through heat, so avoid golden, syrupy honey in favor of opaque, organic raw honey.

Commercial honey may come from bees treated with antibiotics or fed with sugar or inexpensive high-fructose corn syrup during winter.

Most honey sold in supermarkets contains no traces of bee pollen.

The FDA maintains that any honey product that has been ultra-filtered like these is NOT actually honey and, therefore, its health benefits cannot be assumed.