Like millions of people all over the world, you probably consume honey regularly. Honey goes well with so many foods and it serves as a great sweetening alternative to sugar. More importantly, honey tastes great and offers a host of health benefits - that is, if you have the real thing.

What’s in your Honey?

Yes, it’s true. Not all Honey is the real thing. As a matter of fact, 75 percent of the so-called “pure” honey you buy at the supermarket is not pure at all and it may not even really contain honey! Studies reveal that false honey has been distributed for some time now. For example the honey offered at some fast food restaurants does not contain real honey. So you’re probably wondering, “What exactly makes honey real?” Well, it’s more than you may think.

Don’t let Honey fool you!

Untrustworthy manufacturers are the first reason why false honey has become abundant. A lot of honey is imported from countries, like China, that do not necessarily have the same acceptable standards for honey production as we do here in Australia. As a result Honey is contaminated with additives like:

• Flour
• Starch syrup
• Molasses
• Corn syrup
• Antibiotics
• Preservatives

Another reason why false honey is considered false is because of the way the honey is treated. False honey is actually ultra-filtered so that way you think it’s real. However, the ultra-filtration process subjects raw honey to extreme heat, several small filters, and dilution with water that ultimately destroys many of honey’s health benefits and ruins its nutritional value. Consequently, ultra-filtered false honey falls into the same harmful sweetener category as processed sugar.

Raw Honey: how to find the real deal

Finding genuinely pure honey is definitely worth the effort, when you keep in mind that honey provides antioxidants and natural antibiotics, whilst alleviating allergies, anaemia, stomach issues, and a host of other health conditions. So here are some things to look for to find your real honey:

• Real raw unfiltered honey is milky brown with a white layer on the top. It can still be considered raw if lightly filtered at low temperature, and then will appear as a golden liquid varying in colour from light to a quite dark brown.
• Depending on the temperature at which it has been kept and the length of time it has been sitting in the jar, it can become creamy and semi solid as the natural sugars crystallise.  This does not affect its quality.
• Buy only raw, unpasteurised honey—real honey is naturally anti-bacterial, so pasteurisation is unnecessary (it just destroys the enzymes and pollen that makes Honey so beneficial)
• Always know the source—knowing who makes the honey and how they make it is essential
• Search for a 100% money-back guarantee—any honey worth trusting will be guaranteed

Overall, natural food stores, food cooperatives, and local beekeepers are the best sources of pure honey, whose antioxidants and pollen content are intact. But if you want to learn more about Honey and its health benefits, just visit the Mr Vitamins store and ‘Ask a Naturopath’!