Over the years, with the increasing awareness among people regarding health issues related to diabetes, the use of sugar in our day-to-day lives has become an epi-centre of heated debate. Some recent studies have directly linked the consumption of processed sugar with Type-II Diabetes (Lustig, 2016).
The un-ignorable difference between raw and processed honey
The chief aspect that distinguishes raw honey from processed honey is the presence of rich nutritional contents. To understand this concept, let us dig deeper into the steps of processing honey.

• Pasteurization is the first step in processing honey, which involves heating it at a temperature of 65 to 77o Celsius. This process aims to remove microbes, chiefly yeast, that may grow in honey if not appropriately kept. However, some might argue that this process may degrade many beneficial digestive enzymes already present in honey.
• Filtration – The pasteurized honey is further processed by passing it through membrane filters. These filters act as specific barriers to some contaminants. However, these filters may remove a wide range of beneficial pollens and some other nutrients.
• Additives – Some industries might apply further processing over-filtered and pasteurized honey, which will reduce its nutritional value further and may ad artificial sweeteners, additives, and preservatives, ultimately increasing the Glycemic Index (GI) of honey, making it more harmful than beneficial.

On the other hand, raw honey is directly obtained from beehives. It is stored straight into bottles after extraction without going through any heating, pasteurization or artificial filtering procedures such as that of the Organic manuka honey , obtained from the bees feeding on the nectar and pollens of Manuka flowers.

What makes refined sugar harmful

Many proved statistics have shown refined sugar to be the ultimate culprit behind many dangerous health conditions. The process of refining sugar from sugar beet and sugarcane plants removes all the enzymes and other vital nutrients, leaving only the caloric rich sugar behind without any health benefits.
Why raw honey is a better alternative to sugar
Here are some sound reasons to prove that raw honey is better than processed or refined sugar in many ways.

House of many beneficial nutrients 
Raw honey, which has not undergone any industrial processing, is rich in various vitamins (Vitamin B, C & B2), enzymes and other minerals (manganeses, magnesium & potassium). The digestive enzymes present in raw honey also help the body digest honey components compared to refined sugar. The natural vitamins also act as co-enzymes improving the overall enzymatic activity of our body (Whelan, 2016).

Less risk of obesity
HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) is a type of refined sugar commonly used in many processed foods as a sweetener. It is responsible for causing severe impacts on our brain's sensitivity towards the leptin hormone, a hormone responsible for regulating our eating habits (Gunnars, 2018). As a result, people eating products made from HFCS are at a higher risk of getting obese. On the other hand, raw honey with a low glycemic index does not have any harmful impacts (Terzo et al., 2020).

Flavoured raw honey products
Functional honey, including Turmeric Honey and Matcha Infused Honey, is a great way to enhance honey's nutritional value further. These flavoured honey products allow you to make delicious honey lattes or apply them over a toast or drizzle a good amount on your salads.

Low risk of cardiovascular diseases
 One of the principal organs of our body, which is affected by the consumption of refined sugar, is the heart. Studies have shown that obese people have significantly higher chances of developing heart disease and stroke. Statistics represent a 2% increased risk of stroke occurrence with every 10-kilogram rise in our body weight (Akil & Ahmad, 2011). Alternatively, raw honey contains polyphenols and antioxidants, which has shown promising results in reducing heart-related issues by dilating arteries and optimizing blood flow towards the heart.

Source URL: https://www.saffronco.com.au/product/manuka-honey/10?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=2