Honey is the worlds oldest superfood.  Many people believe that if they go to their local store and buy honey off the shelf they are getting the full nutritional value of the honey.  This unfortunately is untrue.  Before you buy honey you need to know these five things.

#1.  Honey naturally has several different components mixed in with it.  There is bee pollen, propels, royal jelly and wax.  Each of these byproducts adds to the health benefits of honey.  Honey is also naturally an antiseptic and has antibiotic qualities, thus it's superfood reputation.  When you buy honey at your local grocery it is typically going to be strained of all of the byproducts as well as be heated during the packaging process which can destroy the antiseptic and antibiotic qualities.  There is only one honey in the world found to be able to maintain its antibiotic qualities regardless of heat and it is called Manuka Honey.  To make sure that your honey is not stripped of these naturally ocuring byproducts you want to look for honey that is labeled raw honey.  Raw honey is honey that has not been warmed to more than 100 degrees and is usually not strained.  Raw honey does act slightly differently than the honey that you would typically find in your local store in that it can harden over time.  The rate in which it hardens is dependent on the variety of honey.  All you need to do is put the honey jar in a warm water bath to return it to its original consistency.

#2.  You should know how to read the label on the honey so that you are sure of what you are buying.  First there should always be a flower type listed on the container.  The most popular type of honey found in the United States is clover honey.  It is not however the only flavor available.  Honey's are as diverse as the plants that the bee's pollinate are and so are the flavors.  There is no way to know that only one type of flower was pollinated by the bee's but, apiaries are set up usually on farms or land that is predominantly growing one type of plant.  In California, it is not uncommon to find avocado honey.  This is honey that is from bee's that helped to pollinate an avocado grove.  You also want to see if there is any designation about the packaging.  Raw honey was described above but there is also cold packed honey which is packed literally by hand and is not heated at all.  You may also find more particles in hand cold packed honey and you can expect to pay slightly more for it because it is more labor intensive.  It is however the only way to ensure that the honey has not been damaged due to overheating.

#3.  Know your honey flavors.  Do your research to find out what types of honey will best suite your tastes.  Varieties can range from very dark with almost a molasses flavor to very light with a citrus undertone.  By researching the flavor profiles you will be prepared to choose the honey that is best for you.  

#4.  One thing that many people don't know is that there are a lot of honeys that are actually blends.  Honey packaging companies bring in barrels of honey from around the world and blend them together basically using the import honey as filler because it is cheap.  Because honey is a natural product there is no assurances that the honey is pure and that the bee's were pollinating the flower types listed.  When reading the label find out where the honey is from and make sure that it is not a blend so that you can have the purest flavor profile of the honey.

#5  Raw honey should never be given to infants under 12 months of age.  It does contain some particles of botulism which older peoples immune systems can fight but baby's can have serious complications.  Bee pollen and royal jelly although touted as great dietary  supplements always come with a warning that if you have allergies to bee's  you should use these items with caution.  I would also use caution when eating raw honey since these byproducts are in the honey.  Start with small amounts and work your way up to avoid allergic reaction or even worse anaphylactic shock. 

Lory Sanchez