What is the healthiest honey? We understand the varieties of honey and its beneficial properties.

Med is a valuable complex of nutrients that are so necessary for the human body. Folk medicine has its roots in the distant past. Even primitive people and animals used plants and various herbs to support their body, as well as to treat and prevent diseases. And that's exactly when primitive in search of prey, he accidentally discovered a nest of bees and tried this golden miracle nectar, then humanity became aware of the benefits of honey. After all, honey is not only a very tasty product that can be eaten.

First of all, honey is very useful for the heart, the muscles of which, like all the rest in the human body, use sugar when working. And your heart is not at all indifferent to whether you provide it with natural sugar, which is contained in honey, or refined during processing. So to improve the work of the heart, folk healers, advise in the morning on an empty stomach to eat one teaspoon of honey and drink a glass of cold water.

Also, honey is useful for maintaining the strength of the body and satisfying its need for mineral elements. For this, traditional medicine offers a very simple recipe. It is as follows: two teaspoons of honey and two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water, drink one or more times a day, depending on your mental and physical load.

Honey also has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, as it has a calming effect and at the same time it does not cause any harm to the human body. Moreover, it can be used as a sleeping pill.

The great advantage of honey is that it does not irritate the mucous membrane of the digestive tract, it is easily and quickly absorbed by the body, and besides, compared to other sugars, it is easier to pass through the kidneys. It contains iron, copper, manganese, silicon dioxide, chlorine, calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus and magnesium. And many of these substances, in small quantities, are simply necessary for a person to maintain the normal functioning of his body.

I would also like to note that honey is the most effective remedy for the treatment of urination in bed in children. This may seem strange to some, but still, if you have such a problem, I think it's worth trying this method of treatment. In the case when a child wets the bed after three years, give him at night, one teaspoon of honey. Being hygroscopic, it is able to attract and condense moisture from the air. Due to this, honey will retain moisture in the child's body during the night's rest, preventing urination in bed. And besides, the child will sleep better as honey calms his nervous system.

Medicinal properties of honey

Honey is the most famous bee product. Everyone loves sweet, fragrant honey - both adults and children. And it's not a secret for anyone that this product, in addition to incomparable aromatic qualities, also has medicinal properties.

In ancient times, honey was known to have medicinal properties. It applied to the treatment of wounds and colds, and also as a means of recuperation. For centuries, very famous healers and doctors have recognized honey as a remedy for many diseases.

What is honey for us? Honey is a product of the vital activity of bees, which is obtained as a result of processing by the body of a bee. flower pollen and nectar. Its aromatic qualities and color tend to depend on the area in which the pollen was collected, as well as on the season. This dependence is due to the presence various kinds flower pollen and nectar. The best honey is the one that is made in areas with arid climates.

Honey has various properties, one of which is the ability for long-term storage without loss of medicinal qualities. If stored for a long time, honey can become candied. Many people think that candied honey is not natural, however, it is a high quality mark.

The medical value of honey is due to the presence of a significant amount of vitamins in it. The main components of this bee product are glucose and fructose, thanks to which honey is easily digested. human body. Honey has antibacterial, anti-allergic properties, its use strengthens the immune system and treats inflammatory processes.

Honey also helps in the treatment of infertility, various diseases of the respiratory tract, ulcers, gastritis, diseases endocrine system, cancer treatment, thanks to it improves memory and intelligence, it normalizes metabolism. Honey is very effective in eye diseases, in diseases of the liver and kidneys, in disorders of the nervous system, neurasthenia, insomnia, headaches, depression. Honey has a great advantage as it tastes great.

Healing properties of honeycomb and wax

Useful properties are not only honey, but also the honeycomb in which it is located. It is an excellent remedy in the treatment of diseases. respiratory system. Honeycomb wax has healing properties when chewed, which has a beneficial effect on the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. So with inflammation of the nasal mucosa, it is recommended to chew honeycombs hourly for four to six hours. The duration of each chewing is 15 minutes, then the chewed mass must be spit out.

In acute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the paranasal cavity, one described course of treatment is enough for half a day or a day, and the nose is well cleared, and the pain stops. Also, traditional medicine recommends chewing honeycombs once a day from autumn to June, the so-called school period, for the prevention of influenza and the common cold. Since wax caps contain some strong active substance which protects the respiratory tract from diseases.

Application of honey

Everyone knows that honey can be used for medicinal purposes, but how it affects the body is not completely clear. Some scientists suggest that honey activates the flow of lymph. These theories are proved by the fact that already one hour after the wound was smeared with honey, a liquid called lymph strongly appeared on it. It automatically flushes out all bacteria. At the same time, doctors observed enhanced phagocytosis: when they removed the bandage covered with honey, they found a significant number of phagocytosed microbes.

Honey has all the necessary components for the treatment of heart disease. It improves the functioning of the liver, helps to neutralize harmful elements in it and removes them due to increased diuresis. Honey is a wonderful remedy for pulmonary tuberculosis. Eaten on an empty stomach, honey and bee bread reduce blood pressure, and in other situations stabilize it. Honey also has a positive effect in the treatment of hypertension.

The use of honey along with royal jelly is effective in treating gastric and duodenal ulcers. If the wax enters the stomach with honey in the combs, then it is not absorbed, but becomes a flexible lubricant, and has a positive effect on the intestines. Honey paralyzes the effect of alcohol, as it contains a significant amount of fructose. If a drunk person is given 130-150 g of honey on an empty stomach in two doses with an interval of half an hour, then he will sober up.

Flower honey can treat people who suffer from vaginal and cervical ailments, you can even be treated at home. Honey must be applied to the vagina and cervical area. If the treatment takes place in a physiotherapy room, then it is introduced by vaginal electrophoresis.

Honey also treats inflammatory diseases of the eye membrane. It is used in the creation of various creams, emulsions, as it makes the skin more tender, supple, and also acts as an anti-wrinkle agent.

It is known that honey can be used as a preventive measure in order to avoid early toxicosis in pregnant women, anemia, diabetes mellitus, etc.

Honey works well as a sedative and sleeping pill.

We offer some useful tips and recipes that will help cure the diseases that were mentioned above.

RECIPES WITH HONEY

Wounds and ulcers on the skin

Wounds, ulcers can be cured with honey, using it as an ointment. Effective mixtures include honey and fish oil. Konkov's ointment, which contains a significant percentage of honey, is applied to the wound, applied gauze bandage and replace it every 2-4 days. The duration of treatment is approximately 2-3 weeks. Wounds and ulcers that do not heal for a long time, it is advisable to lubricate the cream, which consists of honey (80 g), fish oil (20 g), xeroform (3 g).

Wounds and ulcers on the skin are treated by traditional doctors with decoctions and tinctures, which are made with the help of medicinal plants and honey. Here are some recipes:

In 1 cup of hot water, put 1 tablespoon of dried marsh cudweed grass. Place this solution in a water bath (10-15 minutes), then cool, strain, and then put 1 tablespoon of honey into it. Fluid can be used to clean wounds and ulcerative lesions skin. With a stomach ulcer, drink 1-2 tablespoons of the drug on an empty stomach, half an hour before a meal.
Put in a glass half filled with hot water, eucalyptus leaves (50 g). Place in a water bath (10-15 minutes), cool, strain, put 2 tablespoons of honey into the infusion. Use the solution as lotions and baths in the treatment of wounds and ulcers that do not heal for a very long time.
Put 1-2 tablespoons of dried chamomile flowers in a container with 2 cups of hot water. Place in a water bath (10-15 minutes), cool, strain, put 1-2 tablespoons of honey into the infusion. The composition is used for rinsing the mouth with gingivitis, stomatitis, tonsillitis, and in the form of enemas (put an enema of 50 g at bedtime) - with prolonged colitis.

Skin diseases, honey masks

Decontamination and softening skin achieved with a honey mask. She has this recipe: mix glycerin (3 tablespoons), ammonia(1 teaspoon), honey (1 teaspoon) and half a glass of water. This mixture is used for the skin of the hands to make it softer, eliminate dryness and flaking.

We offer recipes that can be used for diseases of the skin of the face, as well as to prevent wrinkles. Recipes for these masks:

mix honey (100 g) with lemon juice, cover the skin of the face with a small layer of this mass (can be used for both dry and normal skin) for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with water;
mix flour (2 tablespoons), honey (1 teaspoon) with pre-foamed egg white; apply this mixture on the face (to prevent wrinkles) for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with water;
dry and normal skin can be softened with barley flour (90 g), honey (35 g) and foamed protein; mix all these ingredients well, and cover the face with the resulting mixture for 10-15 minutes;
put 1 tablespoon of honey in a container with 2 cups of warm water; Wipe the face with the resulting solution before going to bed for 5-7 minutes, then wash warm water;
mix wheat flour (30 g), water (30 g) and honey (50 g); wash your face with warm water, put a heated compress and cover the skin with vegetable oil; put an even thin layer of cotton wool with cut holes for the mouth and eyes on the face, gently soak the cotton layer with the mixture, hold it for 20 minutes; then remove the cotton pad, make 3 warm compresses and wash your face with slightly warm water;
slightly warm honey (100 g), mix with alcohol (23 g) and water (23 g) so that a homogeneous mixture comes out; apply the mass with cotton wool on the face in a small layer and after 12 minutes wash thoroughly, then lightly powder.

Diseases of the stomach: gastritis, ulcer

Peptic ulcers of the stomach and duodenum can be cured by drinking honey diluted with warm water 1.5 hours before the first meal and 3 hours after the afternoon snack. Medical practice proves that you need to eat honey in the morning and in the evening, 30 grams each, as well as about 40 grams each in the afternoon. You need to be treated for 1.5-2 months. Patients with an ulcer who have low acidity should consume honey 5-10 minutes before meals. Treatment with honey can be combined with medications. If intolerance to one type of honey is noticeable, you need to change it to another.

An ulcer is treated by combining honey with royal jelly in a hundred to one ratio. The mass is consumed three times a day, 2 teaspoons. In order to prevent the destruction of royal jelly by gastric juice, it is necessary to drink half a glass 10 minutes before drinking the mixture. alkaline water. If an increased susceptibility of the body to royal jelly is found (in this case, sleep disturbance is observed), then it is advisable not to use it.

Recipe for gastritis hyperacidity gastric juice: three times a day, consume honey (before meals, 1.5 hours), dissolved in warm water. People with low acidity - use before meals, dissolving in cool water. And in the first and second cases, the daily dose of honey (120-150 g) is distributed so that the shares are equal. It is necessary to be treated for 1.5-2 months. It must be borne in mind that honey mixed with warm boiled water, reduces the acidity of gastric juice, and with cool - increases. Knowing this feature, you can use honey, taking into account the specifics of your body.

Bowel disease, colitis, difficulty defecation

Honey has a pronounced antimicrobial effect on pathogenic intestinal microflora. And it does not affect the non-pathogenic intestinal microflora. Therefore, honey is actively used in the treatment of colitis. It is consumed at 80-100 g per day. Honey is dissolved in advance in apple juice or cool water. The liquid is divided into three parts and drunk before meals. Also, the solution eliminates constipation (honey helps with difficulty defecation).

The recipe is this. It is necessary to dilute candied honey (15 g) in a glass of warm milk. Babies aged 5-8 years should be given one dessert spoon of honey at night. Or: sulfur (20 g) and honey (80 g) are well mixed. Use 1-2 small spoons per day, using the mixture both for constipation and for protracted bronchitis and furunculosis.

You can get rid of bacillary dysentery with the help of specific antimicrobial agents in combination with honey. So the patient's correction occurs much faster than with their separate use.

In the treatment of the diseases indicated above, a significant effect is achieved by using a mixture of honey (180 g) and bee bread (50 g). Honey is bred in cold water(800 g) and, stirring continuously, fall asleep pollen of flowers. The mixture is left to infuse for several days at room temperature before fermentation begins. Take about half a glass before eating. It is necessary to be treated for 1-1.5 months. I would like to note that side effects no one showed up.

Neurosis, sleep disturbance

Anxiety, insomnia are treated with honey. Approximately 100 g of honey should be consumed per day (30 g each in the morning and in the evening, and in the afternoon - about 50 g). To do this, honey is dissolved in a glass of water at room temperature. After 1-2 weeks of treatment, patients begin to sleep soundly again, they feel cheerful in the morning, their working capacity increases.

Honey has a very good effect on the activity of the heart. And first of all, when doctors do not fix pathologies, and patients complain about subjective discomfort. Painful manifestations at the same time slowly decrease, and then completely disappear. In patients with neurosis, over time, the feeling of fear, symptoms of an excited state, cramps of the arms and legs disappear, the mood becomes better.

If neurosis is observed in severe forms, the effect of honey can be reinforced by the use of other bee products. So, 1 teaspoon of royal jelly is mixed with honey (30-50 g), drunk in the morning and evening until complete recovery. Or 1 teaspoon of pollen is added to 1 tablespoon of honey and taken in the morning and afternoon.

Sleep disturbance due to neurosis and increased emotional arousal can be eliminated by drinking two-thirds of a cup of warm water with honey (1 tbsp.) 30-45 minutes before the intended sleep.

lung disease

Lung diseases can be cured with the following folk remedies:

honey (100 g), lard (100 g), agave juice (15 g), cocoa (100 g) and butter(100 g) mix; heat the resulting (without bringing to a boil); use in the morning and in the evening, one tablespoon per cup of warm milk;
mix fresh aloe juice (150 g) with honey (250 g) and dry grape wine (350 g), leave for about 5 days in a cool and dark place; use three times a day for a tablespoon half an hour before meals;
aloe leaves (about four years old) should be kept in a dark, cool place for 12-14 days, then rinsed in water, crushed and poured with water in a ratio of one to three; one and a half hours to insist, then squeeze; the resulting aloe juice (100 g) mixed with crushed walnut(500 g) and put honey (300 g) into the mixture; use three times a day for 1 tablespoon half an hour before meals;
mix honey (100 g), goose or pork fat (100 g), agave juice (15 g) and cocoa (100 g); use a tablespoon per cup of warm milk.

Colds

Colds can be cured with the following recipes:

put in 1 cup boiling water 1 tablespoon of dried coltsfoot leaves; cool, strain and add honey (1 spoon); use three times a day for 1 tablespoon;
diaphoretic tea (recipe No. 1): coltsfoot leaves (2 parts), raspberries (2 parts), oregano (1 part), honey (1 tbsp.); boil all the ingredients, drink like tea;
diaphoretic tea (recipe No. 2): coltsfoot leaves (2 parts), marshmallow root (2 parts), oregano (1 part), honey (1 tablespoon); boil all the ingredients, drink like tea;
boil in a glass of boiling water big spoon dried black elderberry or a spoonful of small-leaved linden flowers, leave for 20 minutes, strain, put honey (1 tbsp.); drink the infusion warm before going to bed;
in 1 glass of water put 1 tbsp. l. elecampane (pre-grind), boil (10 minutes), cool, strain and add honey (1 tablespoon); take one tablespoon three times a day one hour before meals;
put a tablespoon of dried chamomile flowers in a glass of boiling water, cool, strain and put honey (a teaspoon); gargle with sore throat;
boil 500 g in a liter of water for three hours onion(peeled and finely chopped), sugar (42 g) and honey (52 g); cool down; consume 4-6 tablespoons per day; medicine relieves cough.

Mass for compresses: honey (2 parts), agave (1 part), alcohol (3 parts).

Influenza with rhinitis is treated with a mixture of honey and garlic in a one to one ratio, consumed one tablespoon at bedtime with water.

Oral diseases, periodontitis, catarrhal gingivitis, stomatitis

Oral diseases, periodontitis, catarrhal gingivitis, stomatitis can be cured with honey. Recipe: sodium salt(4 g), boric acid (4 g) and honey (30 g); take half a teaspoon of the mixture, smear it with your tongue over the mouth. Disease of the mucous membrane of the mouth, as well as the gums, can be cured by rinsing aqueous solution honey. It's best if it's in honeycomb: you get mass useful elements and the wax cleans your teeth. By the way, honey does not destroy the enamel, unlike sugar.

Heart disease, hypertension

If there is honey, then coronary circulation will improve and blood pressure will decrease at hypertension.

Recipes from honey:

100-140 g of honey per day is taken for a month or two with weak heart function; you can add beetroot juice (1 cup) and use 1 tbsp. l. three times a day one hour before eating;
honey (1 glass), carrot juice (1 glass), juice of 1 lemon, horseradish juice (1 glass), mix, place in a glass jar and close it well, keep in the cold; use a teaspoon three times a day or 2 hours after a meal; period of use - about 2 months.

Hello friends!

Over the weekend, friends invited us to their dacha to celebrate their tenth anniversary of living together.

They say they don't need gifts, the main thing is our presence.

Well, I couldn't go empty-handed. My wife and I decided that honey bath scrubs are a great gift option.

Both cost effective and useful.

Friends are just lovers of the bathhouse, so they really liked the present. And what benefits honey brings, and not only for external use, I will tell you further.

Honey - useful properties

Honey is antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral.

Prior to the discovery of insulin, homeopathic physicians used honey in the treatment of diabetes and recommended that patients eat honey instead of sugar. The Indians of northern Mexico increased their cases of diabetes when they stopped eating honey, replacing it with sugar. The healers of the tribe noticed the relationship between these two events and began to give the sick natural honey dissolved in tea with manzanilla (a type of sherry). As a result, the symptoms of diabetes in patients were markedly reduced.

Attention!

Diabetics and people suffering from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) should consult a professional doctor before using honey for medicinal purposes.

A teaspoon of natural honey given to a child at bedtime acts as a sedative, helps to fall asleep faster and avoid enuresis.
Honey increases the energy level, vitality of a person and gives strength. Not for nothing during the ancient Olympic Games, athletes followed a diet that included a large number of natural honey.
Cough responds well to honey. If you have a cold, drink a glass of hot milk with a teaspoon of honey at night.
Honey does not cause fermentation in the stomach, so it can be used to suppress acid indigestion.
Honey mixed with ginger, lemon juice and warm water reduces nausea and gives strength.
The use of natural honey helps to reduce muscle cramps. They occur due to low levels of calcium and high level phosphorus in the blood. Honey brings these levels into balance.
Honey is used in the treatment of anemia, as it contains many useful substances, especially iron and copper, and normal level hemoglobin in the blood depends on the required amount of these elements in the body.
Honey is used for all types of intestinal disorders as it is an excellent antibacterial agent.
With a decrease in blood sugar, a person feels tired and has a rapid heartbeat. Honey eliminates these unfavorable sensations. There is even a saying in India - "Honey will strengthen a weak heart, a weak brain and a weak stomach."
Honey contains many enzymes necessary for the normal digestion of food.
Honey is an excellent remedy for various wounds. After all, it has antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal properties that destroy microbial infections and promote rapid wound healing.
The use of natural honey helps to reduce the level of triglycerides in the body. Their high content can lead to cardiovascular and other diseases. Artificial honey, on the contrary, leads to an increase in the amount of triglycerides.

Honey is often used for cosmetic purposes. To improve complexion, mix 1 tablespoon of honey with 1-2 tablespoons of almond or olive oil(you can use jojoba oil), apply to the skin of the face and neck. Leave on for 30 minutes and wash off with cool water.

Advice!

Another option for a nourishing honey mask: mix green or white clay with natural honey. Apply to face, wait 20 minutes and rinse. After such procedures, your skin will be smooth and beautiful.

Honey combined with grape juice is an excellent remedy for gout, arthritis and joint pain.
The use of honey helps to lose weight. Honey has the opposite structure to fat, so it helps to break down fat. If you are in the process of losing weight, then drink a glass of mineral or ordinary water with a teaspoon of honey dissolved in it in the morning on an empty stomach. If desired, you can squeeze a few drops of lemon juice into it.

Thus, even eating sweets, you can improve your health. Just remember that exclusively natural honey, which has not undergone any heat treatments, has beneficial properties, as they destroy its medicinal properties.

Honey is quite high in calories, it is sweeter than sugar and 100 grams of honey contains about 300 kilocalories.

Due to the presence of potassium, honey has the ability to destroy bacteria. It forms an environment in which bacteria simply cannot live. Bacteria exist in a humid environment, in which they develop most actively, and potassium deprives them of this moisture, which leads to their speedy destruction.

For a long time, no one believed that honey is capable of destroying bacteria. But living in Colorado and working at a local agricultural college, a bacteriologist doctor has researched this beneficial property of honey. He conducted many tests in which bacteria were placed in honey.

The results of the study were positive. Honey really killed germs. Weaker microbes, such as typhoid germs and the like, did not last even a day. Stronger - pathogens typhoid fever, lasted two days.

Those microbes that were in the water and in the intestines died after five hours, and those that caused chronic bronchopneumonia disappeared already on the fourth day.

Microbes that cause diseases such as: pleurisy, purulent abscess and peritonitis die after ten hours, as do dysenteric microbes. Subsequently, the experiments that were carried out by the scientist were repeated by others, but the results invariably remained the same.

Honey contains the following useful material: magnesium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, potassium, chlorine, calcium. These are all natural elements, because they come from the soil, then they enter the plants, from which the bees extract nectar. Accordingly, the richer the soil with these minerals, the more they are contained in the composition of honey.

Advice!

Dark honey contains more copper, iron and manganese than light honey. Therefore, the use of dark honey is more preferable. It is the iron content that makes honey the most useful, since iron is inextricably linked with hemoglobin and its content in the blood. Iron supports and stimulates the ability of hemoglobin to hold oxygen.

In addition to it, honey contains a lot of manganese, which should also be included in your daily diet. Manganese also helps to restore the level of hemoglobin in the blood, thereby being an auxiliary component for iron, and also affects growth and is useful for the function of the gonads.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), which is part of honey, is necessary for us to regulate reproductive functions and growth, it has beneficial properties for thyroid gland, nails and skin.

Honey contains useful a nicotinic acid, which takes a significant role in the processes of the body, promotes the removal of cholesterol, dilates blood vessels.

Honey, the beneficial properties of which are extensive and multifaceted, has the following advantages over other sugars:

the body absorbs honey very quickly and easily
it is a mild laxative
does not irritate the mucous membrane of the digestive tract
is a sedative. Soothes and relaxes
unlike sugars, it is easier and easier for the kidneys to pass
has therapeutic properties

Many people, especially in our time, experience a lot of stress and suffer nervous disorders. As a result, a mass is purchased in pharmacies sedatives, most of which, in addition to the directly calming effect, have many side effects because they contain substances harmful to human health. Is it possible to compare honey with these preparations? After all, this is a natural and incredibly useful product that is also able to calm and relax.

Source: www.ayzdorov.ru

Watch the video of the medicinal properties of honey:

Types of honey

It is known that the taste, smell, color and density of honey directly depend on the nectar that is collected by bees. Nectar, in turn, is collected from various plants. The nectar that bees collect from flower fields where any one plant species predominates is called monofloral, and the one that is collected from flowering herbs is called polyfloral.

Useful bee products

For example, propolis. A resinous dark substance that is obtained as a result of the vital activity of bees and is used by them to isolate the hive.

The beneficial properties of propolis are that it kills bacteria, thereby being a good prevention against many diseases, such as tonsillitis, flu, and even skin diseases. In addition, propolis has a positive effect on the gums and oral cavity, so it is part of many toothpastes.

Propolis is used to make a special oil that is used to eliminate corns, in addition, it has a softening and soothing property, which makes it an excellent cough remedy.

Another waste product of bees is royal jelly. Most often it is combined with other drugs and formulations. Royal jelly has a salty-sour taste and yellow-white color. Its beneficial properties include the normalization of metabolism and it is considered an antibiotic agent.

It is actively used in cosmetology, as it relieves inflammation well, dilates blood vessels, tones and has anti-aging properties.

Despite the fact that in our time, store shelves are lined with all kinds of goods, finding natural and healthy products is not an easy task. But the products should also be useful. The same situation is with honey. There are a large number of fairs and exhibitions of honey, many options are presented in stores, a product called "honey" is not at all scarce, but finding real honey is not easy. Honey is one of the most frequently adulterated products.

In this article, we will try to figure out how you can protect yourself, learn how to choose the right honey, and start by getting to know this product better.

What is natural honey? This is nectar collected by bees from honey plants and processed by them into honey. The bees should not be fed sugar syrup. Participation Food Industry excluded. Nowadays, you can buy a product called "honey", which has never been touched by bees, produced with the help of modern science. This is less troublesome and the result of production can be predicted, but wait healing properties from such "honey" is not worth it. It is far inferior in taste. natural honey. If the “surrogate” is sold in a store, then in small letters on the jar you can read its composition - sugar and other components.

Beekeeping- it's not a simple matter. In order to get honey, it is not enough to build hives and buy bee colonies. The volume of honey collection is influenced by various factors, among them the weather - rainy, too windy, arid interferes with beekeeping; the presence of honey plants in the range accessible to bees; the health of bee colonies, and many others. In lean years, the collected honey is hardly enough for bee colonies to feed themselves during the winter. The productivity of an apiary can be judged only by evaluating the result for several years. Only the tireless efforts and experience of beekeepers lead to the appearance of a quality product. Due to such difficult conditions, many beekeepers are tempted to use various manipulations, few of them remember the law of cause and effect.

Honey is divided into two types: flower and honeydew.

flower honey produced by bees from nectar collected from flowers. Any honey - sweet clover, herbs, sunflower, buckwheat, clover, rapeseed and others are flower honeys.

Another type of honey is more rare - honeydew, it can be animal or plant origin. Honeydew honey of animal origin is collected from some insect species that secrete sweet juice. One of these insects is the aphid. Honeydew honey of plant origin is collected from the buds of certain types of trees (hazel, ash, oak, maple, ash, some types of spruce and fir, fruit trees), which secrete juice in hot autumn weather. This "dew" is called honey. The taste of honeydew honey is different, sometimes bitterness is characteristic of it, by the presence of which experienced beekeepers can determine it. It is darker in color, ranging from dark brown to black.

Since ancient times, honey has been famous for its beneficial properties, it is considered a means for gaining longevity and painless old age.

Here are just some of the health benefits of honey:

Vitamins and trace elements included in its composition help maintain health
Has a bactericidal effect
Normalizes the activity of the gastrointestinal tract
Accelerates tissue regeneration
Tones the body
Stimulates the function of internal organs

The color of natural honey can vary from almost colorless to dark brown, depending on the type of honey plant. The darker the honey, the more minerals and other substances it contains.

Honey also differs depending on the time and place of collection and even on the breed of bees that collected it.

Composition of honey .

Up to 80% of the volume of honey comes from simple sugars- glucose and fructose (in approximately equal proportions), the rest is water, minerals, enzymes, amino acids. Due to the fact that sugars are in honey in a simple form, they are easily absorbed by the body, ready for absorption, which is 100%. Our body does not expend energy on the assimilation of honey (if it is consumed within reasonable limits), which happens when consuming ordinary sugar.

Honey may be different states- liquid, thick, candied, homogeneous. A large number of varieties of honey gradually change their color and texture during storage. This process is called crystallization (candied, greedy), which does not affect the beneficial properties of honey, despite the change in shape. Crystallization - the formation of glucose crystals. Fructose, in turn, does not crystallize. The more glucose in honey, the faster crystallization occurs. For instance, sunflower honey begins to crystallize almost immediately after collection, and white acacia honey may remain liquid until spring. If there is less glucose in honey, it crystallizes more slowly or does not crystallize at all. Also in this case, it is possible to exfoliate honey - a crystalline mass goes down, a more liquid one rises up.

Varieties of honey in which crystallization is faster - sunflower, rapeseed, yellow thistle, honey collected from cruciferous.

Slower - fireweed, white acacia.

The percentage of glucose / fructose depends not only on the type of plant, but also on the geography of its growth. In colder regions, glucose in plants is formed worse than in more southern ones. This leads to the fact that the northern varieties of honey crystallize more slowly.

The more fructose in honey, the sweeter it is (because fructose is 2.5 times sweeter than glucose). Therefore, such varieties of honey as white acacia, fireweed are sweeter compared to those in which the amount of glucose predominates.

Artificial honey does not crystallize, so crystallization is a positive process.

The structure of crystallization may also differ, this process depends on various factors. At a temperature of 14 degrees, crystallization is faster than at a higher temperature, and the crystals are smaller. In a warmer room, crystallization proceeds more slowly, and the resulting crystals are larger.

Since the fructose molecule is lighter, it tends to rise. Therefore, during storage of honey, its stratification is possible, but it occurs quite slowly due to its high density. At temperatures above room temperature, this process is accelerated. Such stratification may lead to thoughts about the poor quality of honey, but in fact it does not affect the properties of honey.

It is necessary to take into account the fact that honey cannot be collected from one type of plant by 100%. Even if a mobile apiary goes to collect honey in a certain field, the bees are free to choose plants on their own and can fly into a neighboring field, or collect nectar from weeds growing on the field. This affects the properties of honey.

Honey, the main part of which (from 40%) is obtained from one type of plant, is called monofloral. Polyfloral honey - collected from different plants. Consider the main types of monofloral honeys:

Buckwheat honey. The color is bright brown with a reddish tint, has a strong pleasant aroma.
Acacia honey. Color from colorless to pale yellow, crystallizes very slowly. Aroma - weak floral, fresh.
Linden honey. The color is white-yellow, white-amber, the aroma is rich, fresh, pharmaceutical. The crystallization rate is average.
Rapeseed honey. Color from white to white-yellow. Crystallization is fast. Herbal aroma.
sunflower honey. The color is pronounced yellow. Slightly herbal aroma.
chestnut honey. Reddish brown to dark amber color. Crystallization is slow. The aroma is rich, bitter.
clover honey. Color from light white to light amber. Crystallization is fast fine-grained. Slightly herbal aroma.
sweet clover honey. Light amber color. The aroma is subtle.

A large amount of honey that is currently sold at fairs is of Chinese origin, called Altai, Bashkir or something else. Such honey is collected mainly in the subtropical zone, and this fever and humidity. The bees themselves are not able to bring the honey to the correct moisture ratio, and beekeepers pump out unripe and too liquid honey. In order to prevent rapid souring of honey, antibiotics are added to it, which interfere with the fermentation process. Methods of artificial drying of honey are also used. Our beekeepers and honey dealers do not lag behind and use various tricks in the production and sale of honey.

You should not buy honey collected in polluted areas, in places close to enterprises chemical industry, CHPP, large airfields. Toxic substances are concentrated in honey.

Most the right way to buy high-quality natural honey - to buy it from good friends who do not put enrichment at the forefront, but strive to share a quality product with people. But, unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to purchase honey from friends and trusted people.

A good way to check the quality of honey is a laboratory, but you will have to pay for such a study and it makes no sense to check every jar in this way. For example, only in the laboratory can one determine the diastase number corresponding to honey.

Consider the diastase number in a little more detail. As with other natural and nutritious foods, honey contains various enzymes, of which there are several dozen. Enzymes are catalytic substances that help and significantly speed up the process of digestion and assimilation of food. Among them are catalase, invertase, amylase, peroxidase and diastase. The latter enzyme is best known among honey connoisseurs.

Diastase Enzyme responsible for the breakdown of starch. Currently, many evaluate the quality of honey by diastase number, i.e. the amount of diastase in honey. But you should not rely only on this parameter. diastase number may vary depending on the region in which the honey was collected, on the breed of bees, on the honey plant. When determining the quality of honey, there is a standard, according to which the diastase number must be at least 8. By the presence of diastase in honey during laboratory tests, it can be determined whether the honey has been heated. If the honey has been heated, the diastase number will be "0". There are observations that the older the honey, the higher the diastase number; it rises with time.

But besides the laboratory, there are some other ways to test honey that can help us protect ourselves.

A few methods for determining the quality of honey that you can produce yourself:

Maturity of honey.

Honey must be ripe. After the nectar is collected, the bees continue to work on it for about a week. During this time, excess moisture is evaporated, complex sugars are broken down into simple ones, honey is filled with enzymes. Unscrupulous beekeepers, to the detriment of the quality of the product, pump out honey without waiting for the moment when it is ready (only after the honey is ready, the bees seal it in the honeycombs with wax). They may do this for several reasons:

after clogging the honey, it becomes more difficult to pump it out;
want to send the goods for sale as soon as possible;
left without honey, the bees begin to harvest it more actively again;
more such honey is obtained, since it contains a lot of water;
lack of honeycombs in the household.

Excess moisture contained in unripe honey leads to the fact that it is worse stored, the fermentation process in it starts faster, and valuable product loses its nutritional and taste properties. The normal moisture content of honey is less than 21%.

How to distinguish mature honey?

It is thicker, flows beautifully and smoothly from the spoon with elastic threads, and does not immediately become uniform on the surface. You can conduct such an experiment - if at a temperature of 20 degrees you scoop up honey with a tablespoon, and then start rotating it horizontally, the honey will be held on its surface, smoothly flowing to one or the other part of it, wrapping it on a spoon - honey is ripe. Unripe honey will, without lingering, flow down in a thin stream or even drip.
weight of honey. Honey is a heavy product, it weighs more water. With normal humidity less than 21%, 1 liter of honey weighs more than 1.4 kg (excluding containers).
Determination of the quality of honey by organoleptic properties. Of course, honey must be sweet. A bitter taste is characteristic of only a few types of honey, such as chestnut and linden. Honey should dissolve completely in the mouth. After eating a spoonful of honey, you can feel a slight irritation, tingling of the mucous membranes of the throat. Smell honey, feel its aroma. Honey with an admixture of sugar has no aroma and pronounced taste. There should not be a sour smell, it may indicate that fermentation has begun. The caramel flavor and aroma indicate that the honey has been heated. In natural honey, there may be small particles - pollen, wax, sometimes, in case of poor filtration, wings or other parts of insects may be present. If the honey was obtained not from the nectar of flowers, but from the sugar syrup that was fed to the bees, such honey will be unnaturally white. It will be like this if the main component of “honey” is sugar syrup. Often, bees are only partially fed with such a product, and in this case it is more difficult to feel the presence of sugar feeding. Here we must also not forget that some natural honeys have a natural white color - raspberry, fireweed, some types of sweet clover honey.
Determining the presence of sugar and water in honey. Take a piece of paper, dip it in honey and set it on fire. The water will start to sizzle, the sugar will crystallize, and the honey will only melt. Another way to detect sugar is to heat the tip of an iron wire with a lighter (for example, by straightening a paper clip) and then dip it into honey for a few seconds. If after this the wire remains clean, the honey is good, if a drop of “honey” “burns” to it, you have a fake.
Determination of the moisture content of honey using bread. If a piece of bread is dipped into high-quality honey, it will not get wet, but it will possibly become harder, since the honey itself will draw moisture out of it. Another test for the presence of excess moisture is if you drop honey on a piece of paper. If the drop begins to spread, and the leaf around it becomes wet, the honey contains excess moisture.
Determining the presence of a chalk additive in honey can be done using acetic acid. If there is chalk, a reaction will occur with an intense release of carbon dioxide.
The presence of starch or flour added to honey can be determined using iodine, if iodine turns blue when in contact with honey, starch is present in honey. The color of iodine will be the more intense, the more starch is added to the honey.
If a small amount of honey is placed in a water bath and heated to a temperature of 40-45 degrees for several minutes, high-quality honey will have a more pronounced aroma, while a fake one will not have it.
Put the honey in a cup of warm water, stir it with a spoon. Honey should not float - it is heavier than water. Real honey will quickly dissolve completely without sediment.
Real honey can be rubbed between the fingers, it is easily absorbed into the skin, falsified honey cannot be absorbed - lumps will remain on the fingers.

You need to request documents for honey from the seller-beekeeper:

veterinary passport of the apiary, which is issued by the regional veterinary service and is subject to mandatory annual renewal, the document is issued for the full name of the beekeeper;
information on honey analysis. The form of this document may differ depending on the region where it was obtained. The certificate contains such information as the date of analysis, description of honey, humidity, acidity, diastase number, etc.; The presence of such a document minimizes the risks, but is not a guarantee of the quality of honey, since one honey can be sent for research and traded with another.
certificate of the presence of a personal farmstead, contains information on confirmation of the presence and number of apiaries.

There are other documents, but basically they are not required for beekeepers.

A few more tips:

Experienced beekeepers advise you to talk to the seller, ask him some questions about the apiary and the honey collection and see how he will answer them. Thus, you can determine if there is a reseller in front of you. The more hands the honey has passed through, the less likely it is of high quality.
If you are going to buy a large batch of honey, it is recommended that you first buy a small jar and have it analyzed in the laboratory, or use the tips above.
Pay attention to which container honey is sold, from which container it is applied. If the container is metal - you should not buy such honey.
Do not buy honey without samples in the market from unknown sellers, placed in a sealed jar. When buying, try to navigate and listen to your senses.
Some merchants, in order to attract buyers, give their honeys interesting names, such as cedar honey. This should not be believed, because enough bees will not be able to gather nectar for such honey. Perhaps there is a certain amount of cedar in honey, but it cannot be called monofloral cedar. There is no honey from chamomile or sea buckthorn - there is no nectar on such plants, bees do not sit on them. There is practically no pink, St.
If you do not have confidence in merchants and you are afraid to buy body honey with an admixture of sugar syrup, starch, and other ingredients, you can buy honey in combs, protecting yourself from some fake options. But such honey still does not guarantee that the bees were not fed with syrup and that it does not contain bee medicines that bees and honeycombs are sprayed with if necessary.
Choose the thickest honey, this may indicate its maturity.

Different approach to buying honey depending on the season

If you buy honey in winter, it is better to take candied honey, because it is more difficult to fake it. After all, it is not easy to artificially give honey this look. When buying liquid honey, the probability that it is of poor quality is much higher - perhaps after natural crystallization it again became liquid from heating, which will negatively affect its beneficial properties.

If you buy honey in summer and early autumn, it is better to take liquid honey, of course, if it does not belong to those varieties of honey that are prone to accelerated crystallization. Otherwise, there is a possibility that you will buy old honey that has lain for a year or more. In the case of applying this paragraph, do not forget that liquid honey can also be last year, but melted after heating.

Packing and storage.

The container should not be metal, without enamel, otherwise, when interacting with it, the honey begins to oxidize. Previously, honey was stored in barrels of linden, smeared with wax, in which honey did not deteriorate for a very long time. Galvanized and copper utensils should not be used in any case, since honey reacts with such utensils and is filled with poisonous salts.
If you are laying out honey yourself or taking your own container to the fair, make sure that the container is clean and dry - the presence of moisture in the jar will reduce the shelf life of honey, odorless.
It is better to lay out honey with a wooden spatula or spoon, metal causes its oxidation. Of course, in a short time of contact between a spoon and honey, honey will not have time to oxidize much (therefore, there is nothing wrong with eating honey with a metal spoon), but if there is such an opportunity, it is better to choose a wooden one.
If honey is stored in an airtight container, it crystallizes much more slowly, which affects the taste properties of honey, and not its quality.
Depending on the storage temperature, the crystallization process also differs, as discussed above.
Honey has the ability to absorb moisture and odors from the air. This property is called hygroscopicity. It is advisable to store it in a dry, dark place. If the room is damp, honey can gradually accumulate it, which will cause fermentation.

Myths about honey

Mountain honey is better than lowland honey. There is no such relationship with the beneficial qualities of honey. The quality of honey depends on how ecologically clean the place where honey was collected, on the conscientiousness of the beekeeper.
Wild honey. By naming honey in this way, traders want to present it as being collected by wild bees living in hollows in the forest. There is practically no such thing in nature. Finding and collecting it is difficult. There is no mention of large volumes. Moreover, it cannot be in the steppe regions, where there are no forests.
Honey with "royal jelly". At fairs, many merchants offer such honey. Think about whether it is worth buying honey with such a name for a high fee - after all, you can collect only a few grams of "royal jelly" from one hive.
There is an opinion that honey is an allergenic product and therefore some people avoid using it. In fact, an allergy to honey is a rather rare phenomenon. It can occur if the honey is not of high quality and it contains cane sugar, particles of plant pollen (if a person is allergic to the pollen of a certain plant), less often - a small amount of medicines that beekeepers use to treat bees and hives. And although honey can become an allergen for some people, it can help others cope with allergies, and for this purpose it has been used since ancient times in Russia, especially honey in combs. If you know you have a pollen allergy, use honey with common sense.
Candied honey has lost its properties. As we have already discussed above, candied honey does not lose its properties, but on the contrary, it can be a sign of the quality of honey, since it is difficult to fake it. If the honey is quickly candied, this may also indicate that during its production the bees were not fed with sugar syrup or were used in a minimal amount. Since honey collected with the use of syrup candied much more slowly.
Some consider "May honey" to be the most useful, but in fact there is practically no such honey in our nature. It occurs mainly in the southern regions during the flowering of early honey plants, such as acacia. At the beginning of the year, a lot of nectar and pollen is required for the hive to establish work after winter, to feed the offspring. A careful and responsible beekeeper will not take honey from his wards. This term most likely arose before the changes in the calendar, when the end of May fell on the middle of June according to the current calendar. In an effort to still get a benefit, unscrupulous traders sell melted last year's honey under the guise of "May" honey.
Because honey most useful product it can be eaten without restrictions. This is not so, everything is useful in moderation and you should not overdo it even with honey. The average consumption of honey per day is 2 tablespoons for an adult.

It is important to remember that honey is not just a sweetener, it is a valuable food product that can improve our health. The considered techniques do not allow avoiding all falsifications of honey, but they will allow you to protect yourself a little. You should not take risks and buy honey in places and from persons that do not inspire confidence. You should not proceed from the principle - where is cheaper. It is better to buy less natural honey or not to buy it at all than to buy something under its name.

Be aware!

We wish you good health!

The effect of honey on the body has not yet been accurately studied. The vast experience of ancient and modern healers and scientists suggests that honey is a unique product with remarkable healing properties.

Honey - natural product beekeeping, the benefits of which have been known to mankind since ancient times. Its therapeutic effect on the body was used by ancient healers to treat a variety of diseases.

The effect of this sweet bee product on the body has not yet been accurately studied. The more science develops, the more detailed the effect of this product on the body is studied. But at the same time, a lot of new questions arise, because the use of any medicine, including honey, can be not only beneficial, but also harmful.

Composition of honey

It is established that honey is a storehouse of vitamins and minerals. It contains all vitamins of group B, K, E, C, provitamin A. Since vitamins are combined with natural mineral salts and biogenic amines, their benefits are much higher than synthetic substitutes.

Of the macro- and microelements, it contains magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium, phosphorus, chlorine, sulfur, zinc, iodine, copper, and iron. Each of these elements affects the course of the physiological processes of the body, acting as catalysts for biochemical reactions.

The carbohydrate composition of honey is mainly represented by fructose and glucose. They are easily digestible, and unlike sugar, they do not harm tooth enamel.

Of the protein compounds, honey contains enzymes, antibodies, hormones and other biologically active compounds.

Important! The composition of honey may vary depending on the honey plant from which it is collected. The effect of different types of honey on the body will also be different.

The effect of honey on the body

Since honey contains a large amount of biologically active substances, its effect on a person is very multifaceted. It affects the work of all organs and systems.

Internal application

Due to the content of phytoncides, honey exhibits fungicidal, bactericidal, antiviral action. Biologically active substances stimulate the work immune system, enhancing the production of antibodies to infectious pathogens, accelerating recovery when colds. Thanks to these same substances, honey exhibits a diaphoretic and antipyretic effect on the body.

Honey improves digestion, stimulates the gastrointestinal tract, and normalizes peristalsis. A person who consumes honey practically does not have constipation. Cold 15% honey water eliminate heartburn and nausea. The inclusion of honey in the treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcers increases the percentage of healed processes by about a third.

Regular intake of honey improves the condition of teeth and bones, as honey promotes the absorption of calcium in the intestines.

Rosehip infusion with honey will strengthen the heart muscle, and honey, dissolved in equal proportions of freshly squeezed beetroot and carrot juice, helps regulate blood pressure. Together with fresh fruits, honey has a positive effect on blood vessels.

Together with other bee products, honey has a positive effect on men's health. This is excellent aid with adenoma, prostatitis, erectile dysfunction, and even infertility - honey can increase sperm activity.

The benefits of honey during pregnancy and lactation are invaluable. At this time, the body consumes a lot of resources. With the help of a sweet product, they will recover much faster. In addition, honey becomes a lifesaver when various diseases in pregnant women due to the fact that they are prohibited from most traditional drugs.

External application

Special attention deserves the effect of honey on the skin and subcutaneous tissue. It deservedly occupies a place of honor in cosmetology, where the benefits of using it are really obvious, and the harm is minimal. The uniqueness of this product is that it can be used for all skin types.

Masks with honey return freshness and youth to the skin, moisturize and cleanse, even out the complexion. They tighten and smooth fine wrinkles. In addition, honey has a tonic and antiseptic action. Honey masks shown before plastic surgery, as they increase the regenerative capabilities of the body.

Honey massage performed in different techniques can both relax and stimulate the body. And baths with honey and milk were valued in antiquity because of the positive effect on the skin. After such procedures, the skin becomes soft and velvety, acne, pimples and black spots disappear.

The negative impact of honey

From the foregoing, it becomes clear that honey is not only a food product, but also quite wealthy. remedy, which has an intense general effect on the body. Therefore, its use is possible not only benefit, but also harm.

Allergy

Most common cause refusal of honey treatment - hypersensitivity to it. This issue has been debatable for many years.

There is an opinion that honey, due to the large number of biologically active substances in its composition, is a strong allergen. At the same time, many scientists believe that a natural product cannot be an allergen in principle, and cannot harm a person, since it consists entirely of natural substances.

Another thing is that it is very difficult to find a 100% natural product, because the area under crops of honey plants is constantly decreasing, beekeepers feed bees with sugar or glucose in order to increase profits, and especially unscrupulous people add various substances to honey - molasses, cane sugar, starch, flour, and even sawdust. It will still be very good if the harm caused by such a “product” does not greatly affect the health of the patient.

In addition, allergies can only occur on the honey of a particular plant. Typically, there will be allergic reaction on the pollen of the same plant. Here, an allergic test will help to dot the "i".

Internal diseases

There are very few internal diseases in which honey can cause harm. The first is diabetes. Although patients with this pathology are allowed to take it, the amount of this product must be strictly dosed. The same goes for obesity.

Also, if the patient is suffering from emphysema, bronchial asthma, heart defects or heart failure are contraindicated inhalation with honey.

Finally

Having decided to use honey, the first thing to do is to decide on the place of its purchase. It is best to do this in the apiary. It is very good if it is a familiar beekeeper.

And do not be too lazy to consult with a specialist first. It is very good if it is a nutritionist, but even family doctor will be able to advise you on this issue. Perhaps, as an addition, you will need to consult an allergist. All these actions will help to minimize potential harm, and you will be able to heal and strengthen your body in a simple and affordable way.

Honey has been used for healing since ancient times. Even Avicenna argued that if you eat a pomegranate in the morning, at noon - food stuffed with onions, and before going to bed - honey, then the blood will be pure.

Before using any prescription, consult your doctor.

Treatment with honey and bee products

The great physician Hippocrates said: "If you get sick and nothing helps, turn to the bees."

Honey is a sweet natural product, which is nectar, partially digested in the crop of a honey bee. It contains over 70 chemical elements necessary for life. Honey is well absorbed by the human body, as it contains 13–20% water, 75–80% carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, sucrose), vitamins B1, B2, B6, E, K, C, provitamin A (carotene), folic acid and other therapeutic trace elements and antibacterial substances. In addition, honey has a high energy value.

In our time, experts call honey energy doping. It contains 78% sugars, 20% water, 2% mineral salts. Moreover, the sugars contained in this product belong to the group of easily digestible, so the human body does not need to make an effort to process honey. Doctors have long suggested giving up sugar, replacing it with honey. Together with it, not only fructose, glucose and sucrose enter our body, but about 70 important and very useful substances.

Honey contributes to the stabilization of floating blood sugar levels in liver diseases.

The extraordinarily effective antiseptic properties of this product are used in the treatment of wounds and cracks in the body. Honey applied to the wound kills streptococci and microbes, improves the nutrition of the cellular system.

This product is widely used in cosmetology. It makes excellent anti-aging masks, both for the face and for the whole body. Good honey in the steam room in the bath. Under the influence of heat and steam, the pores on your body expand, this leads to more effective impact useful active elements of honey on your body as a whole. The skin after such procedures becomes well hydrated, and wrinkles are smoothed out.

With the help of honey, you can fight depression, syndrome chronic fatigue. To do this, it is enough to take one to two teaspoons of this product in the morning.

For prevention purposes, experts recommend that adults take no more than 100 g of honey per day, children - 50 g. But this product may not suit all people, there are a number of contraindications. At hypersensitivity honey may cause hives, itching, headache, swelling of the nasopharynx, digestive disorders. In this case, you need to exclude honey from your diet. It is also not recommended for those who suffer from diabetes, children with diseases such as diathesis and scrofula.

Of all the other sweeteners, many people choose honey not only because of its health benefits, but also because of its aroma and special taste.

Natural honey by origin is divided into three types: floral, honeydew and mixed.

Flower honey is obtained as a result of the collection and processing of nectar by bees, which is secreted by plants.

Bees produce honeydew honey by collecting honeydew (a sweet liquid secreted by the stems and leaves of plants and containing sugar-like, nitrogenous, mineral and other substances) and honeydew (sweet secretions of aphids). Due to the high content of minerals and dextrins, honeydew honey is as valuable as flower honey.

Fresh honey is a sweet viscous translucent aromatic mass. Pure honey remains liquid as long as it is sealed in the cells of the honeycombs kept in the hive at a temperature of 20-30 ° C, and retains a liquid consistency only for a while, after which it crystallizes or, as they say, candied. This indicates its high quality.

The consistency of honey depends not only on the concentration of sugars, but also on their type. Honey containing high fructose (levulose) is more liquid than honey containing more glucose or other higher sugars.

There are a lot of varieties of flower honey. Honey obtained from the processing of nectar from one plant by bees is called monofloral, but if it is collected from several plants, then this is polyfloral honey. If different varieties of honey are mixed in order to change any qualities (taste, aroma, color), honey is called blended.

Types of flower honey:

Acacia honey It is considered one of the best and most useful varieties of honey. It is obtained from the nectar from the flowers of white or yellow acacia. Very light, transparent, crystallizes slowly. It has a delicate taste and delicate aroma.

barberry honey has a golden yellow color, is processed from the nectar of the flowers of the barberry berry bush, is considered an excellent hemostatic agent.

hawthorn honey high quality, has a bitter taste and a specific aroma, dark color.

Cornflower honey considered one of the most useful varieties of honey, it has a greenish-yellow color, a pleasant smell and a bitter taste.

heather honey It is produced from the nectar of the flowers of the common heather shrub, it is considered a low-grade honey. It can be dark in color, sometimes with a reddish tint, has a pleasant or slightly bitter taste, and has a slight aroma.

Pea honey It is produced by bees from the nectar from the flowers of the thin-leaved pea, it is transparent, has a pleasant taste and delicate aroma.

Crystallization (candied) of honey is a natural process and does not affect the quality. However, if honey costs more than 4 months and is not candied, this indicates its inferiority.

mustard honey has high nutritional and medicinal properties, has a white or golden yellow color, delicate aroma, pleasant sweet taste. Mustard honey crystallizes quickly, turning into a light, fine-grained mass.

Buckwheat honey has a wide color palette - from dark yellow to dark brown with a reddish tinge, has a pleasant aroma and a peculiar tart taste, is considered high-grade, with valuable medicinal properties, as it contains a large amount of iron and proteins.

sweet clover honey refers to the best varieties of honey, has a white or light amber color, has a delicate taste and aroma with a hint of vanilla.

Angelica (angelica) honey dark brown or deep amber in color, has a specific taste and aroma, reminiscent of the smell of caramel, has powerful healing properties. Viscous, crystallizes very slowly.

blackberry honey watery-transparent, with a delicate aroma, has high taste and medicinal qualities.

snakehead honey light, transparent, has a pleasant taste and aroma. Moldavian snakehead belongs to very valuable melliferous plants, as it gives a large amount of high-sugar nectar with a lemon smell.

willow honey golden yellow, high palatability, upon crystallization becomes fine-grained, acquiring a creamy hue.

hyssop honey is an antiseptic, wound-healing, mild stimulant.

stone honey very rare and peculiar, as wild bees produce it, laying it in the crevices of stone cliffs. This honey has a pleasant aroma and excellent taste, is almost non-sticky and keeps well for several years.

chestnut honey usually dark in color, has a weak aroma and a bitter, not very pleasant taste. This honey is classified as low-grade.

fireweed honey produced by bees from the pollen and nectar of fireweed flowers (willow-herb), it has a very weak delicate taste. This honey is transparent, almost colorless.

clover honey transparent, almost colorless, considered high-grade, has a delicate aroma and a peculiar delicate taste.

maple honey light in color, has a delicate aroma and excellent taste.

cranberry honey beautiful color, has a bright aroma and delicate taste, as it is less sweet than other types of honey.

Lavender honey has a pleasant aroma and taste. It is transparent and golden in color. This honey belongs to the category of first-class.

Linden honey- one of the best varieties honey, has a strong and pleasant aroma of flowering linden and a specific taste that is easily recognizable even when mixed with other honey. The color of honey is white, sometimes completely transparent, often light amber, rarely yellowish or greenish. In liquid form, honey is transparent-watery; after crystallization, a fine-grained or lard-like mass is obtained.

Burdock honey has a sharp spicy smell, has a dark olive color. This honey is very viscous.

meadow honey golden yellow, occasionally yellow-brown in color, has a pleasant aroma and good taste. This honey is produced by bees from the nectar of various meadow flowers.

alfalfa honey varies from completely transparent to golden amber. The color of this honey depends on the water content, being darker the more water there is. Alfalfa honey has a pleasant aroma and specific taste, it crystallizes quickly, but at room temperature it can remain liquid for a year.

Linden honey has valuable nutritional and medicinal qualities, contains antimicrobial substances, is known for expectorant, anti-inflammatory and mild laxative effects. It is successfully used in diseases of the respiratory tract (tonsillitis, rhinitis, laryngitis, bronchitis, etc.) as a means of strengthening the heart, it is used in the treatment of inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, in diseases of the kidneys and gallbladder, it is used for healing festering wounds and burns.

Raspberry honey belongs to the varieties of honey of the highest quality. It has a pleasant aroma and good taste.

Melissa honey has a pleasant aroma and taste. Produced from the nectar of light purple or pink lemon balm flowers.

carrot honey dark yellow in color with a strong aroma. This honey is obtained from the nectar of fragrant white carrot flowers.

mint honey It is considered high quality, has an amber color and a pleasant aroma of mint, is produced from the nectar of fragrant peppermint flowers and contains a large amount of vitamin C. It has a choleretic, soothing, analgesic and antiseptic effect.

Dandelion honey has a pronounced aroma and sharp taste, has a golden yellow color. This honey is very thick, viscous, crystallizes quickly.

thistle honey has a white color, has a pronounced aroma and taste. This honey is top notch.

sunflower honey yellow, golden or light amber in color, has a tart taste and weak aroma, quickly crystallizes. This type of honey has valuable dietary and medicinal properties.

motherwort honey light yellow, has a specific, but mild taste.

Drunk, or poisonous, honey obtained from the nectar of azalea, rhododendron and other poisonous plants. When using this honey, a person experiences signs of intoxication, nausea, dizziness, and fever may occur. With long-term storage, the toxicity of honey disappears.

Rapeseed honey has a weak aroma and sugary taste, can be white to bright yellow in color, it is thick, quickly crystallizes. This honey is poorly soluble in water and quickly turns sour during long-term storage.

Resed honey has a delicate taste, pleasant aroma and is considered high-grade.

rowan honey has a strong aroma and pronounced taste, has a red color. Crystallizing, this honey turns into a coarse-grained mass.

Rape honey greenish-yellow in color, has a weak aroma and pleasant taste, but is unsuitable for long-term storage.

tobacco honey, like chestnut, has dark color and bitter taste. Most often it is used in the food industry.

The ancient Greek commander and writer Xenophon of Athens, in a historical narrative about the retreat of the Greeks from Asia Minor, describes how every single warrior who ate honey in Colchis fell ill, and some even died. The poisonous properties of local honey were explained by the presence in the nectar of rhododendron, which grows in abundance in these places, andromedotoxin alkaloid.

pumpkin honey golden-yellow color, has a pleasant taste, quickly crystallizes.

tulip honey It has a pleasant aroma, good taste and is distinguished by a reddish color. This type of honey is produced from nectar from an ornamental tulip tree.

Cotton (cotton) honey it has a peculiar aroma and delicate taste, it is very light in color, and after crystallization it becomes a coarse-grained white mass.

cherry honey light yellow in color, has a lemon-sweet taste and pleasant aroma, has antimicrobial properties and is well absorbed by the human body.

blueberry honey has a reddish color, has an exceptional aroma and pleasant taste.

sage honey light amber or dark golden color, has a delicate pleasant aroma and good taste.

Eucalyptus honey It has an unpleasant taste, but is highly valued due to its healing qualities.

Since ancient times, honey has been widely used by the people to heal many ailments. The ancient Russian medical books contain hundreds of recipes for potions using bee honey, which is considered a medicine for people of any age. Honey as a drug is even praised in epics, folk tales and songs.

Sainfoin honey very transparent, light amber color, has a pleasant delicate aroma and taste. It slowly crystallizes in very small crystals and is a white solid mass with a creamy tint. It is considered one of the most valuable varieties of honey.

apple honey light yellow in color, has a delicate aroma and taste, crystallizes very quickly.

Honey in home medicine for external use:

Recipe 1

5 ml honey, 5 ml sunflower oil, 5 ml pharmacy tincture mix propolis until a homogeneous mass is obtained, apply on sheets of paper measuring approximately 80 x 130 mm. With sciatica, apply such honey "mustard plasters" to the sore spot, lightly securing with a bandage, and keep for 4-6 hours (you can leave it overnight).

Recipe 2

1 st. spoon of Epsom salts, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of honey, 1 tbsp. mix a spoonful of water thoroughly, apply on the lower back, rub well, apply plastic wrap, wrap with a woolen scarf and leave overnight. Recommended for exacerbation of sciatica.

Recipe 3

Take a medium-sized black radish, wash it, cut a cavity in it, put honey in it, let it stand for 4-5 hours, after which a mixture of honey and radish juice is used to rub sore joints and lower back with arthritis and sciatica.

Recipe 4

Heat 30 g of honey in a water bath, mix thoroughly with 3 g of mustard, apply the resulting mass to the lumbar region, wrap it tightly with a linen towel, wrap it with a woolen or downy scarf over it. Keep for 15 to 30 minutes if there is no severe burning sensation. Wash off with warm water as soon as discomfort appears. Apply with exacerbation of sciatica.

Recipe 5

10 fruits horse chestnut peel and grind into powder, add 50 g of honey and 30 ml of camphor oil. Stir until a homogeneous mass is obtained, apply to a sore spot, cover with plastic wrap and tie with a woolen or downy scarf. Apply in case of exacerbation of sciatica.

Recipe 6

150 ml of honey, 70 ml of aloe juice and 250 ml of vodka mix thoroughly. Use the mixture for compresses that have an anti-inflammatory effect in arthritis.

Recipe 7

Radiculitis or lumbago is most often provoked by a cold and physical labor, especially in damp and cool times. Honey rightfully occupies one of the main places in folk methods of getting rid of sciatica.

In 100 ml fresh juice black radish dissolve 1 teaspoon table salt, add 50 ml of fresh chestnut honey and 50 ml of alcohol infusion of calendula, mix thoroughly. The resulting remedy is rubbed into sore joints in case of exacerbation of arthritis.

Recipe 8

50 ml honey, 30 g dry mustard, 30 ml vegetable oil stir, bring to a boil over medium heat, but do not boil. Use the mixture for a compress on the area of \u200b\u200bthe diseased joint. Keep the compress for about 2 hours, covered with polyethylene and a woolen scarf. The procedure is recommended to be carried out 1 time per day for arthritis.

Recipe 9

Take 50 g of honey, 10 g of dry mustard, 30 g of table salt, 10 g baking soda, to stir thoroughly. Use the mixture for compresses. Procedures are recommended to be carried out at night for a week with arthritis.

Recipe 10

Pour 50 g of wild rose flowers into 300 ml of boiling water, insist for 20-30 minutes, strain, add 100 g of honey, mix thoroughly. Use the mixture for lotions on sore joints with arthritis 2 times a day for 2-3 weeks.

Recipe 11

To 50 g of honey, add 100 g of minced onion, mix thoroughly. Make applications on sore joints for 20 minutes 1 time per day for a week with gouty arthritis.

Recipe 12

Honey bath for arthritic limbs: Dissolve 50 g of honey in 2.5 liters of warm (not higher than 38 °C) water. Take a foot (hand) bath for 12-15 minutes daily before going to bed for at least 7 days. Enhance healing action honey can be added to therapeutic bath herbal infusions.

Recipe 13

Wash 100 g of fresh garden quinoa grass, finely chop, pour 50 ml of table vinegar, add 50 g of honey and 10 g of table salt, mix thoroughly. With the resulting mass, it is recommended to do compresses for gouty and other painful swelling.

Recipe 14

For the treatment of gout, traditional medicine recommends steaming your legs in hot water and applying a gruel consisting of dry mustard, baking soda, chopped onions and honey taken in equal proportions to sore joints, wrap wax paper and wear woolen socks. This should be done at night for 2 weeks.

Cut off 2-3 leaves of aloe, wash, peel, chop. 5 cloves of garlic and 1 small onion, peeled, washed, chopped. Mix 30 g of ghee, 50 ml of honey, 50 ml of water with chopped aloe, garlic and honey, bring to a boil over low heat, but do not boil. Use the cooled mass for compresses on joints affected by gout or arthritis.

Recipe 15

Wash 1 turnip, peel, boil. Grate the cooled turnip on a fine grater to make a gruel. Add 50 g of honey, mix thoroughly. Apply the mass to sore spots for gout and rheumatism.

What can you eat honey with?

Honey with cottage cheese. Another perfect option for a hearty and healthy dish. Put a spoonful of liquid honey in cottage cheese of any fat content - and you no longer need sugar and sour cream.
Honey with porridge. Boil any porridge without sugar and salt, cool slightly and add a spoonful of honey to it.
Honey with vegetables and unsweetened fruits. In this combination, honey is a flavor enhancer and a substitute for mayonnaise and vegetable oil. Even will seem like a delicacy raw pumpkin and zucchini.
Honey with pancakes. Of course, at overweight we will dilute the dough for fritters and pancakes low-calorie - without sugar, in skim milk, 1% kefir or even in water - and bake in a Teflon pan with the minimum amount oils. Decorate pancakes with a drop of honey! They won't be as "lean".
Honey with tea. But in this combination, honey is only suitable for dessert. You will not satisfy your hunger - on the contrary, you will "work up" your appetite. And do not forget that herbal tea should be warm, not hot (mandatory condition), or if the tea is hot, all the beneficial substances of honey will be destroyed. Honey is ideally combined with any herbal and flower teas - jasmine, raspberry, blueberry, St. John's wort leaves. They don't tolerate regular sugar.
honey with water. To relieve fatigue, it is enough to drink a glass of warm water with 1-2 teaspoons of honey.

7 signs of natural honey

Real mature honey wraps around the spoon (if you turn it) in folds, like a ribbon, flowing down in continuous threads. In a jar, he lays down a slide. A liter of ripe honey will pull almost one and a half kilograms.

Unripe honey will easily drain from a spoon - there is too much water in it. Similarly, honey diluted with water or honeydew, artificially obtained in a centrifuge from unsealed honeycombs, sour or starting to sour, will behave in a similar way.

By autumn, if it is not chestnut honey or locust honey, which can remain liquid all year round, then the delicacy should be crystallized. But there is a catch here too - honey obtained from bees that were simply fed with sugar syrup will also crystallize. True, such a product will not bring any benefit to the body. Counterfeit crystals are larger and tougher, and the more sucrose, the coarser the crystals.

Quality honey does not foam. Otherwise, it is immature or has already begun to ferment.

If the corpses of bees, pieces of wax or particles of grass float in honey, this does not mean that honey is one hundred percent natural. Often sellers add all these components on purpose to convince naive buyers of the authenticity of the product.

There should not be any bundles in a jar of honey. Resourceful businessmen often put a mixture of semolina and molasses on the bottom, and pour honey on top. In general, impurities, if any, can be determined at home. True, you have to work hard. Dissolve some honey in distilled water (1:1 ratio), shake the mixture and dilute it with pure alcohol (2 parts of the mixture to 10 parts of alcohol), then shake well again. If there is honeydew in honey, the solution will become cloudy, and if more than 25% of honeydew was added, then after a while a precipitate will appear. You can determine sugar syrup if you add 5-10% lapis solution to a solution of honey. If there is no sediment, the honey is pure. The quality of honey is also worsened by impurities of starch or starch syrup. The presence of starch can be determined by adding a drop of iodine to a mixture of honey and distilled water, because of the impurity, the honey will turn blue. Sometimes chalk is added to honey for thickening. Drop vinegar on honey, if there is chalk, the mixture will sizzle.

Store-bought honey is attractive on the outside and completely dead on the inside. Indeed, to give the product a marketable appearance, it is heated at high temperatures, and after heat treatment all useful substances evaporate, and almost pure glucose enters the container. That is why honey should not be added to hot tea if its temperature is above 37 degrees. Boiled honey is ultra-transparent, with a bright sheen, shimmering amber.

When buying comb honey with cells sealed with wax, be sure - everything is made by bees. True, honeycombs themselves are often obtained by feeding sugar syrup to bees.

Real honey can be distinguished from counterfeit by a laboratory on the market, although there may be nuances here. Therefore, buy honey from well-known and trusted beekeepers, or better, directly from the apiary. And when choosing a treat at a market or fair, ask the seller for a product quality certificate.