Characteristics of natural honey from pollen

Honey is a delicacy that is known to each of us since the distant childhood.However, few people know that this unusual sweetness is a product of the life of bees, has not only a pleasant taste, but also very useful for our body.

Honey is a thick, viscous, aromatic and sweet substance. It is a completely natural product, as it is produced in the process of vital activity by bees and some related insects. In essence, honey is obtained as a result of the processes of “digesting” the nectar of flowers in the goiter of a honeybee.

Of course, the quality and properties of honey are largely dependent on most factors: the type of flowers and nectar, their combination, the time of the bees collecting nectar, the type of bees, the time of taking honeycombs with ready honey ... And much more.

In addition to the flower, there is also honeydew honey - a substance that is very similar in its characteristics to ordinary honey. It is obtained when bees collect sweet excrements of aphids instead of nectar, which are called padya, or effusion on the surface of some plants along with pollen. The resulting substance has a too high concentration of minerals, so it is very specific and rarely recommended for use as a therapeutic agent.

The main criteria by which the type and quality of honey is determined are indicators such as color, smell, taste, viscosity and some others.

In order to choose a good flower honey, there is no need to thoroughly understand it.

• We all know that the color of honey is yellow. However, depending on the variety, it may have different shades, from straw to saturated dark amber. But there are also species that have almost white color.
• Taste. In this case, it is very difficult to give exact criteria, because honey has its own, unique taste. For a floral look, a long, specific aftertaste is typical, but the taste may vary depending on the type of flowers and the collection.
• The aroma should be light, unsharp, with pronounced floral notes. As a rule, the smell is quite rich and multifaceted.
• Viscosity. Real flower honey should not be too thick. If it is too dense, then, most likely, the process of crystallization has already begun, which is directly related to the high sucrose content. The honey varieties that are “multicolored” begin to crystallize most quickly.
• Collection period In general, begin to collect honey in late spring. The season lasts until the beginning of autumn, respectively, distinguish between the early, so-called May honey, and the summer version. It is believed that the May is more useful.

A unique feature of this bee treat is that its taste biochemical properties depend entirely not only on the time of collection, but also on its geography. For example, experienced beekeepers distinguish not only the types of flowers, but also the place of collection, respectively, there is honey meadow, steppe, forest, mountain.

All of them can have a lot of differences between themselves, even if the bees that produced them collected nectar from the same types of flowers. There are also various combinations that are produced when insects collect nectar from several plant species at the same time.

The main value of this sweet, of course, lies in its unique composition. It is due to the unusual and rich combination of useful components. humanity has long used honey as a remedy.

• Vitamin C.This substance is known in medicine as one of the simplest and most effective immune stimulants. In this case, we are talking about a natural version of ascorbic acid, which is much easier to digest and is able to strengthen the natural immune processes.
• Folic acid is recommended for use to all people who become ill, have suffered a serious illness or surgery. The peculiarity of this substance is that it accelerates the recovery process. In addition, folic acid is indispensable for the normal absorption of iron in the body, so that it is indispensable in the treatment of anemia.
• Vitamin K. Natural vitamins in this group are considered very rare, since very few foods contain it. However, they are indispensable for human health, because they play a key role in the normal functioning of the blood coagulation system. Vitamin K is very useful for frequent point bleeding, hemophilia.

• Vitamins of group B, in particular, B6, B12, B3, B1. In medicine, this group of vitamins is used as a means of strengthening the nervous system. Thus, vitamin B6 is used for various types of neuralgia, and B12 - for emotional overstrain, exhaustion, violation of the absorption of substances.
• Carotene. Known to many substance that has a positive effect on the visual system. Carotene not only strengthens the structure of the eyeball, but also improves its blood supply and the work of the optic nerves.
• Organic acids and various natural enzymes. They are indispensable for normal functioning of the human immune system, as well as metabolic processes. Most of the components of honey normalize the activity of all organs of secretion, and also bring hormonal balance in order.
• Glucose, sucrose, fructose. These are unique natural sources of carbohydrates and, therefore, energy.
• Additional inclusions, such as phytohormones, flavonoids, various essential oils, trace elements, minerals, zinc and iron.

There are quite a few different varieties of honey. First of all, it is necessary to single out the herbs - this is a product that is obtained as a result of “feeding” the bees in areas where several types of flowers grow. Such honey is called polyfleral, and it looks more thick and dark as a rule, has a very rich and multifaceted aroma.

It is believed that herbs have a fairly large set of vitamins and minerals, but their balance is not as useful as in the case of monofler honey, from which the absorption of all nutrients decreases. In addition, monoflerny products as a whole are more valuable, since they are much more difficult to obtain, since places with the growth of an exceptional one type of plants are not so common in their natural environment.

Honey is widely used in cooking, often used as an independent sweet treat, the basis for desserts, drinks, sauces and some dishes. Nevertheless, this food product also has medical value. Its unusual composition has long been used to treat many diseases, and to this day it is often mentioned in folk recipes.

Quite a lot is known about the benefits of honey for the human body.

At the same time, many healing effects directly depend on the plants from which bee flower honey was extracted.

• Anti-inflammatory effect. It can be used in the case of any disease that is accompanied by inflammation of the soft tissues and mucous membranes, for example, in respiratory infections, cystitis, colitis.Especially effective in this case is honey extracted from chamomile or linden flowers.
• Antiseptic effect. It is proved that organic acids and some other elements of this product are capable of performing the role of both general and local antiseptic. That is why honey is often advised to use for infections during wound healing. In some popular recipes, it is also used as a local remedy.
• Restorative action. Flower honey itself is very nutritious. It contains a lot of essential vitamins and minerals, so many doctors advise patients to use this product after suffering serious diseases, during periods of recovery after operations. And it is also a good remedy for the treatment of iron deficiency and some other types of anemia.

• Nourishing effect. A large amount of vitamins contributes to improved metabolism, thereby activating all the processes of cell nutrition, as well as regeneration. Natural flower honey is often featured as an ingredient in face masks.
• Improve digestion. Honey has a positive effect on the processes of digestion and assimilation of food. It normalizes the acid-base balance in the gastrointestinal tract, corrects peristalsis, improves metabolism, reduces the risk of inflammatory processes.
• Improves skin and hair condition. Flower honey is enriched with all the necessary microelements that are the “building material” of our body. Regular use of a small amount of sweetness strengthens the structure of nails and hair, makes them healthier, improves their nutrition, restores natural color and shine.
• Strengthens immunity. Doctors have long proven that substances contained in natural honey have a positive effect on the immune system of the human body. They not only strengthen it, but also contribute to the active development of protective cells in the event of a disease.
• As a dietary supplement. Despite the fact that honey is considered a rather high-calorie product, it is often used as a popular supplement during diets and “unloading” days. Sweetness is quickly absorbed and burned in the case of active training, so it is well suited as a small snack that will get rid of the feeling of hunger. Home-made desserts made from floral honey with dried fruit or low-fat cottage cheese are especially popular.

Of course, there are also a number of contraindications in which the use of honey is not only undesirable, but can even harm your health.

• Diabetes. The high content of sucrose and fructose makes floral honey one of the products that are contraindicated for anyone suffering from diabetes.
• Pancreatitis. Inflammatory diseases of the pancreas can cause a deterioration in the absorption of all components of honey.
• The state after removal of the gallbladder, the secret of which is also necessary for normal digestion and assimilation of flower honey.
• Individual intolerance of the product.
• Partial or complete removal of the stomach.
• With exacerbation of chronic gastritis.

In order for honey to be not only tasty, but also useful, you must carefully select the product!

If you prefer to buy it on the market, or, for example, from private beekeepers, we strongly recommend that you arm yourself with a spoon. The best criterion for choosing a flower honey is its consistency. Type a full spoon and twist it: good honey literally "wound" on the spoon, and when pouring back it does not immediately merge like liquid, but folds onto the surface of a slide.

When buying honey in later periods after harvesting, for example, in the fall, pay attention to the formation of crystals. They are natural for all types of this product, with the exception of chestnut or acacia honey, which, on the contrary, should not crystallize.

Carefully inspect the container, which stores honey on the counter. If a white “foam” is observed on the surface of the honey, this indicates a low quality product.

But you can also try to dissolve a small amount of honey in water. If this is real flower honey, then it should disappear completely, leaving no sediment or any impurities.

On how to choose the right honey, see the following video.