Why did the honey seem very sweet? Does honey contain fructose? The role of minerals
Natural honey is very beneficial for human health, and each of us knows about it. But the whole point is that you can get benefits from a natural product, and not from a fake one. It is very difficult to purchase real quality ones. To do this, you need to either be an expert or independently understand the criteria for choosing quality honey. Unnatural honey is not recommended to be consumed even for cosmetic purposes, as it can be harmful. What is the difference between natural honey and fake honey?
Signs of natural honey
Let us list the distinctive properties of natural honey:
- Consistency of honey This is the first distinguishing feature of real honey. If the honey is natural, then it should be of uniform consistency. In the container with honey there should be no cloudy sediment at the bottom and no separation in the sweetest product. Freshly collected honey is liquid in consistency, without separation. The older it gets, the thicker it will be. In the cold season, honey begins to crystallize or, as people say, become sugared. The honey becomes cloudy and thicker.
If “young” honey does not change its consistency and color over time, then it is not natural, but contains additives (adulterated).
Only one type of honey, acacia honey, crystallizes the slowest.
So, real honey in winter can never, under any circumstances, be liquid. If it is liquid, then it is either unnatural or it was melted during production (so that the honey has a marketable appearance).
By the way, note! When you buy honey in winter, it is almost always liquid. This should alert you. Can't be honey all year round liquid.
In some cases, bees are fed sugar, resulting in honey that is too thick and tasteless.
Fluidity of honey
You can check honey for fluidity only if the product is freshly pumped. This is easy to do - lower a regular spoon into a container of honey, scoop up a small amount of it and then lift it up. If the honey is really real, then it will last for a long time. Natural honey does not break into drops and lies in a low mound. If the honey is not natural, it will drain very quickly, like water.
Also, another way to check fluidity is to slowly turn the spoon with honey around its axis. The honey should seem to wrap around the spoon. If the honey is unnatural, adulterated, then it will not wrap around either a spoon or a stick.
Interesting!
Try rubbing a small amount of honey between your fingers. Real honey will be absorbed into the skin like a cream, but fake honey will roll between your fingers like a ball or even spread out like water.
Organoleptics
It is by organoleptics that experts determine whether the honey in front of them is real or counterfeit. We list the main organoleptic indicators:
Taste– real honey is sweet, slightly bitter, the aftertaste is tart. If you hold a spoonful of honey in your mouth for a few minutes and then swallow, real honey will begin to sting your throat.
Smell and aroma- the real one will exude floral scent. Moreover, it will be unobtrusive, pleasant, truly natural. If the honey is adulterated, then either you will not hear the smell, or it will have a hint of caramel and something sharp synthetic.
Honey color depends solely on what flowers and plants the bees collected nectar from. For example, if it is buckwheat honey, then its color has a brown undertone, linden honey is amber in appearance, flower honey is never dark. But honey with a white tint indicates that the bees were artificially raised on sugar syrup.
Dead honey
If honey sellers are not conscientious, then in the spring they will sell buckwheat honey (dark in color). Naturally, it is impossible to obtain buckwheat honey in spring and even early summer. This means that sellers are melting last year’s honey, which has already hardened and crystallized. Real beekeepers and honey connoisseurs call this honey dead, since it completely lacks any beneficial features.
Interesting!
There is no such thing as May honey. Why? Because real professional beekeepers will never, under any circumstances, collect honey in May. Because by doing so they will take away food (nectar) from the future brood. Beekeepers have a rule: do not pump out honey in May, so as not to lose profit in the fall (autumn is the period of the main collection of beekeeping products).
One liter of real honey weighs 1.4 kg.
Chemical reactions
At home, you can use chemical reactions to determine whether the honey in front of you is natural or not. How?
- If it contains foreign impurities in the form of flour, sugar, chalk, sawdust, starch, dyes, then you can identify them as follows: in 250 ml of boiled water room temperature dissolve 3-4 tsp. honey and mix thoroughly. If the product contains any impurities, they will either remain at the bottom or float to the surface.
- Do you suspect that honey contains starch? Again, dissolve honey in water and add a drop of iodine. If there is starch in the solution, it will turn blue.
- The chalk content in honey is determined with a drop of vinegar - if you hear a hissing sound, this indicates an impurity.
- You can even determine the sugar molasses content in honey at home. To do this, add 1 tsp to 100 ml of water. honey and here - 0.5 tsp. alcohol If the solution turns white, then there is an admixture of sugar molasses in the honey.
Recommendation: It is advisable to buy honey based on consumer reviews and from familiar, trusted beekeepers. You are more likely to purchase natural honey during the season – at the end of summer and throughout the fall. By the way, before purchasing, you can ask the seller if he has cellular honey. It is cellular honey that is very difficult to fake. Do not skimp on your health, buy only proven honey (even if it is expensive).
Honey has been used as food since ancient times. It contains components that are very beneficial for the human body. Many people are interested in the question: is there sugar in honey and how to eat it correctly?
What is honey?
Honey is a product produced by bees from the nectar of flowers or plants. The peculiarity of this product is its plant-animal origin.
How is honey produced? In the spring, during the flowering of the first honey plants, bees collect sweet nectar. In the hive, special individuals process the extracted juice, turning it into honey. The filled cells of the honeycomb are constantly ventilated so that excess moisture comes out of the nectar.
Interestingly, varieties of honey not only differ in the time of harvesting and ripening, but also depend on the place where the flowers grow, as well as on the plants from which the bees collected nectar.
Compound
The trace elements present in honey are similar to the composition of human blood. Scientists believe that it is very useful. It is also noted that honey is completely absorbed by the human body.
It includes:
- Glucose.
- Sugar.
- Water.
- Fructose.
- Dextrins.
- Mineral salts and trace elements.
- Vitamins and enzymes.
If you answer the question of whether sugar is added to honey, the answer is obvious. No additional sweeteners are added, as the composition contains natural ones.
The benefits of honey
The benefits of honey are undeniable, according to experts. This product should be consumed with caution, always washed down with warm water. Honey contains many nutrients and a large number of calories.
The product is an excellent antioxidant and is recommended for use during colds. Honey can boost immunity. after hard training.
Honey compresses can be used on wounds and abrasions. In cosmetology, it is used for massage, as well as restorative baths.
Despite all of it positive properties, honey has a number of contraindications. It is not recommended for people prone to allergic reactions, as it can cause asthma attacks.
Most people are interested in whether it is possible to eat honey if they have high sugar levels. Unfortunately, due to the large amount of fructose, this product is not recommended for use by diabetics. His glycemic index is 82, which means it contains a lot of carbohydrates.
Types of honey
There are many varieties of this product. Each of them is unique in its composition, taste and medicinal properties. Most people are interested in whether honey replaces sugar. Yes, because this wonderful product contains natural sweeteners.
Linden honey is considered the most delicious and aromatic. It differs from others in its light yellow, almost transparent hue. Beneficial properties of honey from linden nectar:
- It has anti-inflammatory properties.
- Used to treat gastritis.
- Has a laxative effect.
- Increases immunity to colds.
- For cosmetic purposes it is used in the treatment of eczema, wounds and burns.
Buckwheat honey has a dark shade. Its taste is slightly tart and bitter. It can cure insomnia and help fight stress and depression.
In cosmetology, buckwheat honey moisturizes and nourishes the skin of the face and body. With regular use, expression lines disappear and the complexion becomes healthier and more radiant.
Acacia flower honey is popular because it remains liquid for up to 2 years of storage. It has a delicate, slightly bitter taste. It is recommended for diabetics to use it instead of sugar due to its high fructose content.
How to eat honey correctly
Honey before breakfast is very beneficial. One spoon of the product, eaten on an empty stomach, starts processes in the body, relieves stress, and relieves fatigue. When taken regularly, honey can cure gastritis and improve intestinal function.
Ground nuts can enhance the benefits of honey for the body. This mixture is used to treat various diseases, strengthening the immune system. To improve the functions of the reproductive system, men mix honey with almonds and take one spoon every day.
When using this mixture, it is important to remember that the portion should be very small to avoid headaches, nausea and allergic reactions.
Which is healthier?
Experts are often asked the question: is it possible to eat honey instead of sugar? To answer this, you need to understand how they differ. Honey is a completely natural product produced by bees from the nectar of flowers and plants. It is well absorbed and does not irritate the walls of the stomach.
Sugar only serves the body energy value and is of no use. It can be replaced partially or completely with honey, as it contains nutrients recommended for cells.
Honey for diabetes
The product is useful and helps the human body establish metabolic processes. Honey contains fructose and glucose, which makes its composition unique. They do not require insulin for absorption, so they make the product available to people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
Does honey affect blood sugar? Of course, yes, if you consume it in large quantities. In small doses it is useful, especially during hypoglycemia, when it is necessary to raise blood sugar levels in a short time. This will help avoid dizziness and loss of strength.
In addition, honey contains chromium, which helps stabilize human blood sugar levels. Regular consumption of a small amount of the product will help reduce the amount of glycated hemoglobin, which stabilizes blood pressure. The vitamins and microelements contained in honey will support the immune system.
Honey water
The benefits of the product are so high that healers have been using it to treat various diseases since ancient times. Having figured out the question of whether there is sugar in honey, people learned to use it to prepare effective tinctures.
Water prepared from this product has the following beneficial properties:
- Saturation of organs with vitamins and minerals.
- Improving the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Improves liver and kidney function.
- Speeds up metabolism.
- Saves from stressful situations and chronic fatigue.
Drink 1 glass of honey water every morning. How to cook it? To do this, mix a teaspoon of honey thoroughly in 250 ml of water. To enhance medicinal properties you can add a few drops lemon juice or chopped ginger.
Drink a fresh drink 20 minutes before breakfast. This will allow nutrients saturate all cells of the body.
People have always wondered if there is sugar in honey. The sweeteners it contains are natural, which makes the product unique and beneficial for the human body.
So we figured it out, the product has long been used for dietary nutrition, treatment of diseases and wounds.
1. Honey is better absorbed with enzymes
Enzymes (or enzymes) are substances that accelerate chemical reactions. The main enzyme in the human body is saliva.
Before swallowing a spoonful of honey, hold it in your mouth and wait until it dissolves naturally. Honey mixed with an enzyme will be absorbed faster and you will get more nutrients.
You shouldn't drink honey either. The best “recipe for health” is a glass of warm water on an empty stomach and a teaspoon of honey half an hour later (and all this before the main hearty breakfast).
2. Honey in combs is much healthier than liquid honey
In addition to honey, each honeycomb contains lysozyme. This useful substance is liquid in consistency. During honey pumping, when the beekeeper removes the top caps of the honeycomb, lysozyme is poured out. So this substance does not get into the can with pumped out liquid honey.
Lysozyme is a unique antibacterial agent that destroys the cell walls of bacteria, “killing” them. It also works as an “activator” of the body’s defense mechanisms.
Honey in combs is an excellent substitute for immunomodulators and other means “to strengthen the immune system,” and, moreover, it is completely natural.
3. For medicinal purposes, it is not honey that is more beneficial, but zabrus
Zabrus is crushed wax from caps that are used to seal honeycombs with “ready” honey. Before pumping out honey, beekeepers cut off the bar from the honeycombs along with big amount honey Almost all of the lysozyme actually ends up in this product. Zabrus can also be used during diseases of the throat, larynx, and gums, since it is ten times more effective than honey itself in terms of antiseptic properties.
So instead of sugary cough drops, try using a “natural product.” Just remember to spit out the wax - it is poorly digested by our body.
4. Not all honey is equally sweet.
Honey contains glucose and fructose. Glucose is less sweet, a whitish coating under the lid of a jar of “candied” honey is just that, glucose.
Different types of honey contain glucose and fructose in different proportions. For example, acacia honey has more fructose, and sunflower honey has more glucose. Therefore, each type of honey differs from the other in sweetness.
If you refuse to replace sweets with natural honey, citing the fact that “honey is too sweet,” it means that you have not yet found “the right” variety. Or are you being disingenuous when talking about your desire for healthy image life.
5. Honey can turn sour
The opinion that honey does not spoil is wrong. Some varieties do not last long and may turn sour by spring (honey is collected in summer or autumn).
This does not mean that the product is of poor quality - this is simply the nature of honey from certain types of plants (for example, from sunflowers).
It is better to eat this honey in the first half of winter, and leave linden or buckwheat honey for the second half, which do not change their properties due to long-term storage.
For “sweet preserves” like candied nuts, fruits or homemade snacks, it is also better to choose types of honey that are sure not to spoil.
“Live” and “dead” honey: how to determine whether sugar has been added to honey?
Bee honey is a unique and only natural product obtained from insects, which has nutritional, medicinal, cosmetic and industrial value. Carbohydrates (polysaccharides fructose and glucose with a small proportion of disaccharides, trisaccharides and oligosaccharides) make up 95 to 97% of the dry weight of honey. In addition to carbohydrates, bee honey contains organic acids (gluconic, formic, citric, lactic), proteins, amino acids (proline, lysine, aspartate, glutamate), minerals (calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur), vitamins (vitamin C), alkaloids, anthraquinone glycosides, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids and volatile compounds. In addition to its excellent nutritional value, bee honey is good source physiologically active natural compounds such as polyphenols and flavonoids. General content polyphenols in bee honey range from 50 to 850 mg/kg, while flavonoid content varies from 36 mg/kg to 150 mg/kg.
Polyphenols, of which bee honey contains about 30 types, have high biological activity: they strengthen the walls of blood vessels, stimulate the processes of hematopoiesis and regeneration of epithelial, bone and muscle tissues, they help normalize carbohydrate-phosphorus metabolism, improve thyroid function, and have an antimicrobial effect. important property Honey polyphenols combat oxidative stress in the body, which leads to genome damage and increases the likelihood of the formation of atypical (cancerous) cells. Derivatives of polyphenols in the human body are catecholamines - hormones and mediators.
The polyphenol content is high in real and fresh (raw) bee honey. Although many beekeepers traditionally believe that old honey is healthier, unfortunately, this is not the case. Over time, the biologically active polyphenols in honey are oxidized by light and oxygen to quinones. Quinones significantly improve the taste and aroma of old honey (which is why beekeepers consider it more “valuable”), but do not have the biological activity and healing properties of polyphenols. [Only raw, fresh honey has a number of medicinal properties, in particular neuropharmacological ones.] Source: Rahman M, Gan S, Khalil M. Neurological Effects of Honey: Current and Future Prospects. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Volume 2014 (2014), Article ID 958721, 13.
Raw, fresh natural honey has a wide range of nootropic effects: reduces nervous tension, reduces anxiety, reduces depression, and has an anticonvulsant effect. Fresh raw honey has good anti-inflammatory effects against neurodegenerative diseases and neurotrauma. Unfortunately, in Russia it is very difficult to purchase fresh natural honey without added sugar, or from apiaries where bees are not fed sucrose or fructose. Industrially packaged honey is heated during packaging - heating leads to the destruction of beneficial substances and the formation of harmful ones. The pursuit of profit coupled with consumer illiteracy kills healing properties honey Real fresh medicinal honey can actually only be obtained through acquaintance, from well-known and trusted beekeepers. Honey “poisoned” with sucrose becomes not only useless, but also an unhealthy product: sugars (syrups) added to honey over time or when heated (when preparing foods, in hot tea) are oxidized to hydroxymethylfurfural (hydroxymethylfurfural HMF) - a toxic substance, capable of causing gene mutations. Progressive avalanche-like oxidation of sugars in low-quality honey to toxic hydroxymethylfurfural occurs at only 49 degrees Celsius. [ ] Hydroxymethyl furfural is also formed in high-quality, but old honey that has been stored for a sufficient time. That is, poor quality or simply old honey placed in a cup of hot tea turns into a supplier of a potentially dangerous toxic substance. For the same reason, by the way, you should not drink hot tea with sugar. High concentrations of hydroxymethylfurfural are also observed in "industrial" sugar-containing foods with heat treatment: in baked goods, in dried fruits (pears, peaches), in roasted coffee, sweets alcoholic drinks and balsamic vinegar. Per day a common person, eating industrial food consumes from 5 to 150 mg of hydroxyfurfural. [
Honey is a sweet and sticky liquid, a gift from bees, produced by nature. It is difficult to find a natural product that contains so many useful benefits. After all, honey contains a whole storehouse of medicinal substances, and its properties are very positive. Our ancestors also used this product for healing. What are the benefits of honey?
First of all, this is an excellent homemade adaptogen that can tone the body in a state of weakness and increased fatigue, as well as strengthen the immune system and other vital functions. It is also an excellent culinary tool, a rich source of glucose and fructose, on the basis of which many dishes and even alcohol are prepared. Anyone who has been drunk on mead knows the wonderful taste properties of this drink.
The beneficial properties of honey are so broad that it has found application not only in folk or alternative medicine, but also in official practice. Thus, any honey preparation can be seen in the list of means for treating diseases of the respiratory tract, digestive tract, nervous diseases etc.
Many people need to calm down at night because they cannot sleep. A product like honey does this very well. Take a teaspoon before bed with water, milk or tea for a healthy sleep.
What does honey contain?
Natural honey contains quite a lot of useful substances, which together give a very positive effect. Here are just a few of them:
- carbohydrates;
- a complex of microelements similar in composition to blood plasma (iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, etc.);
- vitamins (group B, C, E, K);
- enzymes (catalase, amylase, phosphatase, diastase).
Honey is very sweet, in this respect it is better than sugar, so it can be used for baking in the oven or microwave, for preparing various desserts, drinks, etc.
Calorie content of honey
Good honey has a fairly high calorie content, so it can be used to strengthen the body or, for example, by athletes who need special nutrition.
The calorie content of this product is 320-360 kcal, of which:
- 81.5 g - carbohydrates;
- 0.8 g - proteins;
- 0 g - fats.
Information for diabetics: the glycemic index of the product is 80-90, which is slightly lower than that of sugar (97-99), but this does not mean that the honey product is not harmful for diabetics.
What kind of honey is there?
There are several classifications of honey, which are listed below.
- First of all, there is a distinction between monofloral honey, which is collected from one type of plant, and polyfloral honey. In the first case, the name of the product indicates the plant (hawthorn, blueberry, acacia, hemp, manuka), and in the second - the place of collection (forest, meadow, mountain, etc.). Honey collected in different areas is also distinguished, because depending on the climatic zone and the characteristics of the local flora, the taste of honey also changes (Charysh, Burzyan, Altai, Bashkir, etc.).
- According to the production method, a distinction is made between centrifugal honey, pumped out using a honey extractor, and cellular honey, which is more useful due to impurities beeswax and other components that do not end up in a large three-liter jar during the pumping process. Typically containing different useful material(milk, bee bread, wax) honey has more pronounced medicinal properties, which makes it possible to separate it into a separate category of bee products.
Types of honey: description and application
There are many types of this product:
- Acacia is a honey that has one of the best compositions. It practically does not crystallize and retains a liquid consistency for a long time and does not thicken. It is used to treat hypertension, fight microbial diseases, treat vision and nerves.
- Hawthorn honey is a product that can treat the heart, high pressure, as well as the thyroid gland. The properties of honey are characteristic: it is slightly bitter, has a special smell and is dark in color.
- Mountain is popular as a 100% eco-product. It also has a bitter taste and a strong odor.
- Honey from Ivan tea differs in color and taste and is used exclusively for medicinal purposes.
- Field - excellent remedy, which helps in the treatment of the nervous system (insomnia, headaches), as well as infectious diseases.
- Sweet clover honey contains substances that help fight atherosclerosis, heart disease, liver and kidney diseases. The healing properties of honey are quite high, because it allows you to cure many diseases at home. The taste of honey is delicate, the color is light, and the aroma is similar to vanilla.
- May is one of the most useful types, which is made by bees from early flowering plants. It has pronounced antibacterial properties, so it should be in the diet of everyone who often suffers from colds and other infections.
- Lime. The taste of linden honey is very pleasant, and there are many benefits from it. It is indicated for most heart diseases, and it also has antibacterial properties. If the product is used correctly, it can bring enormous benefits to anyone when treating various diseases with honey at home instead of using official medications.
- Forest and meadow from grasses, wheat, flowering trees Honey has the same properties as May honey.
- Mint is honey that has a distinct mint smell. yellow. The product contains a lot of ascorbic acid. For such honey, this automatically means a vascular-strengthening, immune-strengthening, and antiseptic effect.
- Clover is a colorless and transparent product. The smell of honey is very weak. Not all bees can collect it, but only those with long proboscis, Caucasian ones, for example. But the beneficial properties of clover honey are very pronounced, if not unique. It is used to treat female diseases, which cannot be said about many other bee products.
- Raspberry is a very rare product that bees extract from raspberries. He golden color both liquid and solid. Among the medicinal properties of raspberry honey are antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and it can also be used to treat the reproductive system.
- Buckwheat. Buckwheat is characterized by high honey productivity, which is why it is the most popular honey on the market. You can get it almost anywhere. The characteristics of the product are very positive. It is used to treat anemia, various vitamin deficiencies, to strengthen cell membranes (has an effect similar to soy lecithin), to treat the heart. The product has a pronounced tart taste and pleasant aroma.
- Rapeseed is no different in properties from mustard and other classic ones, just like wings are different from each other. Rarely causes allergies, contains a lot of glucose, which is why it thickens quickly. Recipes based on rapeseed honey in everyday life are useful for treating respiratory diseases.
- Chestnut is a dark product with a faint odor of chestnut flowers and a bitter taste. The beneficial properties of honey include the treatment of diabetes, vascular diseases, kidneys, and the digestive tract.
- Heather has a rather specific color and tart taste, which is due to the presence of salts and a large amount of protein. This greatly affected the taste of heather honey - it is included in the list of low-quality varieties. But this is the only drop in the ointment. If you ignore it, honey is very useful.
There are also fruit, maple, cornflower, apple, sage and other bee products. It is quite typical for honey to have a lot different types, because there are many plants on the planet, and they can form vast thickets, where it is enough to set up an apiary to collect a monofloral product.
Artificial honey
How to cook honey? To do this, you just need to take sugar beets, melon and watermelon juices, corn and carry out acid hydrolysis or evaporate them. The result is a mixture of glucose and fructose, but does not contain useful enzymes. It is diluted with a natural product and thus counterfeited.
Therefore, it is better to buy beekeeping products from trusted beekeepers and companies such as Tentorium, or ask for a quality certificate. Thanks to these measures, the likelihood of buying a fake will decrease significantly, although it cannot be completely excluded.
What are the benefits of honey?
This beekeeping product has quite a lot of phytoncides - natural antibiotics that have a bactericidal effect. It also exhibits the following properties:
- anti-inflammatory;
- regenerating;
- tonic;
- normalizing the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and nervous system;
- immunostimulating;
- anti-sclerotic, etc.
It can also benefit those who want to overcome alcoholism. It is enough just to give the drinker a tablespoon of honey every 30 minutes until an aversion to alcohol appears. The product is also an excellent energy drink; it is useful for athletes, students and people with intense workload.
Honey can also be used externally, because in this case it has an antimicrobial, disinfecting effect, for example, treats cataracts when applied topically, and cleanses. Since it contains many calories, it will be useful for recovery after surgery.
Use in cosmetology
Bee products and sugar with honey are widely used in cosmetology, especially at home. So, you can make a mask with them:
- take 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dried chamomile and pour half a glass of boiling water;
- leave for half an hour, then add tbsp to the mixture. a spoonful of honey;
- moisten the hair with the resulting preparation and wrap it for half an hour;
- After treatment, the head is washed with plain water without using shampoo.
The mask can be used to treat dry (2 times a month) and oily hair(once a week).
You can also simply rub about 10-15 g of the product into clean and wet hair for half an hour, then remove everything with water.
Treats the product and problematic facial skin. To do this, take it in the amount of one tablespoon, add an egg yolk and a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Mix everything and apply it to the face gradually, in layers. The mask is removed from the face after 20 minutes. The procedure will help good mood and skin rejuvenation.
Bee products and weight loss
Bee nectar is so useful look food, which can be used for dietary purposes to combat excess weight. And this despite the high calorie content of the substance. To do this, drink a mixture of 1 tsp 15 minutes before meals. substances and 0.5 glasses of water, which will dull hunger and allow you to eat less food.
Use in cooking
Who doesn't have such things as a honey spoon or honey container made of ceramic or wood? This is such a popular product that it has been used by everyone at least once, except perhaps those with allergies. Cupcakes, gingerbread cookies, cakes, creams, cookies, desserts - all this is made with it.
In addition, everyone knows boiled mead, which is made from stored honey. There are many recipes for this alcoholic product: with turmeric, not with honey, but with other types, with different technologies, for example, somewhere it is customary not to dissolve in hot water, and leave for a longer time at natural temperature, etc.
Use during pregnancy
Many people believe that pregnant women should abstain from a number of non-standard foods, but bees are clearly not included here. If you use them wisely, without excess, there will only be benefits. If an overdose occurs, the child may be born with a congenital allergy. When use will be beneficial:
- to improve immunity;
- to normalize blood circulation, including that of the fetus;
- to relax the uterine muscles (prevent miscarriage);
- to combat various kinds inflammation.
Also, the bee product effectively eliminates the effects of toxicosis and fights vomiting if eaten in small quantities every day. It can be used externally to eliminate stretch marks. Therefore on early stages It is recommended to take it every day, either alone or in a mixture with other beneficial substances.
But you should not make the decision to take it on your own, since honey products are not always safe. It is better to ask your doctor and follow the recommended dosage - no more than a teaspoon per day.
Harm of honey and contraindications for use
Although this is a very useful product, sometimes there are conditions in which the harm of honey is obvious. This is an allergy to the product, personal intolerance, increased acidity stomach, as well as childhood up to 3 years.
The harm of honey can still be felt when used poor quality product, for example, if you heat it up, drink it with hot tea. Diabetes, stomach diseases, and caries are possible. In other cases, this substance will only be useful and will not cause significant harm, so the majority of the population may not worry and use it regularly.
How to choose a quality product
Bee products are often counterfeited. But fortunately, there are quite a few ways to check how much natural honey is in a jar. These include photographs of the real product, the use of improvised means, inspection by external signs, and even laboratory control.
The natural substance is 100% nectar from flowers that the bee brought and processed. There is also honeydew, which resembles a natural product in properties, but is considered only partially natural. It has many beneficial properties, some of which even surpass classic honey. But its disadvantage is that it quickly turns sour and has worse taste qualities, ferments, is poorly stored, has no aroma.
Also on the market you can find artificial (mentioned above), sugar (obtained by bees from sugar syrup) and diluted product, as well as heated (the thickened substance is turned into liquid), sick (when the bees are sick and stuffed with drugs), with various kinds of additives and environmentally dirty.
General principles for choosing a quality product from a beekeeper
- Find yourself a reliable supplier who is guaranteed to produce high-quality and natural products.
- If you need to change the beekeeper to a new one, you should take only a small amount to check the products. After all, not everything can be checked on the spot, and throwing a lot of money down the drain is not the wisest decision.
- If the quality of honey is very important, it is better to order a professional analysis in a laboratory to get a guaranteed result.
- Take a small amount of liquid honey on a stick and watch how it flows. If it stretches continuously and springs, then everything is fine, but if it drips, it is diluted or fake.
- The consistency of the substance should be soft, not rough, without any kind of inclusions; it can be easily rubbed with your fingers and absorbed.
- In this product, a piece of bread hardens.
- If the product in the jar is stratified in color, consistency or crystal size, it is unnatural, because honey does not stratify.
- It should also be uniform, without spots, and of the same degree of thickness.
- To simply test the product, just dilute it in milk - it should not curdle.
- The smell of the product should be pleasant, fragrant, and not have any foreign impurities.
- Real honey does not react with iodine.
- Also, no sediment should form when mixed with an equal amount of water.
- If you turn the jar over, no more than one air bubble should float to the surface.
- If the real product is rubbed over the surface, the chemical pencil will leave a normal mark without any color reactions.
- Paper smeared with bee nectar will not burn, but will only melt.
- When adding a natural product, the tea will darken slightly, but there will be no sediment.
- There should be no foam or bubbles on the surface of liquid honey, as these indicate fermentation.
- Also, nectar crystals should be star-shaped or needle-shaped and as small as possible. If they are large, these may be impurities of sugar or other components.
- Well, the weight of the real product should be at least 1.4 kg, excluding glass.
In stores, as a rule, the product is heated, stuffed with preservatives, and in general, under the guise of natural, they can sell something artificial. In addition, due to the sale in a packaged state, it is impossible to check its condition before purchasing.
Principles of storing natural honey
How to store bee products so that they retain their quality as much as possible over time? This is not so easy to do. To do this, standard storage in the refrigerator must be excluded, and the storage location should not be under permanent sun rays, in humidity, it should not be too warm.
It is better to store the product for no more than a year at 5-10 degrees Celsius and a humidity of no more than 65%. Failure to comply with the conditions will lead to fermentation and other undesirable processes.
For dishes, it is better to choose something made of clay, glass, or better yet, something made of wood (linden), but in no case metal, as it will further promote fermentation. You can’t heat the product, because all the beneficial properties disappear, and the risk of fermentation increases. The maximum recommended temperature is 40 degrees.
Honey that has begun to ferment is heated, converted into liquid, and used as soon as possible. Also, you should absolutely not mix different varieties, types of honey, as well as products of different harvest times.
