Flower honey. Useful properties and types

Nature has presented man with a unique product - flower honey. This sweet delicacy is loved by adults and children, due to the high content of carbohydrates, the product fills the body with energy and strength. Flower nectar is used for flu and colds, as it has healing properties. No wonder in Rus' honey was considered a product for good health. So what else is it useful for, where is it used and how to use it?

Types of nectar

In the vastness of Russia, you can find honey from 150 plant species, the most common varieties are: sunflower, dandelion, acacia, burdock. It is unrealistic to get it from one plant, so a conditional bar has been introduced: if the nectar of any one flower is 40-60%, flower honey is considered monofloral.

When flower honey contains different nectar without the predominance of any one species, it is called polyfloral. In everyday life, it is known under other names: forest, meadow, herbs, etc.

Composition and calories

Natural flower honey is a concentrate of useful substances, literally everything that is needed for life “in one bottle”. In its composition:

1. Simple carbohydrates (fructose, glucose, sucrose) and polysaccharides (dextrin).
2. Vitamins (C, K, B1, B5, B6, B9, H) and minerals (calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, zinc).
3. Enzymes - more than 15 types, including catalase, invertase, phosphatase, glucose oxidase.
4. Phytoncides (natural antibiotics) - benzoic acid, avenacin, tannins and others.
5. Organic acids - acetic, oxalic, citric, lactic.
6. Aromatic substances, flavonoids.

For 100 gr. (half a glass) accounts for about 300 kcal. The darker, thicker and more aromatic variety, the higher.

Value, medicinal properties

The properties of this sweet product were noted by the inhabitants of Ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt and Mesopotamia. Until the middle of the 20th century, its various varieties formed the basis of the diet of a typical inhabitant of Russia. Flower honey:

• has antibacterial properties - heals ulcers, disinfects, dries skin rashes;
• tones and energizes;
• excellent immunomodulator;
• recommended for diseases of the cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, pain in the lower back, kidneys, gout;
• A favorite tool of cosmetologists, suitable for all skin types.

The specific properties of each variety depend on the honey plant. For example, the chamomile variety is famous for its anti-inflammatory properties, the linden variety is diaphoretic and antimicrobial, and the sage variety heals ulcers.

To get rid of fatigue and restore strength after hard work or training, just eat a spoonful of flower honey.

Contraindications for use

Flower honey is well tolerated by the body. However, it should be limited in diabetes mellitus (), completely eliminated in enterocolitis, gastric resection, cholecystitis, after gastric surgery and with allergies. Also, do not give it, but you can use the product, but only after consulting a doctor.

How to choose good honey?

In a store or on the market, it is difficult to understand whether the original or a fake is on the counter, so you have to evaluate it visually.

• When buying in a store, you should pay attention to packaging and labeling. The jar must be made of glass, the lid is hermetically sealed, and the date and place of collection, GOST and ISO are written on the label.
• When buying "from the hands" you need to smell it, taste it and evaluate the viscosity. The aroma, taste and color must correspond to the declared variety, do not contain extraneous sourness or unpleasant odors. The fresh product is viscous, and the crystallized product has a homogeneous structure, without a clear separation and water.

It is better to buy honey in large retail chains: they do not want to risk their reputation, so they check jars that are ready for sale.

Flower honey from the market will do more harm than good. This is an overheated composition of incomprehensible quality without any guarantees. But to buy from a familiar beekeeper is an opportunity to get a natural product inexpensively.

Work in the apiary to pump out flower honey. Video

It is one of the most useful products, and an integral part of a healthy and wholesome diet.

Why exactly it has such a positive effect on our body and what features it has, we will consider in more detail in this article.

Flower honey is predominantly yellow (depending on the plants, the color can vary from green to brown), rich product, which is famous for its incredible smell, because it is made exclusively from flowering, and, accordingly, fragrant plants. The most popular among bees are meadow flowers of bright colors (,).
A real natural viscous substance should have a uniform viscous consistency, a pleasant floral aroma, a sweet or slightly sour taste. No impurities are allowed. Often there are jars of flower nectar with crystals, this just means that the product was produced a couple of months ago.

Composition of flower honey

The exact composition of the finished product directly depends on the bouquet of plants from which the bees collected nectar. However, there are a number of elements that contain everything (proportions are approximate):

• split sugar - 73%;
• dextrin (starch semi-saccharide) - 5%;
• water - 17%;
• sucrose -2.4%;
• acids - 0.11%.

In addition to these elements, the composition includes such useful material like: calcium, magnesium, fluorine, copper, manganese, iron, zinc.

calories

Contrary to the opinion that everything sweet is very high in calories, this product is relatively low in calories.

Important! Depending on the raw materials and consistency, the number of calories may be more or less. For example: a lighter product has less calories than a dark and thick one.

Types of flower honeys

The species depends on the plant that predominates in the composition. For the production of certain varieties, beekeepers establish apiaries near the places of mass growth of the desired flowers.

The most popular are:

Each species is special in its own way, has a unique aroma and taste: for lovers of greater sweetness, dandelion or linden is ideal, and more sour species are obtained from acacia or chestnut.

Benefits of flower honey

Due to the huge amount of nutrients, honey is considered one of the most beneficial products for the human body.

It has a huge number of useful properties:

1. Contains a large amount of sugar, which makes it necessary to replenish vitality. Just a few spoons can bring the energy reserve back to normal. Honey is very popular for athletes, they can perfectly replenish strength after training.
2. It helps to normalize blood pressure, thins the blood, favorably affects the functioning of the heart.
3. Has disinfecting properties.
4. Normalizes the work of the digestive tract (for indigestion).
5. With constant use in food, the color of the skin is leveled and its appearance as a whole improves.
6. It is especially useful for the fairer sex, because it helps to get rid of many gynecological problems.

Important! In case of minor malfunctions in the body, flower nectar may well replace medicines. And the effectiveness of using honey as a prophylactic against many ailments has been confirmed by many generations of our ancestors.

Application in cosmetology

Due to the fact that this sweet contains an incredible amount of useful elements, it is used not only as a tasty and healthy treat, but also in cosmetology for the preparation of masks, scrubs and various body wraps.
Thanks to this substance:

• enlarged pores are narrowed;
• accelerates cell regeneration;
• moisturizes and cleanses the skin;
• skin respiration is activated.

The most common are scrubs using the product, since its consistency allows you to make the perfect viscous mixture for cleaning your face from dirt and dead cells.

Honey is mixed with coffee grounds, zest, and other products that will help make a scrub, mask or body wrap richer and more fragrant.

It is important to remember that owners of sensitive skin should not use such a product for cosmetic purposes. In order to determine how well your skin perceives bee products, you need to take a test. Apply a small amount of the substance to an inconspicuous area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe skin (for example, the crook of the elbow or wrist) and leave for 15-20 minutes. After removing the remnants, monitor the condition of this area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe skin for a while. If there are no unpleasant sensations during or after application, then the use of products based on this product is allowed.

Contraindications

The main contraindication is allergy and individual intolerance to bee products. Also, negative consequences (diathesis or other allergic reactions) are possible with overeating.

However, there are other contraindications:

• diabetes;
• heart problems;
• problems with the digestive system (ulcers, gastritis);
• should not be used by pregnant women and children under 2 years of age.

In any other cases, the use of honey will only positively affect the human body and enrich it with useful and important elements for full-fledged work.

Important! To get the maximum of useful substances, honey must be dissolved in a slightly warm liquid (water, milk, tea).

Flower honey candied: what to do

Any high-quality bee product must, over time. influences the crystallization of honey several factors:

• product storage temperature;
• container handling;
• humidity;
• "maturity" is an indicator of the product, which indicates that all the sugar has dissolved naturally, and excess moisture has been evaporated.

Separately, it is worth paying attention to the fact that the crystallized substance does not lose its useful properties, on the contrary: it freezes for longer storage.

Honey, like any product, has its own varieties: forest, honeydew, flower, etc. All of them are good and useful in their own way, all have a lot of useful properties. In this article we will talk in more detail about the flower form, find out its characteristics and features.

What is honey and how does it happen

From the name of sweet nectar, it is clear that bees collect pollen from plant flowers in fields, meadows, and gardens for its production. Its qualities and properties determine the plants from which the bees collected raw materials for production. If the collection is dominated by one plant, then the product is called monofloral, if several or a whole bunch - polyfloral.

monofloral

Monofloral varieties are not as common as forbs, because it is difficult to find an area planted with a sufficient amount of one species of flowering plants. In addition, this plant should bloom at a certain time, when the bees are not distracted by other fragrant flowers. A variety is called monofloral when it contains at least 50% pollen from one crop., for example, acacia, heather, buckwheat, linden, raspberry, sunflower.

polyfloral

Polyfloral honey or forbs is a combination of pollen from many fragrant flowers. Such varieties are distinguished by the time of collection, by place or external characteristics. Its external qualities (aroma, taste, color) determine the plants that prevail in the pollen collection area. Useful properties will also be determined by the properties of the crops that served as pollen suppliers.

What does flower honey look like?

Flower nectar is usually less dense, although viscous, mostly light in color.

Color

From golden and rich yellow to brown.

Aroma

Saturated, playing with many shades: fruity, floral.

Taste

Tart, sweet, with a long aftertaste.

Crystallization time

Polyfloral varieties are usually candied by winter, monofloral varieties can crystallize later.

Collection period

The beginning of the season - the beginning of spring; collection ends in autumn.

Did you know? There is poisonous or drunk honey - this is a product for which pollen and nectar are collected by bees from plants that contain toxic substances. Since not all poisonous plants produce nectar, the poisonous variety of honey is extremely rare. Mass poisoning with such a product was described by the commander of Ancient Greece Xenophon, he wrote about the sudden illness of Colchis warriors after drinking honey sweetness.

What is useful and how it affects the body

Flower nectar in its composition contains a huge amount of minerals, vitamins, enzymes, essential acids and antioxidants. Possessing a high calorie content, it nevertheless does not burden the stomach, is easily and quickly absorbed, and even improves digestion, thanks to the enzymes necessary for this process.

Since ancient times, honey has been used as a preservative, keeping food in it for a long time. This feature indicates high antimicrobial, antiseptic properties, in addition, the product has anti-inflammatory and wound healing effects.

Ascorbic acid, essential oils and tannins in the composition determine the therapeutic effect for colds, diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract, facilitate the thinning and discharge of mucus and sputum from the lungs and bronchi, create an unbearable environment for the life of microbes and viruses, strengthen the immune system.
, glycosides, have a beneficial effect on cardiac activity and blood pressure, strengthen and give elasticity to the walls of blood vessels, thin the blood. Natural sweetness has a calming effect on the nervous system, normalizes sleep. Thanks to antioxidants and, E, the health and beauty of the skin, teeth, hair and nails is maintained.

Important! Please note that honey is not used as an independent therapeutic drug, the product can serve as a powerful, but auxiliary tool. The maximum effect will be given by a comprehensive treatment determined by a specialist doctor.

How not to make a mistake when buying

When buying, given the differences in the varieties of a flower product, it is easy to make mistakes, but there are unifying properties that will help you avoid these mistakes:

• real honey has a slight mucosal irritant effect; after tasting, a sore throat will be felt;
• the structure of natural nectar is viscous, but plastic - it is easy to wrap it around a spoon, it will not immediately spread;
• aroma and rich taste: neither one nor the other will have one characteristic note, and the smell and taste will be multifaceted and rich;
• natural sweetness begins to crystallize by winter.

It is better to buy from the direct manufacturer. Beekeepers value their customers, so deliberate deception is not beneficial for them.

Rules of use

Many have heard the names "Honey cake", "Honey gingerbread" and know that sweetness is added to the dough for cakes and gingerbread, cookies to give an unusual taste to the product. There are other advantages of a natural sweetener: firstly, it is healthier than sugar; secondly, it keeps the dough fresh and soft longer. However, keep in mind that honey is sweeter than sugar, so you need to add less of it, otherwise the dessert will turn out to be too cloying.

The product is often used in various marinades and salad dressings. It is most often combined with citrus peel, cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, garlic, ginger and coriander. In addition to the marinade, they are coated with meat during frying, which gives a unique spicy-sweet crust.

Honey is added to various desserts: fruit salads, mousses, puddings, cream for cakes and pastries. It is used to make marshmallow and nougat with nuts.

Did you know? Honey is often mentioned in the religious texts of Islam and Christianity: in the Koran there is a separate sura "Bees"; in Christian texts, honeycombs are called the food of John the Baptist during his hermitage in the desert; mentioned in the book of Solomon's parables, and in the Bible itself.

Storage conditions

Honey is not stored in metal containers, it quickly oxidizes in such an environment and loses its properties. In a glass, ceramic or clay container with a tightly closed lid, preferably at sub-zero temperatures, without moisture and light, honey products last longer. It is not recommended to change the storage temperature, otherwise the nectar will crystallize unevenly.

Application in other areas

For preventive purposes, many people eat a spoonful of natural sweets every morning before breakfast, and a drink to maintain immunity is also popular among the people - tea with lemon and honey.

Important! When preparing, you need to know that honey should be put in warm, but not hot tea: at temperatures above +60°С it loses most of its useful properties.

In folk medicine

Natural medicine helps in the prevention and treatment of such diseases:

• influenza, SARS, acute respiratory infections;
• throat diseases (tonsillitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, tracheitis);
• diseases of the lungs and bronchi;
• anemia;
• avitaminosis;
• endocrine diseases.

The product is useful for digestive problems; heavy physical exertion; various inflammatory processes, including skin diseases. Its use is shown in the recovery period after surgery, with nervous disorders, insomnia.

In cosmetology

Beekeeping products are actively used in cosmetic products: cream, scrub, mask, milk. The tool helps to restore the elasticity of the skin, nourishes, cleanses and rejuvenates the skin, relieves inflammation, whitens, heals cracks in case of excessive dryness.

Honey is used in massage treatments, body wraps and other spa treatments. It is known for its beneficial effect on hair, in case of damage and dullness, loss. Hair masks nourish the hair follicle, restore the structure of the hair along its entire length, and help get rid of dandruff.

Contraindications and possible harm

Polyfloral varieties usually have a more saturated composition, therefore, a product of this kind should be used with caution for the following health problems:

• pancreatitis;
• gastritis;
• enterocolitis;
• gastrointestinal ulcer.

Allergy sufferers are advised to test for a possible negative reaction. Diabetics should not get carried away as bee products contain sugar. Excessive consumption with excess weight is undesirable - there are a lot of calories in sweets (302-330 kcal, depending on the composition). It is undesirable to use nursing mothers and children under three years of age.

The healing properties of bee products have been known since ancient times; the founders of medicine (Galen, Hippocrates, Avicenna, etc.) used it as a medicine in their time. Recognized its properties and official modern medicine, using as part of various medications.

• 1. Calorie calculation
• 2. Composition
• 3. Usage
• 4. Contraindications
• 5. Recommendations for selection

Honey card

Color	predominantly light - from golden to yellow. Comes in dark amber color.
Taste	characteristic pronounced honey, long aftertaste.
Aroma	light, floral, most often strong, multifaceted.
Crystallization time	miscellaneous. From long to fast, however, by the winter of the harvest year, polyfloral varieties for the most part are already candied.
Viscosity	viscous, not thick.
calories	about 303 kcal per 100 g.
Collection geography	everywhere.
Collection period	predominantly in summer. The season starts at the end of spring and ends with the beginning of autumn.

In essence, the most useful and delicious of natural varieties is flower honey. They also include honeydew, but they cannot be compared.

A variety of flowering plants each time creates a new combination for the bees to create a unique healing product. Flower honey can be anything. The rarest monofloral varieties, which are characterized by an extraordinary sophistication of taste, for example, or orange, or, conversely, very common, ordinary, but no less valuable and useful, such as sunflower or. One of the most famous varieties is a monofloral variety of flower.

However, most often they stand apart, have their adherents, and the name flower honey means herbs: all kinds of combinations of nectar and pollen from a variety of plants. Such varieties are called differently polyfloral. They differ in the place and time of collection, consistency and even color. Honey plants prevailing in the area determine the taste, aroma and benefits of natural medicine.

Calorie calculation

For the convenience of calculating the nutritional value, you can use the following table:

* - the calorie content of the variety may differ up or down by 10-15%.

Compound

The floral composition in the composition of polyfloral natural honey forms a very special taste and aroma not only every season, but also in each new batch when pumped out of the hives. This means that its composition and properties cannot be determined unambiguously. It can change, ceteris paribus, even due to changes in climatic conditions, a sharp change in weather, but in general it looks like this:

Natural honey contains a significant amount of active compounds and substances. Different scientists call from three hundred to four hundred names.

Their list changes, and depends on various factors, but the following elements remain constant:

• minerals (namely: to a large extent - compounds of potassium and iodine, to a lesser extent - copper, manganese, sodium, magnesium, calcium, selenium, phosphorus, cobalt, aluminum and other metals)
• enzymes, proteins, dextrins, amino acids and antioxidants
• vitamins (ascorbic and folic acid, carotene, B vitamins, as well as E, K and PP).

Flower honey concentrates a lot of compounds inherent in the plants from which it was collected, it can contain:

• tannins
• organic acids
• phytoncides
• glycosides
• essential oils
• phytohormones
• cholines
• alkaloids
• saponins and other substances.

Usage

Monofloral varieties are quite difficult to collect, for this it is necessary to find a continuous herbage or planting of a plant of the same species, and choose the time of its flowering, when other honey plants will not give a significant bribe. Only then will it contain more than 50% of pollen grains of the same type, which determines its properties and the possibility of targeted use in traditional medicine. Treatment with this variety allows you to expect a strictly defined effect.

Polyfloral flower honey is more common, its spectrum of action is wider than that of monofloral varieties. However, it is impossible to say which natural honey is better and brings more benefits.

• colds
• angina
• tonsillitis
• laryngitis
• bronchitis
• influenza
• pneumonia
• inflammatory processes of the respiratory tract.

Such a source of carbohydrates, vitamins and biologically active compounds should not be overlooked when:

• immune system problems
• the need to restore the body after surgery, severe illnesses
• nervous tension
• other stressful situations that require enhanced nutrition.

The prevalence of the bee product from herbs makes it available for solving problems in modern cosmetology. In its pure form or as part of complex masks, it allows you to solve problems:

• >inflammation
• acne
• dryness and microcracks
• good nutrition
• restoration of tone
• skin cleansing.

The beneficial properties of flower honey are used not only for facial skin. As part of massages, it is effective in the fight against cellulite, puffiness, stretch marks, scars. Spa treatments use such massages to relieve tension and restore the body.

Several important clarifications need to be made:

• flower honey is not a panacea, its action is mild, corrective. Obtaining an effect is possible with the manifestation of mild symptoms as part of a set of measures. At the same time, self-treatment can bring not only benefits. Sometimes, with insufficient attention to the body, it causes irreparable harm. Therefore, at the slightest indisposition, it is better to consult a doctor and conduct a diagnosis, and only then enjoy the sweet medicine.
• any natural bee product has contraindications and you need to familiarize yourself with them before treatment.

Contraindications

Flower honey has standard contraindications due to its high nutritional value and the presence of an aggressive allergen - pollen grains in the composition:

• Individual intolerance. Before use, it is necessary to conduct a test for the possibility of treatment with such a product.
• Diabetes. The increased content of various sugars in the composition requires its careful introduction into the diet, preferably after the appropriate approval of the observing endocrinologist.
• Low carb diet. With obesity of varying degrees, or simply with problems with excess volumes, it is necessary to take into account the rather high calorie content of this product and recalculate the daily menu taking into account its value.

In addition, it is better to refuse the use of sweet medicine for lactating and pregnant women and children under three years of age.

Due to the fact that the composition of a polyfloral variety is quite difficult to determine, it is worth refraining from using it when:

• pancreatitis
• exacerbation of gastritis
• acute rheumatism
• enterocolitis
• transferred operations of internal organs.

Real flower honey has a huge variety both in color and taste. It is impossible to enumerate the differences by which it can be distinguished from other varieties. But to distinguish a natural product from a fake one is quite simple:

• The rich composition of biologically active compounds has an irritating effect on the mucous membrane. After tasting, a characteristic sore throat will definitely appear.
• Taste and aroma are multifaceted. It is technically impossible to fake a rich honey aftertaste or the smell of herbs.
• A natural product is more plastic than an artificial one. It can be wrapped several times around the spoon.
• Sweet medicine is candied for the winter of the current harvest season.

To be completely confident in the acquisition, you must carefully study the certificate of honey, and even better, find a real beekeeper. As a rule, beekeepers are interested in regular customers and value their reputation.

In particular, flower honey contains a complex mixture, mainly consisting of glucose, fructose, sucrose, proteins, minerals and other substances.
Composition flower honey can be monofloral and polyfloral.
Monofloral honey- This is honey collected by bees from one type of plant.
Polyfloral honey- honey collected from the flowers of various plants.
In practice, we are dealing with polypherous honey. The affiliation of honey to one or another variety is determined by the color, aroma and taste of the nectar prevailing in it.

Varieties of honey differ in their chemical and physical composition and the degree of antimicrobial and medicinal properties. A more accurate belonging of honey to a particular variety is determined and depends on the composition of the pollen.

Conditioned reflexes of bees are well studied, so it became possible to regulate the flight of bees and direct them to collect nectar from the desired plants. This technique is based on training and feeding them with syrup, flavored with the smell of the corresponding flowers.
There are as many flower varieties of honey as there are honey plants. flower honey must be transparent, may contain air bubbles, traces of pollen.

Characteristics of flower honey

Any flower honey and its composition evaluated according to certain characteristics:

• by the amount of water
• what does honey taste like
• what flavor
• what a smell
• the absence of impurities
• transparency
• What color is flower honey?

It contains less than 18.6% water, has a pleasant taste and aroma, mainly flower honey has no caramelization, no fermentation, no foreign odors. Virtually free of impurities that affect appearance or nutritional properties.

In nature, even in a small area, but with a variety of vegetation, the composition of flower honey will be different. Its difference lies in the amount of glucose and fructose (inverted sugars).

The quality of honey depends on the content of inverted sugars. It is noted that fructose in honey is more than glucose. Even with normal storage, the percentage of sucrose gradually decreases over time. Sunlight destroys the enzymes, but the sucrose content remains the same. If the percentage of sucrose in honey exceeds 25%, then this indicates poor quality honey. This happens when feeding bees with sugar syrup.

Flower honey contains dextrins that affect the density of honey. The more dextrin, the thicker the honey and its crystallization is slower.
Trace elements contained in honey affect its color. So in light honey contains up to 0.16% of minerals, and in dark honey up to 26%.
Honey is a natural plant and animal product and its biological activity depends on the amount of minerals.

Benefits of flower honey

Bee natural flower honey is famous for its medicinal properties. The beneficial properties of flower honey, thanks to trace elements such as copper, cobalt, and iron, allow you to successfully treat anemia. When using high-quality natural honey, the hematopoietic ability improves, the immunobiological protective activity of the body is higher. Dark varieties of honey contain more trace elements than light ones.

Flower honey useful properties (video)

I hope you were interested in learning about what flower honey is and its composition will no longer be a mystery to you.