Linden honey: features and properties of the product
Nature is able to give a person products unique in their properties, the benefits of which cannot be replenished in any other way. These gifts include honey, whose natural qualities can hardly be compared with anything. Linden honey, which stands out among similar bee products, deserves special attention.
Compound
According to the beliefs of our ancestors, it was the linden that was endowed with mystical properties, it was a symbol of life and health, so linden honey was most valued. And today the bees have not lost interest in linden blossoms, thanks to which there is an opportunity to feast on bee products to this day.
The unique aroma of linden honey acts as a kind of visiting card of the product. Due to the smell, it is quite difficult to confuse it with any other product. As for the color, it can be different, shades vary from golden to white depending on the type of wood. Linden honey is a monofloral flower product, since bees collect nectar from one crop for it. This is due to the fact that insects will use linden for collection if it is located near the apiary.
The flowering period of the tree is rather short, it usually lasts only a few weeks. In the southern regions, this happens a little earlier. The main components of linden honey are easily digestible fructose and glucose. The following composition of linden honey can be distinguished:
- fructose - 39%;
- glucose - 36%;
- water, sucrose and other components - 25%.
It has been proven that this product contains much less fructose than honeydew, in light of which linden honey can be present in the diet of diabetics. However, the norms of use are set only by the attending physician.
It should be noted that the product contains more than 300 minerals and trace elements. Among the main components are the following useful substances:
- copper;
- chromium;
- manganese;
- zinc;
- fluorine and many others.
The group of mineral components of the product includes:
- calcium;
- iodine;
- phosphorus;
- iron and so on.
The composition of honey is unique due to the presence of important amino acids, such as:
- lysine;
- arginine;
- leucine and others.
In addition, the product is notable for the content of vitamins B, C, E, PP, K, N. The benefits of the bee product increase due to the presence of oxalic, citric and malic acids. A detailed study of the composition made it possible to determine that linden honey contains about ten items of natural and inorganic acids. As for the calorie content of the product, it is worth noting that 100 grams of the product contains 300 kcal.
Taste qualities
Linden honey is notable for its unique organoleptic qualities. The taste of the product is mild, according to some reviews, it resembles mint. Some types may have a minimal bitterness, but it does not persist in the aftertaste. On the contrary, after drinking honey, an enveloping unobtrusive sweetness with a slight astringency, which is inherent in most varieties of honey, is observed in the mouth. The product stands out with a rich bouquet of aromas, which is quite difficult to confuse with any other smell.
Most often, linden honey has a pale yellow color, due to which it is called white honey, but the type of tree from which it was obtained affects the color, and the degree of sweetness of the nectar depends on it. For example, a golden-colored product will be very sweet; white honey can be distinguished by the absence of excessive sweetness.
Beneficial features
Honey and linden blossom stand out for their excellent healing properties. First of all, the product is indicated for the treatment of colds. Due to the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect, bronchitis, runny nose, nasal polyps, and bronchial asthma are treated with it. For these purposes, honey can be useful not only for internal use by eating, but also as a component for inhalation. Usually, a 50% solution of water with linden honey is added to the device. With a runny nose, tampons are made from linden honey for introduction into the nose.
Due to its beneficial qualities, white honey is used in the complex treatment of gastritis, it is effective for normalizing liver functions, in addition, the use of the product has a mild laxative effect.
The product has a tremendous positive effect on people with various cardiovascular diseases, honey is indicated in the treatment of sleep disorders and nervous ailments.
Due to its antibacterial qualities, it is used in folk and Far Eastern medicine as a means for healing abscesses and wounds; in some cases, linden honey treats skin diseases well. The product of beekeeping is used for local baths, it is dissolved in water, and the part of the body with the affected area is immersed there.
Due to its characteristics, it is recommended for fungal infections of the oral cavity, therefore it is used to treat candidiasis in the mouth in newborns. In addition, the product whitens tooth enamel well.
For women, honey is very useful during pregnancy, as it is rich in vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for mother and fetus. The product is able to strengthen the immune system, normalize digestion, and also has a positive effect on the nervous system.
In addition to a special period in the life of every woman, white honey will be effective for the treatment of candidiasis, as it copes well with various types of fungus. The product will relieve the inflammatory process and accelerate the healing of the mucosa or skin in the advanced stages of the disease.
Regular consumption of Linden Sweet has been proven to help maintain the beauty of the skin and provide protection against the damaging effects of free radicals. Honey is quite actively used in cosmetology. Nourishing face masks are made from it with the addition of olive oil and sour cream.
As for the strong half of humanity, the product is no less useful for men. It normalizes sexual function, reduces the negative effects of nicotine on the body. As part of a complex treatment, linden honey is indicated in the treatment of prostatitis.
The ratio of BJU in the composition makes it possible to use it in dietary nutrition, the product is recommended before a person starts fasting for medicinal purposes, honey is also useful after undergoing surgical interventions and injuries.
The calorie content of the product makes it possible to recommend it for introduction into the children's diet, however, being careful to avoid an allergic reaction.With great mental stress, linden honey will help get rid of overwork.
For these purposes, it is best to eat it before bed, because in this case, 85% of the nutrients will enter the circulatory system without the involvement of insulin for their processing.
The daily norm for an adult is 100 grams of the product, for children - 35 grams.
Linden honey is indicated for diseases of the pancreas, after leaving a strict diet, it is they who are advised to replace the use of sugar. A person with a disease such as diabetes is forbidden to introduce bee products into the diet, however, with hypoglycemia, which quite often occurs as a result of this disease, white honey is indicated.
The product has a choleretic effect, therefore it is recommended for cholecystitis. Despite the calorie content, it is advised to include a delicacy in the diet in the fight against excess weight, since in moderation it will not harm the diet, but it can make up for the lack of many trace elements and cleanse the body of accumulated toxins. The last point is the most important when losing weight.
This pattern is explained by the fact that the natural product is completely absorbed by the human body, so the process does not require additional energy for processing.
Linden honey is useful as an independent product and in combination with some herbs. The main point is the ban on heating it to more than + 40C, since in this state it loses its useful qualities.
Possible harm
The product is widely known not only for its healing qualities, but also for the fact that it is a fairly strong food allergen.Therefore, doctors recommend that people who are prone to similar body reactions to food, pollen and plants use honey with caution.
Obesity and diabetes are contraindications for introducing it into the diet, since the product is highly biologically active. In addition, honey should not be eaten by children under three years of age.
The product is prohibited for patients who suffer from pulmonary bleeding and heart failure.
In addition, you can’t eat it before going out into a big frost, due to the fact that the body warmed up by the product will quickly freeze on the street, and this will inevitably lead to a cold. A separate ban on the use of people who are allergic to this product.
However, most often this reaction is caused not by natural honey, but by antibiotics, which may be included in its composition or with which bees were treated. High-quality products can very rarely provoke such intolerance in humans, so purchased honey is likely to be fake.
How to use?
To improve health, an adult needs to eat honey in the morning before breakfast. One tablespoon with warm tea will be enough to replenish the required supply of vitamins. In the evening, you can prepare a drink with the product by dissolving it in milk, water or any other liquid. It normalizes sleep and calms the nervous system.
For pregnant women in the early stages, honey will help with toxicosis, it is dissolved in warm water with lemon juice. Some obstetricians advise the use of honey in case of a miscarriage, as it helps to relax the muscles of the uterus and normalize blood circulation.
During breastfeeding, in the absence of allergies, it will become a useful supplement in the diet of a young mother.However, in the first months after birth, the introduction of the product into the mother's diet should be temporarily abandoned.
You should not rush to add sweetness to the children's diet, pediatricians recommend introducing the baby to the product after a year. The daily norm for children is 1-2 teaspoons, but only during the period of a cold as a treatment.
Honey is introduced into the child's diet little by little, to normalize sleep, children are given honey water, two grams for the child's body will be enough. Upon reaching the age of three, honey is shown to the child in the amount of 1-2 tablespoons per day.
There are a number of recommendations regarding the norms for the use of honey according to age:
- for introduction into the diet of people who are on a diet - 2 teaspoons per day;
- pregnant women with a normal level of pressure - no more than 1 tablespoon per day;
- adults 1-2 tablespoons a day;
- children under 12 years of age no more than 3 teaspoons per day.
The data above is indicative and subject to adjustment in the light of health conditions on a case-by-case basis.
How to choose?
Unfortunately, most of the products that are sold under the guise of natural white honey are fake. Therefore, the product must be checked before purchase. For example, it is not possible to purchase a liquid product at the end of autumn, so the offered product will be a completely different type of honey.
It is worth considering that Rospotrebnadzor has introduced severe restrictions on the trade in beekeeping products. According to the regulations, during the cold season, the sale of liquid honey is prohibited.
Immediately after the pitching and for another three summer months, natural linden honey is transparent and rather liquid.It is by the way it looks that it is possible to determine the conformity of the product with the information that the seller indicates about it.
But closer to autumn, honey already loses its plasticity and becomes harder, and its color gradually changes - transparency is replaced by a golden or cream color.
There are a number of recommendations that will help determine the naturalness of the product:
- you need to heat the product in a water bath, if the honey has the smell of burnt sugar or the taste of caramel, then this will indicate the unnatural origin of the tested honey;
- by the end of autumn, real linden honey will definitely crystallize, a delicacy that remains liquid at the end of autumn cannot be natural;
- iodine must be added to dissolved honey in water, the coloring of the liquid in blue will indicate the addition of starch to the product;
- to make sure that honey is natural, you can put a piece of meat in it, which will not deteriorate in a real product, since it has a powerful bactericidal effect.
How to store?
In order to preserve all the beneficial properties of natural white honey as long as possible, the product should be stored in the right conditions, since it has been proven that when the temperature drops to -35C or, conversely, increases to +40C, the product loses its unique properties.
After six months after pumping, it will certainly crystallize even under ideal storage conditions, but this will not indicate a loss of nutrients, so it will remain not only a delicacy, but also an assistant in the treatment of many diseases and strengthening the body as a whole.
The optimal temperature for honey will be +14…18C until crystallization, after which honey can be kept at lower temperatures, for example, +6C.
An important factor contributing to the preservation of the product will be air humidity. It is best to keep this value within 60%.
It is worth protecting the product from contact with sunlight, since ultraviolet destroys its structure. When favorable conditions are created, linden honey can retain its unique qualities for about two years.
For information about the benefits of linden honey and what characteristics it has, see the following video.