Honey in combs: properties and uses
When talking about honeycombs, many call them an architectural masterpiece, and for good reason. They consist of completely identical hexagonal cells containing royal jelly, which feeds offspring, bee bread, and are also the habitat of the bees themselves. Since the cells are sealed with a kind of lids, most of the beneficial substances are preserved in the nectar. It is honeycombs that contribute to a significant slowdown in the crystallization process. The honey contained in them is stored in liquid form for a long time, which means that it has more healing and healing properties than the one that was extracted from them.
Features and composition
People often wonder if there will be any harm if there are honeycombs themselves. Experts answer unequivocally - this is not only possible, but also very useful. At the time of chewing honeycombs, the beneficial substances contained in them are absorbed into the mucous membrane, while propolis and wax stop the growth of pathogenic bacteria in the oral cavity. Also, the process of chewing honeycombs helps to clean the teeth from plaque.
Wax is absorbent, therefore, when it enters the stomach and intestines, it relieves them of the harmful substances contained there. Like propolis, it has a good effect on the digestive tract. The use of these substances has been considered healing since ancient times, and today doctors confirm their medicinal properties.
The use of honeycombs is recommended for patients who have undergone serious illnesses and surgery to restore immunity.
They are also useful if a person is often subjected to serious physical exertion.
The chemical composition of honeycombs is very rich, it contains not only useful substances, but also a variety of bee products.
First of all, it is impossible not to note the content of propolis, which in them is about 10%. It has an anti-inflammatory effect. Approximately 40% is wax, which protects honey from external influences. Due to this, the product inside is very clean and retains its beneficial properties.
Rich in honeycombs and a variety of vitamins that have a beneficial effect on the human body, such as vitamins of group B, PP, C and others. Among the macronutrients contained in them, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus can be noted. Trace elements include iron, iodine, fluorine and zinc. The product is also rich in amino acids, fructose, glucose and sucrose.
Bee products contained in honeycombs are valued all over the world. Perga, zabrus and royal jelly are used both in the treatment of various diseases and for general strengthening of the body. Let's dwell on them in more detail.
Perga is pollen processed by bees. It fits into cells where it ferments, during which sucrose is converted into lactic acid. It is bee bread that the inhabitants of the hive feed on, gaining strength and getting all the necessary substances and vitamins from it.
Doctors use bee bread for blood diseases. It helps maintain hemoglobin, leukocyte and erythrocyte levels.
The product is an excellent help for pregnant women and women who have recently given birth, especially in cases where the birth process was accompanied by blood loss. In addition, perga is used to treat infertility and cardiovascular diseases.
The upper part of the honeycomb is sealed with special caps made of propolis, pollen and wax. Such lids are called zabrus. They are obtained during the pumping out of nectar, it is then that the caps must be cut off.
They are an excellent antiseptic and have an analgesic effect, their use is indicated in the presence of pathogenic microflora in the human body, which provokes diseases of the spine, joints, intestines and stomach. It is also useful to chew zabrus - it protects the oral cavity from microbes, helps to cleanse the teeth, and helps in the treatment of the common cold, sinusitis and infectious diseases.
The properties of royal jelly, which is another product of beekeeping, are known all over the world. This product of the bee-nurse is extracted from bee bread, the uterus and bee offspring are also fed with it. In appearance, it resembles cream.
Obtaining royal jelly is a rather long and labor-intensive process, which is also the reason for its high price.
It contains a lot of B vitamins, amino acids, lysine and other useful substances.
On the basis of royal jelly, many drugs are created to fight diseases of the reproductive system of men and women, the cardiovascular system, blood and brain, to normalize the body's metabolism and synthesis processes.
What is useful?
The main benefit of honeycombs lies in their properties. They help with immunostimulation of the body, have anti-inflammatory, wound healing, antibacterial effects, and this is not a complete list.
Honeycomb is often recommended for children. It perfectly strengthens the immune system, fights hypovitaminosis and colds.
Chewing honeycombs is useful for fragile children's teeth, as the beneficial substances contained in them help get rid of pathogenic bacteria contained in the oral cavity, which in the future will help to avoid many problems and frequent visits to the dentist. In addition, the use of honeycombs stimulates the production of hemoglobin, which is very important for the growing body of the child, and also awakens the appetite.
The use of honey in honeycombs improves brain activity, helps to absorb information faster, and has a beneficial effect on memory. The product well supports the body during physical loads, giving additional energy.
Due to vitamins and minerals, endurance increases, hormonal levels normalize.
Honeycombs are no less useful for adults. The product helps women in the treatment of infertility, erosion and cystitis, men - with prostatitis and impotence. Experts recommend using honeycombs for nervous tension, sleep disorders, chronic fatigue, and also to get rid of nicotine addiction. They perfectly help with diseases of the lungs, heart, blood vessels, liver and kidneys, as well as infections in the oral cavity, normalize blood pressure and the functioning of the biliary tract. In addition, honeycombs are shown as a means of preventing thrombosis and atherosclerosis.
Also, if the expectant mother is not allergic to honey, the product is very useful to use during pregnancy.
In this case, it is able to act as an additional source of vitamins and minerals for both the mother herself and the unborn child.
So, the range of medicinal properties of honey in honeycombs is quite wide. It is recommended for use in diseases of the respiratory tract, intestines, eyes, oral cavity, ulcers and thrombophlebitis, low hemoglobin levels, atherosclerosis, hormonal failure and many other problems.
Contraindications
Despite the huge number of useful properties of honeycombs, we must not forget that this product has a number of contraindications, which should be familiarized with before use. First of all, it should be noted that honey, like other bee products, is a strong allergen. Therefore, honeycombs should not be used not only for allergies to honey, but also, for example, to pollen.
Due to the high content of various acids in honeycombs, there is a list of diseases in which the use of the product is not recommended. These can be periods of exacerbation of ulcers, gastritis, pancreatitis. You also need to be careful with diabetes and oncology.
For any acute disease, it is better to consult a doctor before using honeycombs. In addition, honey is not recommended for children under the age of three.
Since wax is a natural absorbent, it must be taken into account that its use can cause the effect of a mild laxative, so you should not get carried away with it.
You can not ignore the calorie content of honey, as the fair sex is often afraid to get better from this product. Such fears are in vain, honey in combs is dietary and contains about 400 calories per 100 grams, in addition, it contains glucose that is useful for the body. In addition, you can’t eat a lot of it, so there will be no harm to the figure.
Usage Tips
Since honey is a strong allergen, its use should be started gradually and in small portions.You can also test for an allergic reaction at home. To do this, you should first try a small piece, and during the day observe how the body reacts. The test can also be done by an allergist, in this case the result will be more accurate than in the first case. If there is no negative reaction, then the product can be safely consumed.
First of all, you should get the honeycombs and open them. To do this, you need to carefully pry off a thin film of zabrus and separate it from the cells. However, this is not a prerequisite; if desired, it can be left as is and consumed with honeycombs along with zarbus. After that, the product is cut into small pieces. Portions should be of such a size that it is convenient to put them in the mouth.
After that, the product is chewed. It should be noted that during the process of chewing, the production of gastric juice increases, and the metabolism is also accelerated, which contributes to the most rapid digestion of food. This means that the body quickly comes to tone and the process of losing weight is activated.
A person who tries honeycombs for the first time needs to be explained the rules for their use, because mistakes can be fraught with consequences such as volvulus or constipation.
Therefore, we must not forget that the digestive system is unable to digest the wax, and its excess can cause complications.
It is better to eat honeycombs throughout the day in small pieces, rather than eating a large portion at once. It is also forbidden to melt honeycombs, because under the influence of high temperatures they can turn into a strong poison and cause poisoning of the body. Chew carefully and slowly, after which a small lump of dark wax should remain in the mouth.You can not swallow it, it is better to just throw it away.
A small amount of wax will certainly not harm the body, moreover, given its inability to be digested, it will be excreted in the same form, while provoking the disposal of toxins and toxins. So if, after chewing the honeycombs, a very small piece remains, it is not scary if it is swallowed. According to some studies, there will be no harm to the body if you swallow up to 200 grams of wax when using honeycombs, but this theory is considered controversial, since this amount in translation will look almost like a pack of butter. It is extremely difficult to eat such a quantity of a product at a time, and it is hardly worth experimenting.
The combination of honey and rye flour bread is often noted by experts as very useful. It is believed that together they are able to restore strength as quickly as possible. It is also very useful to use honey in the morning on an empty stomach, but the portions should be small - about a teaspoon.
It is not recommended to warm honeycombs, because even with a slight heating they can lose some of the nutrients, which will affect the healing properties of the product.
If honey is taken in very large quantities, it can cause such negative reactions of the body as nausea, vomiting and constipation. Children should take no more than 50 grams of treats per day, adults - 2 times more.
Honey is famous not only for its medicinal properties.that help with various diseases. It also helps to care for the skin and hair, due to which it is often used in cosmetology.
How to store?
The rules for storing honey in honeycombs are simple; it can be at home for a long time without losing its beneficial properties. But the product is best preserved in the basement or cellar.At the same time, it should be borne in mind that the room should be ventilated, the temperature in it should be from 3 to 10 degrees Celsius, and the maximum humidity should be up to 60 percent. Under such conditions, honeycombs can be stored for up to 6 months.
If this is not possible, a refrigerator is quite suitable. First, the honeycombs must be cut into small pieces and packed in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
At the same time, it is better to lay the product not very tightly so that it does not stick together over time.
It should be borne in mind that metal containers are not suitable for storage, since honeycombs can react with metals, resulting in the formation of toxic substances. You can keep honey in the refrigerator for up to two years.
You will learn more about the benefits of honey in combs from the video.