Why honey remains liquid and does not thicken

We can talk about the benefits of honey for a long time – its unique properties have long been known to mankind. Honey has been used as a food product for thousands of years, and as a medicine, the delicacy has been popular among healers and doctors for several centuries. Modern science highlights the following useful properties of the product in question:

• It perfectly restores strength and strengthens the immune system after past illnesses – honey should be included in the diet of those in the rehabilitation period.
• Honey has bactericidal properties – it is successfully used to accelerate the healing superficial wounds. By the way, it was found that the described delicacy also improves the body’s regenerative abilities – unsurprisingly, shallow wounds on the skin surface and mucous membranes heal 2-3 times faster after treatment with honey.

1. The delicacy contributes to normalizing the digestive system because honey is recognized as the only product in the world that is 100% absorbed by the body. For comparison, potatoes are digested by 86%, and bread by 83%.
2. Honey stimulates the work of all internal organs and systems – it stabilizes the state of the central and peripheral nervous systems, has a positive effect on the psycho-emotional background, normalizes the work of the heart muscle, and helps quickly remove toxins from the liver.
3. The product in question copes well with the stagnation of bile; this delicacy stimulates the gallbladder, makes its contents more liquid, and relieves those with a history of diagnosed cholecystitis.
4. It can cure cataracts! You must treat the problem area with honey, improving blood circulation and restoring lost functions.
5. Honey is an ideal tool for restoring physical strength; it will help restore muscle tissue quickly, even after an excessive load on them.
6. Regular use of the product in question normalizes metabolism – it is successfully used for weight loss and weight gain if necessary.

In addition, honey improves the functioning of the respiratory system – almost everyone uses it to treat colds. It also helps clean the skin’s pores – remember how useful it is in the bath for cosmetic procedures?

Some doctors and traditional healers claim that honey is useful for absolutely everyone; it should be regularly eaten even with absolute health – a statement, in principle, is controversial. The fact is that there are marked harmful properties of honey and even contraindications to its use.

Features of the choice of honey

Fake honey, water, ordinary sugar or powder, and cosmetic clay are often used. To avoid making a mistake when choosing and not encountering low-quality products, it is best to buy this type of product together with honeycombs. However, as practice shows, this is very problematic due to impracticality, difficulties in transportation, and the inability to determine the exact amount of honey in the combs.

Thus, if you are faced with choosing a delicacy prepackaged in jars, ask to open the container to inspect the consistency – this is almost impossible in stores. Still, a conscientious seller is likely to accept you in the market. When a small part of a high-quality honey product is put into a spoon, it should be distinguished by its flexibility. When the spoon is turned over, it should flow from it in a dense and continuous stream but form an insignificant hill in case of contact with any surface.

Important! A match previously dipped in real honey will light up when ignited; a fake one will not.

Impact on the human body

There is an opinion that people who include a portion of honey delicacy in their daily diet do not take pharmaceutical drugs at all. And such situations often occur. Complete with maintaining a healthy lifestyle, healing properties support the body’s normal functioning.

Each type of product can have a beneficial effect on human health. An important point is the strengthening and maintenance of the good shape of the nominal system of the body, which is responsible for the fight against diseases.

Honey effectively reduces inflammatory processes in tissues, is used as an anesthetic, and is used in various ailments. This is due to the following properties of the product:

• Antifungal;
• Antibacterial;
• Regenerating;
• Antiviral;
• Antihistamine, etc.

Honey is used for ulcers, wounds, and burns, due to which healing is accelerated. The product has a beneficial effect on improving blood, serves as a sugar substitute for diabetics, and improves digestive processes.

Due to its medicinal properties, it is used to treat:

• viral diseases;
• runny nose;
• cough
• throat diseases;
• conjunctivitis;
• laryngitis, etc.

Used to clean the blood and blood vessels, treat the genitourinary system, pancreas, ulcers, spleen, and gastritis.

Honey is an excellent helper in diseases of the circulatory and cardiovascular systems, a prophylactic against atherosclerosis. It is used for venereal, oncological diseases, tuberculosis, and diseases of the liver and kidneys.

It is a therapeutic remedy for nervous disorders and stress, arthritis, and diseases of the eyes and joints.

Honey is useful even in cosmetology and not only in cooking or traditional medicine. It is a component of many balms, masks, skin and face creams, and other cosmetic products. This is due to the balanced content of the bee product’s essential oils, vitamins, enzymes, and minerals.

Therefore, it can be an independent cosmetic product without adding other impurities.

Thus, the bee product is a natural and indispensable product for the health of the human body. It is believed to dominate natural medicines extracted from flowers and herbs.

Useful properties of honey

Honey, it is written in the Koran and the Bible. A bandage with honey was used as a disinfectant during World War II.

The healing properties of honey include fungicide – the ability to prevent the reproduction of fungi, so the product is stored for centuries and does not become moldy.

For disinfection

Honey has antibacterial properties. Bacteria do not develop and die in honey since potassium, part of the composition, deprives living organisms of moisture.

Honey destroys microbes:

• dysentery and causing purulent abscess – in 10 hours;
• typhoid – for one day,
• causative agents of typhoid fever – for two days.

For detox

Honey neutralizes poisons upon contact with them. In addition to toxins – biological and toxicants – industrial poisons, honey resists the most dangerous radiation elements for humans.

Bees are the only living creatures that are not affected by the mutation. When irradiated, they die or continue to live without changing. The phenomenon was discovered after the nuclear disasters in Japan. Bee product does not change under the influence of radiation. It protects the one who uses it, as it is a sorbent.

For dental health

Honey cleanses the oral cavity of bacteria so it does not cause tooth decay. Manufacturers often add propolis to toothpaste, similar to honey in bactericidal properties.

For heart

Honey affects the heart and blood vessels due to glucose and magnesium. Glucose is quickly absorbed and split, giving energy to the heart muscle. Honey dilates the coronary vessels and improves blood circulation; regular use increases muscle tone.

For women

Honey is a source of phytoestrogens. These are natural compounds similar to the hormone estrogen.

Phytoestrogens do not affect menopause like synthetic or “own” estrogens, but their regular use will slow aging. Especially useful is honey collected from shepherd’s purse, hog queen, and red brush pollen grains.

During pregnancy

Honey calms the nervous system, relieves tension, relaxes, and helps to fall asleep. These medicinal properties will help a pregnant woman whose nervous system is “shattered” due to hormonal changes.

When consumed, vitamins enter the body, and immunity increases.

On an empty stomach

A glass of water with honey in the morning will help “wake up” the digestive organs. The drink will energize you for the whole day.

Reception on an empty stomach is not dangerous for the gastrointestinal tract, as it does not irritate the walls of the digestive organs.

How to distinguish varieties of honey according to the place of collection?

Caring bees work in natural areas with various zonal and landscape features. Depending on where the apiary stood, the following groups are distinguished (each of them includes several varieties of honey):

1. Field honey. This is a common and affordable poly floral honey, collected most often in the steppe and forest-steppe areas. It has a pleasant aroma of wild herbs.
2. Meadow honey. Extracted from plants of plain and alpine meadows. It is valued above the previous one since it is more difficult to assemble it.
3. Taiga honey. An elite type of honey with amazing qualities and aroma. He comes from apiaries in the taiga zones. Many honey plants for such a delicacy grow only in this area.
4. Mountain honey. Apiary lands in the highlands require much work, so this honey is more expensive than the rest. The value also lies in its unique composition.

Contraindications to the use of honey

Individual intolerance and allergy.

Natural honey rarely causes allergic reactions in someone. An allergic reaction can occur in such cases:

If you are allergic to the plant pollen from which the nectar was collected, a surrogate syrup mimics honey, which is sold in stores. The components of such products often cause irritant reactions.

Therefore, if you notice eating such a mass of redness, rash, etc., pay attention to the composition of the honey you have eaten.  

If the hives with bees have been treated with special chemical disinfectants that have not weathered and to the components of which you are allergic  

People with diseases such as:  

• type 2 diabetes,
• gastritis and stomach ulcers
• pancreatitis diathesis and rheumatism

 Consumption violation.

It can cause a rash, increased blood sugar, and other side effects accompanied by using large amounts of sweets. The norm of honey consumption for an adult is up to a maximum of 150 ml per day; for a child, one tablespoon per day will be enough.

Violation of the norm of consumption of honey can cause a rash.

Drunk honey.

Using such nectar can cause serious poisoning for more than one day, accompanied by vomiting, headaches, and convulsions. Such honey is collected from swamp plants, azaleas, heather, and others. It is impossible to distinguish such honey visually. A specialist can distinguish drunken honey by the slight smell of burnt sugar. It is almost impossible to find it for sale.

Drunk honey from poisonous plants can cause poisoning.

What is honey made of?

Honey has the most diverse mineral composition of any natural product.

The presence and content of certain amounts of mineral impurities in the composition of honey are largely influenced by the chemical composition of the soil and the honey plants themselves, from which bees collect honey. For example, honeydew honey contains more mineral components than meadow honey. Dark-colored honey is richer in minerals than light-colored honey, collected from different meadow plants, and richer than monofloral.

One can easily identify a fake according to the chemical composition of honey, namely, the composition of minerals. There are a few different salts in the composition of honey from sugar, but there is a lot of silicon.

Proteins and their compounds in honey. Complex proteins in honey (enzymes or enzymes) are catalysts for many chemical and biological processes in the body. These are vegetable proteins that get into honey with plant pollen and nectar, or animal proteins, which are the secret secreted by the salivary glands of bees.

1. Invertase is an enzyme that directly affects the breakdown of sucrose disaccharide into components: monosaccharides a-glucose and b-fructose. In part, this is an enzyme of plant origin that enters the honey along with the nectar, and the main amount is obtained by exposing the nectar to bee saliva.
2. Diastase is an enzyme whose main property is to accelerate the process of splitting starch into maltose. This enzyme is of plant and animal origin. The amount of this enzyme – the so-called diastase number – determines the quality of honey. If the honey is of good quality, its diastase index is seven and measured in conventional Gote units. But for example, for white acacia honey, the diastase index must be at least 5; for other varieties, it is three units. When honey is heated, the diastase number is greatly reduced. This is also a way to detect fake honey.
3. Glucose oxidase – this enzyme accelerates the oxidative process of glucose, forming gluconolactone and hydrogen peroxide.
4. Catalase is an enzymatic compound that breaks down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen gas, which acts as an antiseptic. This hydrocarbon is contained in the honey from honeydew in a significant volume.
5. Amino acids – hydrocarbon compounds with an amino group, which are part of the protein composition of honey, come from the nectar and saliva of bees. These are the main amino acids for humans, such as glutamine, phenylalanine, and others.
6. Vitamins are organic substances that take an active part in the synthesis of proteins. Pantothenic acid, ascorbic, nicotinic, folic acids, retinol, tocopherol, carotene, and phylloquinone. Vitamins enter honey from pollen from honey plants and nectar; their content depends entirely on the biology of honey plants.
7. The acids in honey are obtained by processing hydrocarbons with the help of enzymes. Organic acids (acetic, gluconic, citric, oxalic) and inorganic (phosphoric and hydrochloric) are present in honey in salt complexes, adding a little sourness to honey. The pH of honey is 3-4 units and increases greatly due to improper storage, heating, and when creating fake honey from sugar.

Fats.

Fatty acids improve the structure and appearance of skin, hair, and nails. Lipids help normalize blood pressure in hypertensive patients and reduce the formation of blood clots.

Carbohydrates.

Honey contains monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides. Otherwise, they are called sugars. The largest volume of the sugars in honey is occupied by inverted sugars: a-glucose and b-fructose. Meadow or field honey contains about 80% fructose, glucose, and 5% sucrose. In honeydew honey, the content of sucrose increases while the amount of inverted sugar decreases.

If honey is properly stored, the process of processing sugars with invertase continues, and the amount of inverted sugar increases. Fake honey with sugar impurities contains more than 10 percent sucrose.

Honey contains dextrin (from 2 to 5%), a polysaccharide that precedes the formation of inverted sugar during hydrolysis. Dextrin promotes better digestibility of honey; an increase in its amount is proportional to an increase in density and a weakening of the crystallization mechanism.

Types of honey and recommendations for their use

If you have ever been to beekeeping fairs, you know many honey varieties. How to avoid getting confused with such an abundance and choose what you need?

I will list the most popular types that have not only a pleasant taste but also a lot of useful characteristics.

1. Lime – has a very sweet taste and delicate smell, perfect for treating seasonal colds and viruses.
2. Buckwheat – does not retain a liquid texture for long but is very effective for vitamin deficiencies, colds, and even gastric ulcers.
3. Acacia is the least allergenic, so it is often recommended for children.
4. Sweet clover – a product with a wonderful aroma, ideal for improving the functioning of the heart and thyroid gland.
5. Chestnut – retains a liquid texture for a long time. Due to the high fructose content, it may not be candied for two years. Great for treating colds, heart, and gastrointestinal tract, and also increases appetite in children.
6. Rapeseed is a rare variety in our country. It is obtained from the nectar of the inflorescences of an oil-bearing herbaceous plant – rapeseed. It has a lighter shade, thicker texture, and candied quickly. The older he gets, the brighter he becomes. Because of this, it is even called “white honey.”

Of course, the medicinal characteristics of the product differ only slightly from variety to variety. Rather, personal taste preferences come to the fore: do not be afraid to try new varieties.

Use in cosmetology

The first use of bee honey for cosmetic purposes is attested in Egypt. The ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra made honey masks for her whole body, and they wrote that she was famous for her beauty.

Some components of honey can be absorbed through the skin and absorbed by cells directly, which makes honey masks very useful. With their frequent use, the skin becomes not only outwardly healthier but also internally strengthened as well. With the help of a honey-based mask, you can:

• reduce enlarged pores on the face;
• accelerate cell division and thereby rejuvenate the skin;
• keep more moisture in the skin if it is too dry;
• cleanse the skin of acne and blackheads and activate its respiration.

A significant effect from the regular use of masks containing honey is noticeable on flabby skin that has already lost its vitality. In addition to masks with honey, the modern cosmetics market also offers scrubs, body wraps, creams, and even honey shampoos! And bee honey, even in its pure form, can be used for massage.

Benefits for the treatment of female diseases

And now, let’s talk about how honey therapy can help the weaker sex eliminate female diseases. According to sad statistics, almost half of the female population today suffers from any diseases of the reproductive organs. And here, bee products can become a real lifesaver. After all, the benefits of honey for women have been repeatedly confirmed by real cases of cures for infertility, from cervical erosion and inflammatory processes in the female genital area.

Honey candles are considered especially effective. You can make them yourself very quickly. Mix one teaspoon of honey, one egg yolk, and five tbsp to do this. Spoons of rye flour; knead a stiff dough and make small tube candles. For the candles to freeze, put them in the cold, but before using them, be sure to put them in a warm place so that they warm up. You must use this tool daily before going to bed for a month, then rest and start treatment again.

Harm and contraindications

Despite the many medicinal qualities of honey, it is worth treating its use very carefully because. sometimes it can be harmful. Limit yourself from taking the product with liver cirrhosis, gallstones, and the gallbladder’s absence.

Honey can harm people with high stomach acidity and are in a post-infarction state.

Use with caution in the presence of allergic reactions or obesity. The calorie content of 100 g of honey is 320 kcal.

Thus, with the careful use of a healing product, after consulting with specialists, you will eliminate many unwanted problems without causing complications to the body.

If the bees grazed in apiaries where the flowers were treated with chemicals, then some of the substances will pass into bee products.

Honey in hot tea is bad for the heart: the drink stresses the heart.

When heated, the product loses its beneficial properties, and at 60 ° C, it forms hydroxymethylfurfural, which provokes the appearance of tumors in the body.

Honey should not be consumed:

• patients with obesity and diabetes;
• children under two years old;
• with allergies.

Natural honey – benefits

1. Antioxidant effects

The authors of the study believe that the main health benefits of honey are related to the content of antioxidants. Natural honey contains several compounds that act as antioxidants, including phytochemicals, flavonoids, and ascorbic acid. Antioxidants reduce oxidative stress in the body by scavenging free radicals. Scientists have linked oxidative stress to several chronic diseases, including many types of cancer. People can reduce their risk of chronic disease by eating a diet rich in antioxidants.

Some believe pasteurization reduces the amount of antioxidants in honey, meaning that pasteurized honey may have different benefits than raw honey. There is no specific data on how pasteurization affects the antioxidants in honey, but the study results show that heating other foods can reduce the antioxidant content.

2. Nutrition

Honey contains certain nutrients that make it a useful addition to your diet. The chemical composition of raw honey depends on the country and environment and on what flowers the bees collect nectar from. Despite these factors, honey contains beneficial substances such as antioxidants, amino acids, and vitamins. Natural honey contains small amounts of the following vitamins and minerals:

• niacin;
• riboflavin;
• pantothenic acid;
• calcium;
• magnesium;
• manganese;
• potassium;
• phosphorus;
• zinc.

Honey naturally contains sugar. Slightly more than half of the sugar in honey is fructose. Scientists have linked fructose to various diseases. However, even with the fructose content, honey may be a healthier option than table sugar. Some research suggests that honey may protect against diabetes, and certain types of honey may improve cholesterol levels. People with diabetes or on a sugar-restricted diet can eat honey in moderation to avoid significant changes in blood sugar levels.

3. Antibacterial action

Honey has natural antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. It contains hydrogen peroxide, glucose oxidase, and low pH, which can kill harmful bacteria and fungi. Because of its antibacterial action, people can use honey to cleanse wounds.

Research results have shown that manuka honey, which is a type of raw honey, can kill common pathogens, including:

Escherichia coli or E. coli, a bacterium that causes food poisoning and wound infections;

Staphylococcus aureus or S. aureus, a pathogen that causes skin infections;

Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori, is a bacterium that causes stomach ulcers and chronic gastritis.

4. Wound healing

Numerous studies have shown that honey has wound-healing properties. A review of the scientific literature confirms that honey is beneficial for wound healing due to its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Some evidence also suggests that honey has antiviral and antifungal properties. In addition, honey is acidic, which helps to release oxygen from the wound and promotes healing.

5. Eases cough

Several studies suggest that honey may be more effective than some cough medicines. Many cough medicines are unsafe for young children, so that honey can be a good alternative. Researchers believe that honey reduces the severity and frequency of a child’s nighttime cough.

6. Treatment of diarrhea

Raw honey can have a calming effect on digestion, helping with diarrhea symptoms. A study of 150 children with acute gastroenteritis found that those who received honey with oral rehydration solution recovered faster than those who did not receive honey. Children who received honey had fewer bowel movements and recovered faster from illness. Try eating a teaspoon of raw honey or mixing honey into a drink for mild diarrhea. Avoid taking too much honey, as too much sugar can worsen diarrhea.

7. Brain protection

The study’s authors show that honey may have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that benefit the brain. An animal study found that rats that consumed honey had protection against lead-induced brain damage. In addition, raw honey may contain ingredients that help fight inflammation in the hippocampus, the part of the brain involved in memory.

Honey: what is the harm to health?

Knowing about the beneficial properties of honey, you should remember that, like any other product, honey has some contraindications, which can be a reason for many to refuse to use it.

1. Honey is high in calories. This valuable nutritional quality is not suitable for obese people.

2. Of course, honey is good for health. But it should not be used in case of an allergic reaction to the product.

3. Also, honey is prohibited for children under three years old. It contains substances useful for an adult but not for a child.

4. Harm of honey is its excessive use. Often, zealous people try to nourish their bodies with the greatest number of useful components.

However, excess honey can lead to serious kidney and pancreas problems. The maximum dose of an amber product that can be consumed without harm to health is 150 g.

Want to have more fun? Divide the serving throughout the day, savoring your favorite honey in small doses.

5. As mentioned above, honey harms children under three years of age. Older kids can eat honey. It is better to mix it with your favorite porridge or non-hot tea.