Bee honey — one of the most surprising gifts of the nature. There is a huge set of types of this golden product, but the most useful of them — May. About it and about its curative properties the speech in our article will go.
Description and distinctive features
May honey — a product of bee processing of flower nectar which gathers during a time of violent blossoming of various plants.
Origin
April-May — the real holiday of a harvest for bees. The majority of plants blossoms at this particular time: herbs, bushes and trees. And so, the real May honey is cooked by bees at least from three different nectars. Therefore it has such surprisingly saturated taste and deep aroma.
Various primroses, willow, acacia, maple, wild strawberry and other wild berries, all meadow and field herbs, wild and garden bushes, bird cherry, mountain ash and all garden trees and also hyacinth, narcissus, peony and other flowers can provide it taste and aroma — everything depends on the region and time of collecting.
Whether you know? The name of the city of Bortnichi in Kiev region comes from an Old Slavic way of production of honey, a bortnichestvo.
And, certainly, because of such variety of melliferous herbs in regions absolutely different product turns out. For example, the northern grades made of pollen of a willow and meadow herbs after pumping very quickly get denser. And the products from the southern regions containing a lot of nectar from a white acacia remain liquid very long, nearly a year.
Color
Coloring of May grades also varies depending on the region of origin, or rather from the flora dominating there: from almost white to dark golden. But anyway over time their shade changes: from translucent at the beginning to sated 3 months later.
Taste
All May grades are united by their taste, soft in comparison with summer types. From them usually does not tickle in a throat. It is connected with the fact that bees do not put such production on winter storage therefore for its preservation use much less enzymes. Because of enzymes bawls. As a rule, light grades are sourer, than dark.
Important! Fresh May honey represents just sweetish slush. That the sweet became deep and mature, with characteristic cold notes of menthol, it is necessary to infuse it 3-4 months. Consider it when choosing a product in the market.
Aroma
As a rule, honey right after collecting practically smells of nothing. But after long insisting it smells sweet as a bouquet of flowers from which pollen for its preparation was collected. The fruit aroma usually is pleasant to all, and a smell of meadow herbs, for example, of a dandelion — on the fan. Akatsiyevy and kipreyny grades practically do not smell. But not in case aroma of wild onions, tobacco or a goldenrod interferes with a honey bouquet! And even after long insisting are present at honey aroma menthol and wax tone.
Period of collecting
May honey is only called May. Actually, it is extorted from beehives in June. Here it is all about traditions of Slavic beekeepers. The beginning of June corresponds to the end of May on old calendar style.
Bees begin the flight in March or April — depending on climate of the region in which they work. However earliest harvest is not postponed for storage, and goes on food of a beehive and bringing up of young growth. And health and large number of bee family, so, and success of all new season depends on success of such early collecting. Usually beekeepers leave such product in beehives and only in rare instances take away surplus — again for reasons of health of bee family.
Important! The real May honey picked in May — a big rarity on sale, because of natural scarcity of such harvest. This circumstance also is a subject of speculation of the market dealers calling all the summer product May.
Crystallization time
May honey very quickly crystallizes as on a third consists of glucose. However it does not reduce its curative properties. Moreover, it contains in the candied look most of all useful and nutrients. At the same time it is necessary to know that the crystallized May grades should not harden — their consistence has to be similar to density of home-made sour cream.
What spring honey is rich with
Are its part:
- water — up to 20%;
- fructose — on average 38%;
- glucose — on average 31%;
- proteinaceous enzymes — up to 2%;
- amino acids — about 0.5%;
- minerals — on average 0.3%;
- vitamins;
- and also aromatic and dyes, hormones and fats.
The given indicators are average and fluctuate in any given party depending on the geography, botany, meteoconditions and other factors affecting quality of harvest.
Read also about types of honey: forest, meadow, buckwheat, akatsiyevy, flower, sunflower, chestnut, lime, dyagilevy.
The main components of honey are carbohydrates in the form of sugars, and them it contains more than 20 types. Main of them — glucose and fructose. Their contents caused power properties of sweet amber.
Glucose without any processing at once comes to blood. Fructose accumulates in a liver, and then if necessary will be transformed to glucose. There is in it also a sucrose — connection of fruit and grape sugars which is split with a certain load of an organism. However its contents at the correct storage of a product considerably decreases.
Important! The increased sucrose level (over 25%) indicates poor quality of a honey product owing to fertilizing of bees by sugar or its falsifications.
Besides, as a part of bee honey there are trisakharida which increase its viscosity, slow down crystallization and at the same time are well acquired by an organism.
Content of amino acids (product mg/kg):
- proline — 550;
- tyrosine — 35;
- lysine — 30;
- glutamine — 20;
- glutamic acid — 15;
- histidine — 12;
- asparaginic acid — 11;
- etc.
Content of amino acids depends, first of all, on the region and a honey grade. The main criterion of quality of a product is proline level: the more proline content, the zrely honey, the is less than proline, the he is younger or is made by the bees who are fed up by sugar.
Whether you know? The leader in production of honey — China, and the most expensive product — in Israel: there for 1 kg of a sweet product give $300.
Content of minerals (mg / 100 of a product):
- iron (Fe) — 800;
- fluorine (F) — 100;
- zinc (Zn) — 95;
- copper (Cu) — 59;
- potassium (K) — 35;
- manganese (Mn) — 35;
- chlorine (Cl) — 20;
- phosphorus (P) — 20;
- calcium (Ca) — 14;
- sodium (Na) — 10;
- magnesium (Mg) — 2.5;
- iodine (I) — 2;
- sulfur (S) — 1.
According to contents macro - and minerals honey considerably concedes to meat, grain and dairy products, however in it there is a lot of potassium which consumption can be increased in combination with dried fruits.
And still honey is considered one of the richest with minerals of food. It caused its curative properties which are very well investigated.
The mineral structure depends on geographical and botanical factors. And still all honey grades surely contain the metals which are listed above. Besides, in the majority of samples, let in small quantities, but there is an aluminum (Al) and a pine forest (B); in 90% of products — nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and chrome (Cr);. In half of grades there is vanadium (V); in a third of cases — cobalt (Co) and molybdenum (Mo); and it is extremely rare — germaniye (Ge).
Minerals affect taste of any natural product: the their is more, the smack of salt less it acidity is more notable.
Content of the main vitamins (mg / 100 of a product):
- thiamine (B1) — 0.01;
- Riboflavinum (B2) — 0.03;
- nicotinic acid (B3 or SS) — 0.2;
- pantothenic acid (B5) — 0.13;
- pyridoxine (B6) — 0.1;
- folatsin (B9) — 0.015;
- vitamin C — 2.0.
Also ß carotene and other pro-vitamins meets.
Honey contains only water-soluble vitamins and their concentration much less, than in the main products. However it is always considered as one of carriers of these biologically active agents.
The source of vitamins here — pollen, and its quantity, in turn, depends on a species of plants melliferous herbs, meteoconditions and time of collecting. So, for example, at a poor medosbor of a bee purify nectar from pollen more carefully.
Important! Some authors exaggerate a role of products of beekeeping as sources of vitamins. Actually, they need to be considered only as a part of complex food in combination with other products.
A set of aromatic substances at each sample unique therefore a honey variety in aromas is so high. However they are very unstable and through some time disappear, especially at violation of technology of storage of a product.
Besides, at honey there can be an oxymethylfurfural which is poison. It is almost not in a fresh product, but at storage and short-term thermal treatment the concentration of toxin increases up to dangerous indicators.
And, at last, at honey there are phytoncides — complex organic compounds of plant origin which kill bacteria and fungi or as a last resort suppress their development.
Learn more about useful properties and application of bee products: a zabrusa, a bee perga and pollen, a uterine milk, a bee subpestilence, propolis, honey with propolis.
Than it is useful and as influences an organism
As it was already told, honey has high power properties so it is necessary for the people playing sports and also busy brainwork for development of muscle bulk, maintenance of health of a brain, heart and a liver. And at the same time their digestive system is not overloaded at all. And all thanks to the fact that honey generally consists of fruit and glucose.
Whether you know? To make 100 g of honey nectar, the bee needs to fly about 100,000 flowers.
The fact is that usual sucrose is a strong sheaf fruit and glucose which in intestines is split on two of these monosaccharides. The healthy organism easily copes with splitting of sugars, but at deficiency of enzymes such work is at a loss. And in such cases honey as is impossible by the way. Fruit and grape sugar are present at it not connected with each other, i.e. do not need splitting, and therefore easily are accepted by any organism.
Than these monosaccharides are so important?
Glucose and fructose are necessary for nervous and muscular system. Especially they are important for normal reduction of a myocardium.
Fructose does not initiate production of insulin a pancreas and does not increase glucose level in blood.
Application of fruit sugar is especially relevant for the diabetics and people having obesity and also for future mothers and children.
Fructose is more sweet than sucrose for 73% and glucose — for 92%. It is used as sugar substitute by all for the same diabetics.
Fructose is completely synthesized by a liver in a glycogen — a power stock which is transformed to glucose when there is its deficiency.
Thus, honey not just suits diabetics, but is even useful to them because of small amount of sugar.
Proteins, despite small concentration in honey, have huge value. Most of them — enzymes which accelerate metabolism.
Whether you know? Ancient Slavs made mutual settlements not only by money, but also honey.
Mineral substances play an important role in metabolism of the person, rendering alkaline (Ca, Mg, Na, K) or acid (P, S, Cl) action on an organism.
Biological role of minerals.
- Ca — strengthens bone tissues, nails and hair and also myocardium fibers. Is a part of the system of fibrillation, participates in reduction of muscle fibers, transfer of nervous impulses, etc.
- Mg — calms the central nervous system. Involved in synthesizing of proteins. Does bones firm. Accelerates glucose splitting, interfering with its transformation into fats. Stimulates removal of toxins from an organism. Accelerates regeneration of all cages of an organism.
- Na — levels contents in cells of liquid and salts. Normalizes functions of kidneys, nervous system and muscle tissues. Holds minerals in blood. Improves transportation of sugar through blood to cages.
- K — levels contents in cells of liquid and salts, participates in momentum transfer on nervous fibers, improves functions of various sites of a brain.
- P — strengthens bone tissues, nails and hair. Takes active part in regeneration of cells of an organism, i.e. in all processes of growth. Reduces a pain syndrome at arthritis. Promotes filling of an organism energy.
- Fe — participates in blood formation, forming hemoglobin, increases the organism resilience to bacterial infections. Participates in synthesizing of hormones of a thyroid gland.
- Cu — participates in synthesis of many enzymes and normalizes proteinaceous exchange, controlling growth of bone tissues.
- Mn — influences growth of cages, blood formation and work of gonads.
- I \participates in synthesis of the hormones of a thyroid gland influencing growth and development of cages and also metabolism.
Whether you know? When opening a tomb of Tutankhamun the vessel with honey was found there. And so, its taste practically did not change in 3,000 years.
You ask: and here honey? And while mineral substances are constantly spent by an organism, and it daily needs their replenishment. So sweet amber is one of sources micro and macrocells.
For a human body vitamins have not smaller value.
Influence of vitamins on a human body:
- B1 (thiamine) — participates in a metabolism. Improves work of a brain (memory, concentration of attention, etc.) and an emotional state. Stimulates growth of muscle and bone tissues. Slows down aging.
- B2 (Riboflavinum) — participates in synthesis of erythrocytes. Accelerates iron splitting. Strengthens the immune system. Improves a condition of skin, promotes fast healing of wounds.
- B3, or PP (nicotinic acid, or niatsin) — participates in reactions of cellular respiration and other processes of biosynthesis and also in proteinaceous, fat, amino-acid exchange. Expands capillaries, especially a brain. Blocks fibrillation.
- B4 (is well-cared) — raises a rezistivnost of cages to harmful effects.
- B5 (pantothenic acid) — participates in the most important reactions of metabolism, especially fatty acids. Stimulates synthesis of hormones of adrenal glands. Forms antibodies, helps digestion of other vitamins. Participates in synthesizing of neurotransmitters. Renders powerful recovery effect on fabrics of mucous. Stimulates an intestines vermicular movement. Suppresses biosynthesis of the lipids which are harmfully influencing work of a liver.
- B9 (folic acid) — participates in cell regeneration and supports them in a healthy state. Therefore it is important on the first months of pregnancy and also for children of chest age. Participates in replication of DNA and division of erythrocytes in marrow. Participates also in development of spermatozoa.
- With (ascorbic acid) — strengthens blood vessels, preventing bleeding. Smoothes wrinkles. Strengthens nerves, improving thereby an emotional state and sleep quality. Strengthens roots of hair. Improves sight and functioning of a brain, in particular, increases concentration of attention.
Whether you know? The tradition of a postwedding honeymoon extended on the world from Norway. At ancient Norwegians it was necessary to newlyweds this month there is a honey and to drink mead.
At the long shortage of these bioactive agents avitaminosis develops. So, for example, at deficiency of vitamin C the scurvy develops; at B1 hypovitaminosis — beriberi; at RR hypovitaminosis — a pellagra; at B2 hypovitaminosis — ariboflavinoz, at hypovitaminosis And — night blindness.
Organic acids, despite scanty contents, significantly affect taste and a smell of honey and also on metabolism. They promote satisfying of thirst and dissolution of salts, block development of bacteria and well influence digestive tract.
Also at honey there are growth hormones which value it is difficult to overestimate. In 1955 the scientists during observations of babies established that those from them who received honey bait grew much quicker than babies who did not receive such dietary supplement.
From a marjoram, clover, dogrose, linden,