The best properties of honey as food

The best properties of honey as food and topical use, throughout the history of humanity man has had this nutritious elixir, easy to preserve and highly nutritious.

En primer lugar, las mejores propiedades de la miel como alimento la hemos podido comprobar desde que dimos nuestros primeros pasos por la tierra.

Posiblemente, sea el primer alimento natural de origen animal que el ser humano ha recolectado y consumido desde el origen de los tiempos.

Honey energy food

Absorbe directamente porque sus azúcares no necesitan desdoblarse. Además, es el edulcorante más natural del mundo y además contiene vitaminas, minerales y aminoácidos, por lo que se recomienda como ingrediente habitual de nuestra dieta.

It is produced by bees by collecting nectar from flowers and sweet secretions from living parts of plants and insects.

They add specific substances or enzymes of their own to create honey, which they store with the correct humidity in wax combs so that it ripens.

How many types of honey are there

There are as many honeys as there are flowers on the planet. There is a great variety or classes, depending on the origin of the flower or shrub and the collection. There are also those of spring that take place at the end of May, the main one, between June and July, and the late honey, between August and September.

Meanwhile they differ as multi-floral (various flowers), mono-floral (composition of a concrete) and forest (obtained from the leaf).

Due to its texture, the flowers are transparent and thick, which are usually fresh, dew honeys are less sweet and more difficult to solidify.

Some kinds of honeys and their characteristics

Also around the world there are hundreds of types, some better known than others, logically everything depends on the type of flower that bees find in their habitat.

• Orange blossom: Light amber in color, fragrant and smooth on the palate. From the pollen of lemon, orange and mandarin trees. Sedative effects, helping to fall asleep. It is also antispasmodic.
• Rosemary: Very clear amber and white when crystallized. Aromatic and sweet. Hepatic stimulant that favors the decongestion of the liver. Indicated for stomach ulcers and dysmenorrhea. Not recommended for hypertensive patients.
• Eucalyptus: Ocher in color. Very aromatic with a characteristic wood flavor. Antiseptic for the respiratory and urinary tracts, with balsamic and deworming effects. Indicated against colds and respiratory tree diseases.
• Thyme: Reddish in tone and pleasant flavor. Indicated for respiratory conditions of an inflammatory type, convulsive cough and asthma. Regulator of blood pressure. Highly indicated as a tonic for fatigue and asthenia.

More honeys, healthy food

• Lavender: Amber in color and characteristic lavender flavor. For its bactericidal and antiseptic power. Indicated in external use for insect bites, sunburns and wounds. Antidiarrheal Preventive of flu, bronchitis, colds. Due to its high iron content, it has the same indications as chestnut honey. Promotes sleep, moderates irritability, aggressiveness and stress.
• Linden: from linden flowers. Soft yellow in color with a fragrant aroma. It crystallizes easily so it hardens quickly. Useful in heartburn, flatulence, gastric or duodenal ulcers. Antibacterial properties. Useful in bronchitis, flu and colds. It has sedative properties, being very useful in anxiety and insomnia.
• Clover: from the clover flower Soft yellow in color. It is energizing. Very useful for tiredness or fatigue, elderly people, exam times, postoperative recovery.
• Alfalfa: from alfalfa flowers. White amber in color, good flavor and properties similar to clover honey.

More varieties

• Hazelnut: Yellow in color and good flavor. Used for the skin and to preserve its condition.
• Chestnut: from the flower of the fruit and the exudation of the tree. Rich in iron, beneficial for anemia, nasal bleeding and metrorrhagia (abundant periods).
• Pine or fir (called forest honey): It comes from the honeydew that the tree itself exudes (pines, firs, oaks, enzymes.
• Pine: dark and remains liquid long after harvest. Resinous in flavor and excellent for treating bronchial inflammation.
• Spruce: Green in color and very difficult to obtain, since it is not produced every year. Strong balsamic aroma indicated for respiratory conditions.
• Holm oak: Produced by bees that suck the molasses that emerges from the fruits. It is one of the darker colored honey types, almost black. Very little sweet malt smell and taste. Indicated to combat anemia due to its high iron content. Antiasthmatic and suitable against bronchial and pulmonary affections.
• Heather: Dark mahogany in color and slightly bitter in taste. Increases diuresis so it works well in cystitis, fluid retention and kidney stones and their prevention; inflammation of the bladder, kidney and urethra. Recommended in heart problems: coronary insufficiency, arrhythmias, heart disease, angina pectoris and heart attack. Anti-rheumatic. Due to its mineral content, it is indicated for anemia, loss of appetite and fatigue.
• Thousand flowers: From several simultaneous blooms. Dark amber in color and highly variable and intense flavor. Anti-inflammatory, digestive and healing. It is a great food supplement. Rich in minerals, it prevents anemia, promotes digestion and is antiseptic. Ideal for a complete breakfast.

Less known

• Manuca: From Australia and New Zealand. Authentic natural antibiotic, both to treat problems of the respiratory and digestive systems. Colds, bronchitis, colds, stomach or duodenal ulcers. Due to its antibacterial property, it is used in burns, cuts, mouth conditions (canker sores and irritation) with rinses.
• Ulmo: has a bitter almond flavor. Its crystallization makes it fresh in the mouth. Depending on its production, it is clear or extra clear. Bactericidal, fungicidal, antiviral and balsamic properties. Very useful for skin conditions, wounds and fungi.
• Quillay: Its origin from the Quilay flower, found in Peru, Chile, Argentina and Bolivia. Astringent properties beneficial to the skin. Eczema, dermatitis, oily skin and seborrhea. Its internal intake is not recommended, as it contains a high content of saponins that can be toxic. Its honey is used for cosmetic preparations and its bark as well.
• Acacia: It is a very liquid amber honey. Extracted from the same acacia flower. Laxative effects that combat constipation.
• Tiaca: its origin is from a tree in southern Chile. Soft texture and very fine crystallization. Fresh fruit flavor and mint aroma.

Home remedies with the contribution of honey

Tonificante: Aporta azúcares simples, como la glucosa y la fructosa, por lo cual se absorben muy fácilmente, pasando rápidamente a sangre. A esto hay que añadir la presencia de otras sustancias con alto valor biológico como antioxidantes, flavonoides, carotenoides, fenoles, enzimas, etc.

Bactericida: Posee un gran poder antibiótico y cicatrizante, por lo que ha sido utilizada desde tiempos remotos en el tratamiento de heridas, quemaduras, úlceras, etc.

When applied to a wound , glucose oxidase produces locally a slow release of hydrogen peroxide (hydrogen peroxide), with an antiseptic action. As a result, in the treatment of wounds, honey stimulates the division and growth of cells, promoting healing.

Antiinflamatoria y emoliente: Ha demostrado ser un remedio eficaz en el tratamiento de  dermatitis seborreica y caspa, principales causa de la pérdida del cabello, y en el caso de hemorroides (uso externo).

Expectorante: Es de gran ayuda en caso de sinusitis, irritaciones de garganta y procesos bronquiales simples, que cursan con tos seca. Mezclada con avellana constituye también un buen remedio para la tos crónica.

Properties depending on the flower

– Digestive and laxative : F avors the gastrointestinal digestion process and, above all, is effective in cases of constipation . Normalizes acidity and gastric juice secretion.

– Relaxing and sleep inducing : In addition to its toning effect on the body in general, has relaxing, sedative and sleep-inducing properties , by promoting the absorption of tryptophan , which is a precursor of serotonin (a chemical that regulates the good mood of the body), so It is recommended in the usual diet of patients suffering from chronic insomnia .

– Mineralizing : Improves the absorption of other nutrients , such as calcium or iron . Thus, it contributes to the maintenance of bone mass that makes up the skeleton, which is of interest in case of bone fractures, diets low in calcium, menopause or osteoporosis, where the loss of bone mass is more pronounced.

Honey as a prebiotic and antioxidant food

– Prebiotic: Due to its content of oligosaccharides, medium chain sugars present in it, such as melecytose , maltotriose and raffinose , which seem to stimulate the growth and activity of bifidobacterial species that inhabit the human colon and that are part of healthy intestinal microflora.

– Antioxidant : Various studies have suggested as responsible for the antioxidant activity of honey the minority components of it, and especially, polyphenolic compounds , such as flavonoids , carotenoids , along with amino acids, minerals and vitamins C and E .

Finally, we can say that bees created the best food in nature, so we must learn to take care of them and protect their ecosystems.

(¹) Text on the therapeutic properties of honey published on pulevasalud.com by Dr. Mrs. Ana Haro García, from the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology of the University of Granada