honey

 Honey is the sweet, sticky substance that bees make from flower nectar or from honeydew excreted by plant sucking insects such as aphids, which the bees  collect, transform by combining with specific substances of their own, deposit, dehydrate, store and leave in honey comb to ripen and mature.

Honey from flower nectar is called flower honey and  honey from honeydew is called honeydew or forest honey.

Real raw honey is...

- extracted from beehive at safe temperature (safe temperature for keeping all beneficial nutrients is   generally less  than 45C (113F) , but some nutrients start to degrade at 35C (95F)

- not filtered

- not diluted with other honey

- not diluted with water

- no sweeteners added

- not pasteurized or heated for any other reason

Raw honey has been used for its medicinal value for thousands of years by many cultures. 

Honey, in general, has a lot of medicinal uses. It’s a natural source of energy and it helps to strengthen and support your immune system.   Chemical composition of honey makes it easier to digest than regular sugar, (honey has a lower glycemic index ) and its metabolism does not stimulate insulin secretion to the same degree as does sugar. Thus honey can be used as a healthy substitute for regular sugar and artificial sweeteners. 

 So if you need to lose your weight, reduce blood sugar or lower the risk of heart disease  replacing sugar with honey may be a way to go.

It's high viscosity helps to provide a protective barrier to prevent infection.

Honey is gaining acceptance as an agent for the treatment of ulcers, bed sores and other skin infections resulting from burns and wound.

 Honeydew is chemically different from nectar, so honeydew honey is also chemically different from regular flower honey. It is always darker, with a stronger taste . 

Honeydew honey “contains a higher antioxidant, antibacterial activity level, mineral content and greater nutritional and therapeutic benefits than most regular flower honey.”

It has also higher level of amino acids, probiotics and vitamins and great power to fight against viruses and fungi.

 The thick consistency, low moisture content and antibacterial action of honeydew honeys recommend them for soothing throat soreness caused by respiratory tract infections .

 Honeydew  honey also normally does not contain pollen so it may be profitable for people with pollen allergies.

 Honeydew honey is highly appreciated in certain parts of the world by connoisseurs and honey lovers alike for its strong flavor and healthful properties. It is especially well known in European countries like Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Italy, Greece  where it generally commands a higher price. While honeydew is produced in North America, the honey is not particularly common. 

It is also not very easy to produce honeydew honey. Specific climate conditions are required as well as limited time for bees to collect it.

How to recognize forest honey from floral honey.

- color

- consistency

- conductivity

Honeydew honey is always much darker than floral honey. Sometimes as dark as molasses.

It is also much thicker with stronger woody taste.

But the only way how to proof honeydew honey is by measuring electric conductivity. While pure flower honey has conductivity less than 0.5 mS/cm for honeydew honey it must be over 0.8 mS/cm...Greater the number ,higher quality..

Both types of honey are great for your skin and hair.

Additionally  honey can help against :

• stress
• weakness
• sleep disturbance
• vision problems
• bad breath
• teething pain, in children over a year old
• cough and asthma
• hiccups
• stomach ulcers
• diarrhea 
• vomiting
•  frequent urination
• high blood pressure
• obesity

Do not feed honey to infants.

So what honey is good for you? The answer is easy. Real raw honey. But you have to know your source.

Don't forget that  ..  Honey is the third-most-faked food in the world, behind milk and olive oil.