The beneficial qualities of honey are beyond doubt. The product is used as a natural sweet and a cure for various diseases. Honey in combs can pleasantly diversify your diet, since it contains simple sugars that are quickly absorbed by the body. Therefore, when consuming comb honey, the risk of gaining excess weight is low compared to traditional desserts added to the diet.
What is the name of honey in honeycombs?
The sweet bee product that has not yet been extracted from the wax comb is called “comb honey.”Most often, the substance has a liquid consistency, but in the absence of a sufficient amount of water or at elevated temperatures it may crystallize slightly. The characteristics of sweetness (taste, color, shade) are determined by the type of honey plants that were processed by the bees.
The product sealed in honeycombs is more valuable than the traditional pumped product, since it provides protection against the ingress of various microparticles from the air.
Composition and calorie content
Honey in combs is a natural product. Due to the high carbohydrate content (approximately 83%), the energy value is 325 kcal per 100 g. Since the sweetness is preserved in a natural waxy shell, the amount and usefulness of vitamins and microelements is maintained at the maximum level. An approximate set of useful elements:
- vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, PP, C;
- micro- and macroelements Al, Cl, Fe, R, Mg, Na, Ca, Zn, Mn, K;
- amino acids;
- sugars (fructose 40%, glucose 35%, maltose);
- fatty and organic acids;
- enzymes;
- phytoncides;
- proteins;
- esters;
- enzymes;
- natural antibiotics.
The peculiarity of comb honey with wax is the presence of pollen and propolis in the product. These substances give sweets additional healing properties.
How is it useful?
Even in ancient times, the benefits of honey were widely known. The healing qualities of the product are recognized both in folk and official medicine. The most useful qualities for a person:
- rejuvenates the body;
- promotes detoxification;
- prevention of caries, periodontal disease, protection against stomatitis, diseases of the oral mucosa;
- normalizes blood composition;
- is a source of vitamins and microelements necessary for the body;
- strengthens the immune system;
- improves the functioning of the nervous system and brain function;
- exhibits anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral properties.
Regular consumption of honeycomb has a rejuvenating effect on the body. The product can be used to prevent the risk of developing cancer. The delicacy helps strengthen the walls of blood vessels and improve mood.
Usage options
To obtain maximum benefits, comb honey must be properly prepared for use:
- honeycombs are cut into small pieces (squares with a side of 2-3 cm);
- the lining need not be cut, or this can be done immediately before use;
- You can slightly heat the honeycomb, but not higher than 60° C.
It is not necessary to get honey - you are allowed to eat the sweetness along with the honeycomb, chewing it slowly. It is recommended to chew the product until the sweet taste disappears, without swallowing the wax, because it is not digested by the body. For these purposes, choose honeycombs of a light yellow hue.
To treat a runny nose and bronchitis, inhalations are used. To carry out the procedure, you need to extract 1 tbsp from the honeycomb. l. honey and add to the kettle with water. Place a pipe on the spout of the teapot and inhale the honey vapor.
As an external remedy, sweetness is used to treat wounds, burns, and frostbite. Honeycomb honey can also be a component of eye drops. Honey masks are used to eliminate cosmetic defects of the skin and hair.
Contraindications and harm
Before including a sweet product in your diet, you need to familiarize yourself with a number of contraindications for its use. It is not recommended to add to the menu for the following persons:
- patients suffering from type I diabetes mellitus. For type II diabetes, it is allowed to enjoy a teaspoon of honey (morning and evening);
- those suffering from asthma, pulmonary emphysema, patients with pulmonary heart failure, chronic obstructive bronchitis, pulmonary hemorrhage, and pulmonary infarction are prohibited from taking honey inhalations;
- in case of exacerbation of gastritis, pancreatitis, sudden increase in temperature, during attacks of fever.
Storing honey in honeycombs
The product can be stored for a long time due to its high sugar content and bactericidal properties. Requirements for savings conditions:
- It is prohibited to place honeycombs near strong-smelling products;
- freezing and over-drying are not allowed;
- You can’t cut off the timber long before use.
An excellent storage option is a glass jar with a hermetically sealed lid. Honeycombs are also stored in wooden or plastic containers. Containers can be stored in a dry, ventilated, dark room at a temperature from +4° C to +20° C.
For long-term conservation, fully matured chalk with a solid edge is suitable. It is believed that during a year of storage, sweetness loses 10-15% of its medicinal qualities. There is no generally accepted shelf life for the product, since the duration depends on several factors (type of honey plants, storage conditions).
Honey is considered a unique natural product that exhibits delicious and medicinal qualities. Of particular value is comb honey, sealed by bees in a natural way.
