Milkweed honey - benefits and harms, how to distinguish a fake
For most gardeners, Euphorbia is a malicious and difficult to remove weed. However, for beekeepers who know how useful the honey obtained from this plant is, this is the most desirable plant in the garden. Sometimes it is even planted specifically to get more medicinal bee products.
Milkweed honey - benefits and harms, how to distinguish a fake
Description of milkweed
Euphorbia is difficult to confuse with others. Bright green triangular leaves with thorns, white juice that stands out at the cut, unpretentious yellow-green flowers. He came from distant Africa, but long ago settled on the entire territory of the former CIS.
The plant blooms all summer, especially during dry and warm seasons. If there is an apiary nearby, euphorbia will become a source of tasty and healthy nectar. Its healing properties are difficult to overestimate, and you can get such a product throughout the summer.
Features of honey
Milkweed honey is one of the rarest steppe varieties, although it is also obtained in the regions of central Russia. The color of the product is dark with an amber-brown tint. Differs in light bitterness in taste and peculiar astringency. The aroma is weak, not pronounced.
The crystallization process is very long - from 1 to 2 years. Until this time, the sweetness has a liquid consistency, and after that it becomes thick and viscous.
The taste of the product also changes over time - the bitterness gradually disappears. This is due to the volatility of iodine in its composition. The collection period is from June to August. Depends on the region where the milkweed grows.
Composition
The main feature of milkweed honey is that it contains iodine. This slightly affects the taste (gives bitterness), but the benefits of the product are much greater.
Fructose and sucrose are in balance, the total calorie content is calculated as follows:
- 1 tsp - 38 kcal
- 1 tbsp. l - 110 kcal
- 1 tbsp. (200 ml) - 632 kcal
- 1 cup (250 ml) - 790 kcal
There is also iron in this sweetness, so this is the best blood-forming drug. After surgery or injury, the product helps to quickly restore the original blood volume. Proteins and amino acids, as well as various enzymes, make it the most beneficial for your health.
Honey is also rich in vitamins. Their content in different types of bee products varies. The milkweed delicacy contains vitamins in the following proportions (per 100 g):
- B1 - 0.55
- B2 - 0.35
- B6 - 0.02
- B9 - 0.03
- PP - 0.8
- C - 45
Healing properties
Due to the iodine content, milkweed nectar is able to fight diseases caused by a lack of this important element.
- It will be useful for any diseases of the thyroid gland and metabolic disorders, with problems with memory and brain activity.
- It can significantly reduce the manifestations of sclerosis and improve a person's mental performance.
- Has a rejuvenating effect, promotes better cell regeneration.
In case of poor skin and hair condition, it is recommended to consume honey for a month.
Drinking warm water with nectar in the morning is necessary for people with low hemoglobin and a tendency to colds.
Honey replenishes iodine deficiency
It is also useful for diseases of organs such as:
- stomach;
- gallbladder;
- liver;
- intestines;
- organs of the genitourinary system.
Honey relieves toothache. It is worth moistening a bath stick in it and lubricating an aching tooth - the pain will subside. This, of course, will not replace treatment, but it will help to endure a visit to the doctor.
A glass of warm milk with nectar at night will help you fall asleep quickly, as well as cope with a cold.
If at the first symptoms you lubricate an itchy place with honey, herpes will not develop and the lip will not become inflamed.
Important! The effect of using honey will be noticeable only if you drink it in courses, for several weeks or months.
Application
It is better to use honey in its pure form - without subjecting it to heat treatment. Most of the microelements and vitamins decompose already at + 60 ° C. Even putting a spoonful of viscous sweetness in hot tea, you can reduce its beneficial properties several times.
In confectionery and homemade baked goods, it is practically devoid of healing properties. In the oven, when baking, the product heats up too much, and all its benefits disappear.
The delicacy should be eaten fresh and cold - this is the only way to count on a healing effect.
Doctors often recommend drinking nectar diluted in warm (not hot) water on an empty stomach. This drink "awakens" the whole body, tunes all organs to work, increases the level of hemoglobin. Also, regular use of it in the morning significantly reduces the propensity for colds.
ContraindicationsI
The only disadvantage of honey is its high allergenicity. Therefore, people prone to allergies should not use honey.
If the reaction is not clinically confirmed, you can try a small amount of the product and monitor the symptoms.
Very young children (under one year old) should not be given natural honey. The same goes for pregnant women. These two categories are the most sensitive to any allergens, it is important not to provoke a reaction during this period.
Due to its properties to lower blood pressure, it should not be eaten by hypotensive patients. In people with low blood pressure, uncontrolled consumption of nectar can lead to a hypotonic crisis.
How to distinguish a fake
Natural milkweed nectar has a dark chocolate hue. It should be liquid, with barely noticeable pollen inclusions. If the product is solid and candied, it is at least a year old. However, this does not mean that such honey is bad. Scientifically proven to be the only product that can last forever. All its useful properties are preserved.
This sweet has a special taste - tart, with bitterness. Sometimes unscrupulous beekeepers dilute the product with water to get more volume. It is easy to check by dropping a little on a piece of paper. If a wet spot appears around the drop, water was added after collection.
Natural nectar flows from the spoon evenly, without jerking, forming a turret on the surface. It can be screwed onto a spoon by twisting it several times in the jar.
The artificial product drips or drips in separate trickles and smoothes out immediately. This applies to all species, regardless of the variety.
Useful videos
The honey euphorbia can become a source of medicinal components. The product is very useful, but, unfortunately, it is rarely found in its pure form. Some beekeepers have learned to plant this plant specifically to obtain a valuable product. Now more and more people will be able to enjoy its original taste and appreciate its medicinal properties.