Mankind has known honey for several thousand years, not only as a high-calorie, energetically valuable food product, consisting of various monocarbohydrates, but also as an indispensable therapeutic and prophylactic agent. Everyone knows the common varieties of the product, such as linden, buckwheat or flower, but sometimes you can hear about quite exotic varieties, which include ivy honey.
Description of Ivy Honey
Ivy honey is a rather rare product, which affects its price. This circumstance is used by scammers, giving out at best other varieties of the product (or even just a fake) for this exclusive variety. In order not to fall for the scammers, you should be aware of the characteristic signs of ivy honey.
Did you know? The importance of honey already at the dawn of mankind is evidenced by the following fact: the Holy Scriptures say that this product refers to the essential products for human existence (Book of Sirach 39–32). In another episode, from the life of John the Baptist (Mark 1–6), it is said that in the desert this saint fed on locusts and wild honey.
Appearance
This variety is quite different from the others in its consistency; the product is more like butter with small interspersed crystallized nectar. It is similar in color to white paraffin, with a barely noticeable yellowish tint.
Taste and Aroma
The smell is strong enough and sharp, but it is not easy to characterize, comparing it with some other more famous variety. It is difficult to do this because of the many components, among which there is no one, the main characteristic odor. Rather, it can be said that the aroma consists of a bouquet of smells of various honey plants, resembles wild forest varieties to taste. It has a menthol flavor, but the aftertaste is noticeably sharper, has a pronounced astringency.
Calorie content and composition of ivy honey
The composition of a particular honey variety determines the composition of the main honey plant.
Important! Ivy honey is an excellent tool for removing toxins from the body, including acetaldehyde and acetate, the decay products of alcohol. In addition, nectar has a beneficial effect on the liver, these properties should be paid attention to restore health after heavy celebrations.
Thanks to ivy, this beekeeping product contains:
- vitamins of groups A, B, C, PP;
- amino acids, including essential ones;
- tannins;
- glycoside derivatives;
- organic acids (formic, malic), etc.
The energy value of the product and the composition of its nutrients (in 100 g):
- carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, sucrose) - 81.6 g;
- fats - 0.2 g;
- proteins - 0.8 g;
- calorie content - 328 kcal.
Properties of honey for the body of men and women
In addition to its general beneficial properties, ivy honey has a number of qualities, some of which are of particular importance for men, others for women.
First, a few words about those features of nectar, which should pay attention to the stronger sex:
- increases sperm activity, has a beneficial effect on the state of the urinary system;
- natural aphrodisiac, especially effective when used together with nuts;
- a mixture with bearberry or plantain greens is a fairly effective remedy for prostatitis;
- improves the condition of the heart and blood vessels, for men this is especially true, as it is proved that they are more susceptible to similar diseases.
Important! Do not mix old and young honey in one container, as this can provoke fermentation.
Now about those qualities that are especially important for women:
- ivy honey is used in candles, turundas for all kinds of gynecological pathologies, this is also due to the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory qualities of the product;
- used in cosmetology (scrubs, lifts, masks);
- increases uterine blood circulation, relaxes smooth uterine muscles, eliminates vomiting cramps with toxicosis;
- effective in diet and sports nutrition.
Beneficial features
As mentioned above, the beneficial properties of nectar are determined by the same qualities of the honey plant. As for ivy, it should first of all be said about the triterpenoid saponins and flavonoids contained in the plant.
The characteristic smell of triterpenoids (derivatives of terpenes) is well known to many by the smell of coniferous resin. This resin is a repellent of natural origin and performs the function of protecting the tree from pests.
Due to the presence of these substances, as well as a large number of vitamins and minerals, ivy honey has qualities that are beneficial to the human body.
- Namely:
- anti-inflammatory;
- antioxidant;
- antivirus;
- relieves spasm;
- antimicrobial;
- prevents the formation of tumors;
- expectorant.
Modern medicine in many countries of the world uses the properties of plants to treat the upper respiratory tract. The action of such drugs is based on relieving spasm and relaxing smooth muscles, which helps to remove sputum, coughing attacks become less intense and less frequent. This property of the plant is quite effective in asthma.
Also pay attention to such varieties of honey, such as:
Contraindications
Like many other varieties, ivy honey is no exception, the product is a fairly strong allergen.
- You should also limit the use of the product (in any form, both inside and in the form of compresses of applications), in the following cases:
- children under 7 years old;
- pregnant and lactating women;
- people with diabetes before eating should consult a doctor to discuss the frequency and amount of food that can be eaten.
Did you know? In ancient times, on the territory of Egypt, in most Roman provinces and among our Slavic ancestors, honey was a generally accepted means of payment: they could pay with fiscal authorities according to a fixed rate.
The use of honey from ivy
Ivy honey, like the plant itself, is effective in the presence of the following diseases and problems with such organs:
- gastrointestinal tract;
- lung diseases;
- gout;
- cholelithiasis;
- arthritis;
- rheumatism, burns;
- various dermatitis;
- helps to recover after concussions, including relieve mental stress;
- neuralgia of various origins.
How to store honey
Store the product in the same way as other varieties. Everything is quite simple here: a wooden or glass container located in a dry, closed cabinet is the simplest and most effective way. It should be remembered that ivy is a late honey plant, it begins to give nectar only in September, when beekeepers are already preparing their bees for wintering.
The product has this feature: it almost does not change its state of aggregation from liquid to thick. More precisely, in a crystallized state it is not like other varieties in the same phase. Its normal consistency is like butter. In order for such a texture of the product (and with it the benefits) to remain as long as possible, the recommended storage conditions must be observed.
Now you know what ivy honey is, how it is useful and what diseases it helps with. However, it should be understood that this is a rather rare product, and it cannot be cheap in principle, so be careful when buying and purchase it only from trusted suppliers with a reputation.
