Honey is usually light yellow, yellow or light brown, so when we see a white or black product on store shelves, it alarms or repels us. It seems like it's fake or spoiled honey, but is it so? However, such an unusual product is still a product collected by bees, which has useful medicinal properties. It is interesting that such honey is more often used for treatment than as a delicacy, because its healing properties are effective. But why is it such a specific color? And what diseases can it treat?
Black honey - what is it, beneficial properties
During drought and hot summers, there is very little nectar on trees, bushes and other plants, and the survival instinct forces bees to look for other sources of food and supplies for the winter. For this reason, they begin to collect honeydew, then the honey is called honeydew. The peculiarity of this honey is that due to the high content of organic components, it is dangerous for bees in winter and can lead to the death of the bee colony. But such a product is useful for humans and does not pose any health hazard.
Black honey is not always honeydew; bees also collect dark nectar from black cumin, which is called black cumin honey. This product is valued all over the world, and it is most often produced in Egypt, where its special healing properties have long been known.
There is also a black maple species, which is collected from maple bushes. Black maple honey is not a completely black product, it is rather dark brown, and sometimes dark yellow, but it is also very healthy and has healing properties.
Features: it is believed that the darker the natural honey, the healthier it is.
Reasons for dark color
Dark shades of honey are associated with a number of reasons:
- The type of plant from which pollen was collected. The more iron the nectar contains, the darker its color.
- Weather. If there is no rainfall for a long time, the bees begin to process dry plants. As a result, a honeydew variety is obtained. It has a dark color and liquid consistency. This product is practically odorless, but retains its taste.
- Pure nectar or mixture. Raw materials affect the shade of the finished product. Honey can be made from pure buckwheat or spruce nectar. It also often contains admixtures of other plants.
- Shelf life. The duration of storage of the substance is considered one of the reasons why nectar acquires a dark shade only after some time.
Thus, the main reason for obtaining dark honey is considered to be its high mineral content, including iron, copper, and magnesium. In addition, natural dyes, in particular tannin, affect the color. These substances may be present in honey plant flowers.
Along with nectar, bees also collect coloring components, which affect the shade of the product. When the temperature changes, they change color. Therefore, when heated, honey darkens.
What do you need to know about black honey from Montenegro, what is it extracted from? Distinctive features
A product such as black honey from Montenegro is often found: what is it made of and what are its properties? The black honeydew variety is collected from the sap and honeydew on the leaves and stems of plants. This product is often produced in the mountains of Montenegro, where there is practically no industry, which means the honey product here is natural and practically free of impurities.
The product is considered second-rate, but its healing properties are in no way inferior to caraway honey. It is easily absorbed by the human body and contains a large amount of vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances.
Rules for choosing when purchasing
Some consumers find it important to have the “Non-GMO” label on the can. In order for the product to be considered as such, no pesticides should be used in the territory from which the bee received the honey, and antibiotics should not be used to treat the hive.
Unfortunately, no one can guarantee that no pesticides were used. Therefore, the “Non-GMO” label in our stores means almost nothing.
Important! 75% of sweet treats sold in big box stores do not contain pollen, while 100% of products purchased at farmers' markets and organic food stores do contain pollen. This is important to take into account for people suffering from allergies.
Some manufacturers add sugar to obtain a larger volume of product. Therefore, the buyer should know what to look for when purchasing.
Basic Rules:
- The product that has just been pumped out is considered to be liquid. But when purchasing non-standard varieties, take into account their inherent crystallization period.
- If the product is purchased after the honey harvest season, for example in winter, also take this parameter into account. Most honeys will have a crystalline structure at this point. Liquid, probably preheated. The exception is acacia. It is always liquid.
- The color should be uniform, regardless of which plants it is collected from.
- The product should flow in a trickle and lie on the saucer in a heap. Must drown in water.
- The most subtle aroma is that of acacia. And all dark varieties have a rich aroma.
Black honey: beneficial properties and contraindications, indications
Black cumin honey has a wide range of beneficial properties, its most common use is to improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and as a healing agent for wounds, cuts and other things. In addition to its beneficial qualities, it also has contraindications for use.
Colds
For colds, it is used as a diaphoretic, as it removes toxins and kills infection. It also improves immunity well if taken in a course, diluted in warm water, milk or tea, lowers temperature and cleanses the respiratory tract.
Gastrointestinal diseases
It helps well with diseases of the stomach and intestines, removes toxins from the liver, heals wounds in the stomach with ulcers, restores the gastric mucosa with gastritis. Tones the system, improves peristalsis, accelerates metabolism.
Diseases of the cardiovascular system
Improves the functioning of the heart and cardiac vessels: tones, lowers blood pressure, cleanses the blood of toxins. It also increases hemoglobin and improves blood circulation.
Diseases of ENT organs, bronchial asthma
Black honey copes well with respiratory diseases, namely rhinitis, pharyngitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, bronchitis, and sore throat. It has softening, antispasmodic, healing and anti-inflammatory properties.
For treatment, doctors prescribe 1 teaspoon at night for resorption for 2 months. Thus, immunity and resistance to diseases increases.
Skin diseases
The caraway variety perfectly heals wounds and ulcers, bruises, burns, hematomas on the skin, so it is used to lubricate the skin or as a compress (bandage). It also removes toxins from the body, so it is often used in combination with oil for massage treatments and wraps.
Restoring the nervous system after stress
It has a calming effect, normalizes the functioning of the nervous system, helping to fight fatigue, gives vitality and tone. It also helps fight depression, nervous disorders, stress and insomnia.
Disease Prevention
To prevent disease, it is recommended to consume 1 teaspoon of the product diluted in warm milk or water daily in the morning and evening. For treatment, a course of 2 months is used, during which a spoonful of honey product is dissolved.
Features of use
When consuming a beekeeping product, the main thing is not to overeat. The daily norm for an adult is 80–150 g. This is enough to add to the diet the necessary set of biologically active substances contained in the product.
Basic rules of use:
We recommend
Honey for immunity: beneficial properties, application
- Eat the product on an empty stomach before breakfast to get a boost of energy.
- It is recommended to use it in the evening for people with “nervous” working conditions and those suffering from insomnia.
- Do not heat before use, including when drinking with tea. This is harmful to the heart muscle.
- Do not swallow, but dissolve. This allows essential oils to be better absorbed.
- After consumption, be sure to brush your teeth to avoid caries.
- It is forbidden to give the product to babies under 1 year of age. Older children are allowed to eat no more than 1 teaspoon per day.
Beauty Recipes
The product is often used for beauty recipes in the form of masks for the face, hair and body, as well as for lubricating the skin during massage procedures.
Face masks
Regular face masks help a girl maintain her youth and beauty. To do this, apply a thin layer of it to the face, allow to dry, and then wash off with warm water. The skin becomes smooth and pleasant to the touch.
Hair masks
This variety is rarely used for hair, but it can restore hair structure and improve growth. To do this, apply the honey mixture to the hair roots, rub in with massage movements and leave for 30-40 minutes, wrap in a towel, then rinse with warm water.
Black honey for the body
Black cumin honey perfectly rejuvenates the skin, fighting its sagging. It restores the skin, nourishes it and gives it youth. Often used for wraps.
Massage
The rejuvenating and soothing properties of the product are often used for massage treatments. It also removes toxins from the body well. Therefore, a person is coated with honey and oils, a massage is performed, after which the person presses his hands to his body and waits for it to dry. As soon as white and gray streaks appear, wash off the mixture.
Contraindications
In addition to the beneficial medicinal properties of the product, it also has contraindications. There is a group of people who are better off not using it or limiting the dosage, these people include:
- children under 3 years of age, so as not to cause an allergic reaction;
- patients with personal intolerance;
- pregnant girls, as it can cause uterine contractions;
- patients with hypotension, as it lowers blood pressure.
There is no need to abuse the product, as it can cause gastrointestinal upset in the form of diarrhea and constipation.
How to identify real black honey?
It is difficult to distinguish natural from fake, but the black cumin product has a sweet taste with caramel notes. A caraway product cannot be cheap, so if you see a low price, you can safely pass it by.
It is much more difficult to counterfeit a dark variety than a light one, so sellers rarely sell such a “fake” product. It is better to buy real cumin product in certified stores.
Black honey is a specific and rare product (with the exception of the honeydew variety), which, despite its unpleasant color, has excellent healing properties. Real Egyptian honey is an exquisite rarity, more often used as a remedy than as a sweet.
Its rarity lies in the fact that the bee collects it from the caraway flower, which grows in a certain area, which means it is difficult to find on store shelves. It is even more difficult to distinguish a real product from a fake, however, there are also rules for choosing the true variety.
Varieties
An approximate and fairly short list of various plants from which dark honey is obtained is presented above. However, it is necessary to understand in more detail what specific features distinguish this or that variety.
Buckwheat
A dark-colored product made from buckwheat flowers. It is one of the most common options of all dark varieties of honey. The benefit of buckwheat honey lies in the increased content of minerals, fructose, proteins, and glucose. Natural buckwheat honey is very popular
. This is achieved mainly due to the fact that it is much easier to find than other variations.
The rarer a beekeeping product is, the more desirable it becomes for many people, which automatically significantly increases its value. At the same time, the beneficial properties of different varieties of honey do not differ too much from each other.
Burdock
Burdock honey and treatment with this substance have been known to mankind for a very long time. An interesting feature of this variety is its shade, which may be vaguely similar to olive. The consistency of the substance is viscous, and the smell, although quite pleasant, is still too pungent. Burdock itself is used as the main plant, but burdock is often also added here. The product has excellent diuretic properties, nutritional value and the ability to cleanse the body.
Chicory
The color of this honey is a richer brown hue. The taste and smell of the substance are very pleasant, and due to the presence of a large number of microelements and vitamins, the substance is also very useful. Unfortunately, due to the low prevalence of chicory itself, finding exactly this kind of honey is a rather difficult task.
Eucalyptus
Just like the previous variety, this variety is also distinguished by its rich brown color. Valued for its high content of iron, copper and manganese
. One of the rarest varieties in Russia and most other Slavic countries.
Angelica
Another variety of honey is brown. It may also have a brown tint of varying intensity. Very healthy, tasty and very rare. Finding such a product is a real success. In general, the remaining properties are close to the standard healing capabilities of other honey, but they are expressed more clearly and effectively.
Chestnut
This variety differs from other variations in its rather pronounced bitter taste. At the same time, despite the dark color and thickness, the overall transparency of the product is higher than that of any other honey, which makes it possible to distinguish. It is appreciated that it actively fights microbes, can help with kidney diseases, and also cope with various stomach diseases.
As a rule, the bitter taste of honey indicates a high content of nutrients, but it can also be a consequence of improper storage or the result of counterfeiting.
Heather
Heather honey is distinguished by its appearance, because it has a rather unique and rare red hue. Valued for its abundance of minerals and proteins. Actively used to increase appetite. An interesting feature is the ban on feeding bees this product in winter.
Another distinctive property is increased viscosity, thickening speed and “banding”. Due to these properties, extracting it from honeycombs is a very difficult task.
, and when stored, the substance tends to turn into something very similar to jelly. Heather honey is distinguished by the presence of an extensive list of different recipes for use. True, the same can be said about many other varieties of these bee products.
Distinctive features:
- viscosity;
- presence of stripes;
- Red color.
Honeydew honey
Unlike most other varieties, this product has virtually no odor. And it doesn't taste too good. But it contains a lot of useful substances, including amino acids, minerals and other similar components. It is actively used at home for making various compresses and other external uses.
I would also like to separately note such variations as pine and meadow honey. Under certain conditions, they can also become dark, and if the coniferous variety is quite ambiguous and conditionally also unsuitable for consumption, like honeydew honey, then the meadow variety is considered the most delicious and pleasant-smelling beekeeping product. At the same time, conifers contain an abundance of beneficial substances that can significantly improve human health.
On the market, most consumers prefer light varieties of honey. Due to their taste, meadow and flower varieties have gained the most popularity. In addition, such types are extremely profitable for the seller, since light honey is easier to obtain. However, dark varieties of beekeeping products, also common on the market, also occupy a certain place. They will be discussed in this material. From the publication, the reader will learn why honey is dark in color and which varieties are most in demand.
