Lavender honey - useful properties and contraindications

Spring is the period of nature's awakening, when flowering meadows are full of medicinal herbs. Fragrant and healthy lavender has long attracted bees, resulting in healing honey.

This product is valued in countries all over the world, namely in England, India, America, France, China, Australia and the CIS. It is used in pharmaceuticals, official and traditional medicine, cooking. However, lavender honey contains a lot of concentrated ingredients that can harm a certain group of people. It is important to know how to choose and apply this remedy for treatment.

Characteristics of lavender honey

The product gives 3 common varieties of lavender: true narrow-leaved, broadleaf, and also lavender (a hybrid of these 2 varieties).

You also need to understand that honey from the plant is obtained in 2 ways.The first way is to collect directly from honey bees. The second way is to heat any honey with lavender flowers to add flavor. Of course, such a product is less useful and costs much less. Unfortunately, it is often sold in local markets under the guise of "lavender honey."

How to distinguish natural product from recycled:

• from lavender honey comes a very thin, but characteristic aroma of this plant;
• dark gold color (after crystallization it becomes cloudy and whitens);
• the sweetness of the product is moderate, sourness is present;
• dark honey may have a salty taste;
• crystallization is moderate and fine-grained;
• the content of pollen in the pure product is up to 20%.

And remember that in our region, lavender apiaries are mainly located in the Caucasus and the Crimea, so there is a lower probability of a fake.

Chemical composition

The natural product contains about two hundred active useful components. Lavender honey is valuable due to the following components:

• vitamins (especially group B);
• enzymes (glucose oxidase);
• organic acids;
• polysaccharides (fructose, glucose, etc.);
• the remains of bee glue, wax, pollen;
• plant hormones;
• essential oils;
• camphor;
• flavonoids;
• amino acids (for example, tyrosine);
• polyphenolic acids (luteolin, naringenin, coffee and gallic);
• proteins;
• resins;
• volatile compounds;
• macro and microelements.

Beneficial features

Saturated composition gives lavender honey a number of healing qualities.

1. Treats skin diseases. Phenolic acids promote healing and regeneration of the dermis with mechanical injuries, thermal burns, and injuries. Glucose oxidase reacts with sukrovitsa, so that on the surface of the wound hydrogen peroxide is released - a natural antiseptic.
2. Reduces the frequency and severity of convulsions. For these purposes, applied from the Spanish lavender - a great tool to reduce muscle spasms. It can also be used for hypertonicity of the uterus, menstrual cramps, intestinal colic, headaches and migraines.
3. Interferes with oxidation and aging of cells. Polyphenols are antioxidants that prolong the life of tissues and internal organs, reduce their wear.They also produce prophylaxis of benign and malignant processes.
4. Kills pathogenic microflora. Raw honey has an antiviral and antifungal effect. It is useful for infectious and colds, hepatitis, candidiasis, tuberculosis and other diseases.
5. Effectively replaces sugar. Lavender honey is introduced into the diet of diabetics, which allows you to improve your health and satisfy the need for sweets without changing the level of glucose. Interestingly, a spoonful of food eaten on an empty stomach in the morning reduces the risk of glucose fluctuations during the day.
6. Reduces cholesterol. It prevents the formation of cholesterol and atherosclerotic plaques on the vascular walls.
7. Stops the inflammatory process. Vitamins and trace elements help to strengthen the immune system, as well as the synthesis of white blood cells, which effectively destroy disease-causing agents.
8. Improves blood circulation. Lavender honey has a positive effect on the structure and quality of blood, stimulates the production of red blood cells and platelets. It also regulates plasma viscosity, which is important for coagulation disorders (thrombophlebitis, thrombosis, embolism, varicose veins, heart attack, stroke, etc.).
9. Positive effect on the hormonal system. Lavender honey stabilizes the production of thyroid and sex hormones, thereby improving overall health, stabilizing the menstrual cycle.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the amino acid tyrosine - the main component of lavender honey. This valuable element is indispensable for the brain to work, improves memory and concentration, improves performance.

Also, tyrosine has other beneficial properties:

1. With the participation of vitamins and copper is split into melanin and estrogen.
2. Stabilizes the psycho-emotional state with depression, panic attacks, irritability, nervosa, hyperactivity.
3. It soothes the nervous system, which allows to achieve the best results in the treatment of insomnia and chronic fatigue.
4. Relieves symptoms in diseases of the nervous system (Alzheimer, Parkinson).

What is dangerous lavender honey

It is known that any honey product is the strongest food and respiratory allergen. If you have a history of allergies to honey, pollen, propolis, perga or a medicinal plant, then before using lavender honey, consult an allergist.If there is no allergy, it may arise for the first time if you abuse the product. Doctors have determined that it is not advisable to use more than 3 tablespoons of pure lavender honey per day.

Many doctors do not recommend using the product in the first trimester of pregnancy, as well as during its complications, the presence of abortions, miscarriages, and a history of premature birth. It is believed that some components provoke uterine contractions and can cause bleeding.

Abuse of lavender honey can have side effects:

• dermatitis and skin rashes;
• indigestion, diarrhea;
• drowsiness, lethargy and fatigue;
• exacerbation of diseases of the upper respiratory tract (including asthma, bronchitis, rhinitis, sinusitis).

It is strictly forbidden to use any honey product in the case of:

• insulin-dependent diabetes (first type);
• age up to 3 years;
• individual intolerance;
• diet regime after surgery and serious diseases.

Lavender honey is a fragrant masterpiece of nature, which contributes to the overall rejuvenation of the body, relaxation of the nervous system and strengthening the immune system. Of course, the use of the product must be strictly controlled,to reduce the chance of an allergic or other adverse reaction.

Video: honey from lavender and sage