Content
- 1 What is and what does phacelia look like?
- 2 How is phacelia honey obtained
- 3 Chemical composition and color of phacelia honey
- 4 Useful properties of phacelia honey
- 5 Application in traditional medicine
- 6 Application in cosmetology
- 7 Contraindications to the use of phacelia honey
- 8 How to distinguish from a fake
- 9 Terms and conditions of storage
- 10 Conclusion
The beneficial properties of phacelia honey are appreciated in folk medicine. A variety of bee products is considered to be quite rare, but it has numerous healing qualities and helps with a wide range of ailments.
What is and what does phacelia look like?
Phacelia is a herbaceous plant with a one-year or two-year life cycle. It looks like a low shrub with numerous shoots extending from the main stem, rising on average up to 1 m above the ground. It produces bluish, pink and purple flowers in the warmer months.
How is phacelia honey obtained?
Phacelia has an important feature - from early spring to autumn, the plant can be planted up to four times. This allows honey collection throughout the summer. The pleasant strong smell of the herbaceous bush attracts bees, sometimes they linger on the flowers even after sunset.
The collected pollen is taken by the insects to the hives, where they process it with their salivary glands and turn it into healthy and tasty phacelia honey. After the bees begin to seal the combs, the beekeepers begin to collect the product. The frames are removed and transferred to a warm room in order to then cut off the caps and pour the viscous liquid nectar into separate containers.
How much honey gives phacelia per hectare
The volume of bee products depends on the abundance of phacelia plantings. On average, insects can collect from 400 to 1000 kg of nectar from 1 hectare of crops.
Chemical composition and color of phacelia honey
Fresh phacelia honey can be recognized by its bright light yellow hue. As it crystallizes, the color changes and becomes creamy and even slightly greenish, and the consistency of the bee product thickens to a dough state.
Phacelia honey contains a huge amount of valuable substances. Among the main ones you can list:
- essential oils and phytoncides;
- sugar and fructose;
- amino acids and enzymes;
- vitamins PP and K;
- tocopherol;
- ascorbic acid;
- aluminum, silver and chrome;
- zinc and calcium;
- subgroup B vitamins;
- anticoagulants and dextrins;
- folic acid;
- potassium, cobalt and selenium;
- nickel.
Due to its unique composition, the bee product is sweet and soft in taste. There is almost no bitterness in it, but there are spicy and tart notes. There are about 310 calories in 100 g of the product, which is a fairly low figure compared to other varieties.
Useful properties of phacelia honey
When consumed in moderation, the bee product can provide significant health benefits. In particular, phacelia flower honey:
- increases endurance and resistance to physical activity;
- helps to recover faster after a serious illness;
- stimulates mental activity and promotes concentration;
- serves as an immunomodulatory agent in the weakening of the body's natural defenses;
- helps with colds, bronchitis, pneumonia and pharyngitis;
- eliminates sore throat and sore throat inflammation;
- fights insomnia, anxiety and depression;
- improves mood and evens out the emotional background;
- relieves pain and inflammation in gastritis.
In small quantities, you can use a delicacy even on a weight loss diet, the tool does not harm the figure and is much more useful than ordinary sweets. The indication for phacelia honey for men is the weakening of reproductive functions, the sweet bee product helps to improve the functioning of the reproductive system.
Application in traditional medicine
The medicinal properties of phacelia honey can help alleviate the symptoms of certain diseases and improve well-being. Traditional medicine offers several proven recipes.
Phacelia honey for stomach ulcers
The bee product regulates the acidity level of the stomach and helps to restore damaged mucous membranes. The healing agent is prepared according to this recipe:
- 150 g of phacelia bee product is mixed with 250 g of chopped walnuts;
- add 50 g of fresh aloe juice;
- mix the components thoroughly.
You need to take the drug mixture three times a day, a large spoonful, shortly before meals.
Phacelia honey for dysbiosis
The beneficial substances in the bee product help restore the intestinal microflora, cope with abdominal pain and flatulence. The treatment is very simple - throughout the day you need to take the treat in small portions before meals. The daily dosage should not exceed 80 g.
Phacelia honey for anemia
The bee product contains a large amount of iron, vitamins and amino acids. It can be consumed with low hemoglobin levels and anemia. To improve blood counts, you need to eat a small spoonful of honey three times a day on an empty stomach. In total, treatment continues for a month.
Phacelia honey for chronic gastritis
Phacelia honey well regulates the production of gastric juice and relieves irritation of the mucous membranes. For pain and poor digestion with chronic gastritis, you can take the following medicine:
- 100 g of phacelia bee product is mixed with 10 g of propolis extract 10%;
- add 20 g of fresh Kalanchoe juice;
- mix the ingredients and put in a water bath;
- heated to about 50 ° C.
The warm mixture should be consumed daily on an empty stomach, divided into several servings.
Application in cosmetology
The valuable properties of phacelia honey are used not only in home treatment, but also in cosmetology. The bee product helps to moisturize the skin, improve its elasticity, and helps to get rid of acne, blackheads and age spots.
You can use the product for anti-cellulite massage. Phacelia honey accelerates blood flow and normalizes the distribution of fatty deposits under the skin. The product is used for hair care, as a part of masks, it nourishes follicles, promotes active growth and strengthening of curls.
Mask with honey and egg for dry skin
For sensitive and dry skin prone to irritation, you can use the following mask:
- two large spoons of phacelia honey are mixed with a raw egg;
- add a large spoonful of heavy cream;
- distribute the product over the face for 20 minutes.
It is recommended to use the mask three times a week to achieve the fastest result.
Advice! With oily skin, the composition of the mixture can be slightly modified and not a whole egg, but only protein, can be added.
Nourishing mask with phacelia honey and sour cream
When the first wrinkles appear, you can return youth and freshness to the face using the following composition:
- phacelia honey and fatty sour cream are combined in a 1 to 1 ratio;
- mix the ingredients thoroughly until completely homogeneous;
- apply the mask to the skin and leave for 20 minutes.
The components of the product nourish the epidermis with vitamins, moisturize it and make it velvety. Apply the mask three times a week for normal and dry skin types. If oil production is high, the mixture can clog pores.
Phacelia honey mask for dry hair
With weakened dry curls, prone to brittleness and loss, you can prepare the following mixture:
- combine one small spoonful of phacelia bee product with 30 ml of burdock oil;
- add two egg yolks and 15 ml sour cream;
- add two chopped cloves of garlic;
- mix and distribute through clean hair, paying special attention to the root zone.
Under a film and a towel, the mixture is kept on the head for 40 minutes, and then washed off.
Hair growth mask with phacelia honey
To strengthen the curls and stimulate their active growth, this tool allows:
- a small spoonful of honey is mixed with egg yolk;
- add 15 ml of brandy;
- distribute the mixture over the strands, rubbing thoroughly into the area at the roots.
The components of the mask will improve blood circulation under the scalp, regulate oiliness and accelerate the development of hair follicles.
Contraindications to the use of phacelia honey
Like any product, phacelia honey can be harmful to the body. It is necessary to refuse its use:
- with diabetes mellitus - the treat contains too many carbohydrates and can provoke fluctuations in glucose levels;
- with a tendency to obesity, even in small dosages, the product is able to stimulate excess weight gain;
- during pregnancy and lactation - the remedy can cause allergies and negatively affect the development of the baby;
- in case of exacerbation of pancreatitis or peptic ulcer disease, it is allowed to use phacelia honey only during the period of remission.
An absolute contraindication is an individual allergy to individual components of the product or to any bee products. For the first time, you need to try phacelia honey with caution and in a volume of no more than 10 g.
How to distinguish from a fake
Phacelia honey is considered to be relatively rare, so low quality counterfeits can be encountered in the markets. When choosing a bee product, you need to pay attention to several key parameters:
- Colour... Real phacelia honey has a uniform light yellow shade, sometimes whitish, in a candied form it is creamy and with a slight greenish tint.
- Smell... The aroma of a high-quality bee product should be bright and well-defined, floral, without foreign impurities and chemical notes.
- Viscosity... Fresh phacelia honey is liquid and uniform, without inclusions. Hard grains may appear in the candied product, but water should not be present.
- Consistency... In summer and autumn, the phacelia variety must remain liquid - its peculiarity is that it is candied only closer to winter. If the cold is still far away, and the bee product has already hardened, we are talking about a surrogate or an attempt by the seller to sell another type of honey.
After purchasing phacelia nectar, it can be additionally checked for authenticity at home. For example, a bee product and water are mixed in equal volumes, and then a drop of iodine solution is added. If a chemical reaction takes place, and the diluted delicacy turns blue, this will mean that there are a lot of unnecessary impurities in the composition.
Terms and conditions of storage
Natural phacelia honey can retain valuable properties for a very long time. According to GOST, the shelf life of a bee product is 8-12 months. But in practice, the product often remains usable and then, the benefit is simply diminishing.
It is best to keep phacelia honey in a dry place with a humidity level of less than 60%, away from sunlight and under an airtight lid. The temperature should be around 5 ° C.
Glass or ceramic dishes are optimal for storage - the bee product does not enter into a chemical reaction with its walls. You can also keep the product in a plastic container, although this option is less preferable. But it is impossible to store phacelia honey in iron containers, it will quickly oxidize and lose not only its taste, but also its medicinal value.
Conclusion
The beneficial properties of phacelia honey are used in home medicine and in cosmetology. The bee product contains a full range of valuable chemicals that the human body needs. When consumed in moderate dosages, the treat improves well-being and alleviates the symptoms of many diseases.
