Mountain honey: what it consists of, benefits and harm, use

Honey is a golden, sweet product familiar to everyone. He is considered an ancient sweet, which has many healing properties.

Mountain honey belongs to the species that are created from the nectar of different plants, that is, polyfloral. Bees obtain nectar from hawthorn, thyme, melissa, leuzea, radiola and oregano to further process it into a sweet treat. Many of the honey plants grow only in mountainous areas and are medicinal, which makes this variety a unique product.

This variety is considered one of the most useful because it is produced in the mountains, the place with the least amount of pollution in nature. The color of the bee product can be from golden to rich amber. It is harvested in late spring and early summer.

Composition and calories

Mountain honey in its composition contains:

• carbohydrates - glucose, sucrose, fructose;
• trace elements - calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, chlorine;
• enzymes - phosphatase, invertase, amylase;
• amino acids - glycine, leucine, lysine, cystine;
• acids - nicotinic, ascorbic, pantothenic, folic acid;
• Vitamins - B group, C, K, PP, E.

For 100 grams of mountain honey accounts for 99.6% of carbohydrates, 0.4% of protein and 0% of fat, and the caloric value is about 304 kcal.

What are the benefits of mountain honey

General Benefits

The useful properties of mountain honey are due to the components of the composition.

Vitamins are essential nutrients that support metabolism in the human body. Each group of vitamins plays a different role in the body:

1. B - are involved in metabolism and accelerate healing processes.
2. C - is an antioxidant that also helps the nervous system function.
3. K - normalizes blood clotting and protects bone tissue.
4. PP - provides cellular respiration, normalizes the gastrointestinal tract.
5. E - has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and vasodilatory properties.

Trace elements are chemical compounds that are found in the human body in small doses. But each of them has a great impact on the rate at which the internal organs work. For example, if there is a lack of iron, blood clotting is impaired and anemia develops, while magnesium suffers from muscle damage, cramps and atrophy.

Carbohydrates, or sugars in other words, are organic compounds that give energy to the body. They are an important part of the body's tissues and cells.

Enzymes are necessary for the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, the complete breakdown and digestion of incoming food.

Amino acids and acids are necessary for proper functioning of the nervous system and the brain.

Based on the diversity of composition and the therapeutic properties of each component, mountain honey is useful:

1. In colds and acute respiratory diseases of the respiratory tract, such as sore throat, laryngitis, tonsillitis.
2. Problems with the nervous system, chronic fatigue, fatigue.
3. Sleep disorders such as insomnia.
4. Inflammatory diseases.
5. Frequent dizziness, headaches, migraines.
6. Abnormalities of the cardiovascular system.
7. Disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

The body does not need the hormone insulin for digestion of mountain honey. Therefore, it is recommended for people with diabetes to replenish the need for carbohydrates, sugar, and minerals.

Mountain honey has a strengthening, antiviral, antibacterial, analgesic and regenerating effect.

For women

Due to its antioxidant properties and tissue repair ability, the benefits of mountain honey for women include cosmetic effects. When using masks, scrubs based on honey, the skin becomes elastic, tightened, inflammatory rashes on the face are reduced or disappear. Regular intake of honey also improves the condition of the nails and hair.

If you do massage with mountain honey or rub into the skin means on its basis, you can get rid of stretch marks, scars and cellulite.

Constant use of honey will have a positive effect on the female reproductive system due to anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. Hormonal background and the female cycle are normalized due to the intake of vitamins, trace elements and nutrients. Mountain honey increases female libido and helps in the conception of children.

For men

Mountain honey - an assistant in the treatment of diseases of the genitourinary system in men. Any inflammatory diseases also disappear with regular intake of this product.

Thanks to the anti-inflammatory effect and normalization of blood circulation in the body, mountain honey helps in the treatment of prostatitis (inflammatory disease of the prostate gland). Due to the influence on the hormonal background of the product is indispensable for hypofunction of the prostate gland.

Mountain honey affects not only female but also male libido. And the constant reception affects the quality of the seminal fluid, which increases the chances of conceiving a child.

In pregnancy.

During pregnancy, the female body is under great strain. All the nutrients go to the formation of the future child. Mountain honey will be especially useful during pregnancy. Comes with it the complexes of vitamins, minerals, amino acids will help in the correct and healthy development of the fetus. The composition includes folic acid, which is mandatorily prescribed to all pregnant and planning to have a baby. It helps the baby's nervous system to form properly, and also strengthens the nerves of the mother.

Women who gain weight quickly during pregnancy will also benefit from honey as a substitute for "harmful" sugar.

In early pregnancy, more than half of women suffer from toxemia, characterized by constant nausea and vomiting. It is not possible to eat a full meal. Regular intake of mountain honey or sweet water with it will help to replenish the nutrients and useful elements at least in minimal quantities.

In the late term, the bigger the baby becomes, the more it obstructs the work of the internal organs of the expectant mother. The enlarging uterus squeezes the intestines, gallbladder, urinary bladder and the ducts that connect the organs, which leads to disruption of the normal functioning of these systems. Enzymes and acids contained in mountain honey normalize the gastrointestinal tract, which is directly related to the proper absorption of nutrients.

When pregnant women have a cold, they should not take the usual medications. Honey will help to get rid of the respiratory infection without harming the body of the child due to its antiviral properties.

When breastfeeding

Everything that a young mother eats goes into the breast milk, which is fed to the newborn baby. Therefore, a woman's diet is limited, as the immature stomach of a small child is not always able to absorb the "adult" food.

In the first month after the birth of a child, honey in the diet of a woman is absolutely contraindicated. Bee product in the diet of a young mother is introduced cautiously, in 3 months of life and small doses, to monitor the reaction.

The norm of the amount of honey for the mother during the period of breastfeeding by months of the baby's life:

• 3 months - 5 g per week;
• 4 months - 5 g per week;
• 5 months - 5 g per week;
• 6 months - 20 g of honey three times a week.

If there are no allergies, and honey is well perceived by both mother and baby, its benefits during breastfeeding are great:

1. Strengthening the taste of breast milk, increasing nutritional and caloric value.
2. Calming effect on the baby.
3. Getting into the child's body useful vitamins, micronutrients, which are necessary for the development and growth of the body.
4. Normalization of the hormonal background.
5. Regulation of the gastrointestinal tract.

For children

A child does not yet have an ideal immune system - it is just forming and developing. Therefore, children often get sick with colds. To alleviate the painful condition, sore throat and help the child's body to cope with viruses, he can be given honey, based on the age norm:

• From 1 to 6 years - 30 g per day;
• From 6 to 9 years - 50 g per day;
• From 9 to 15 years - 80 g per day;
• Children over 15 years of age are given the adult dose - 100 to 150 grams per day.

Doctors agree that it is not recommended to give honey to children under one year old to avoid allergic reactions. Before the first dose, spread honey on the child's wrist and watch the reaction of the skin within a day. If redness and itching appears, then the child is allergic to this product, you should consult an allergologist to clarify the diagnosis.

The benefits of honey for the child:

• development and growth;
• strengthening of the immune system;
• formation of the nervous system;
• strengthening of bone tissue;
• improvement of the gastrointestinal tract.

In case of pathologies of vision, urogenital system or a number of diseases, such as colds, flu, sore throat, tonsillitis, inflammation of the kidneys, mountain honey will have a therapeutic effect.

When losing weight

Honey is a caloric product consisting of 99% carbohydrates (sugars). But sugars are divided into two types - high and low glycemic index. Honey refers to products with a low glycemic index, that is, after its consumption the feeling of fullness does not leave for a long time, it does not cause a sharp spike in blood sugar, which are harmful to the body, does not get into the fat tissue, and therefore does not increase weight. It is because of this that this bee product in weight loss helps to fill not only the carbohydrate deficit, but also to supplement the diet with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, which the body needs in the lack of calories during the diet.

Mountain honey helps:

• normalize the gastrointestinal tract;
• reduce the desire to eat sweets;
• control blood sugar levels;
• Combat fatigue that may occur at the first stages of dieting.

The only nuance - during weight loss, it is recommended to reduce the total dose of honey to 50-80 g per day, which equals 3 tsp.

The use of mountain honey in medicine

The norm of honey intake for an adult is 100-150 g, depending on weight and height. This amount should not be consumed at once, but divided into 5-6 intakes per day. Taking more than 200 g of honey per day can have a negative effect, so it is recommended to watch the amount of dessert, especially if a person eats it regularly.

To maintain overall health and prevent colds, it is recommended to eat 1 tsp of honey every day in the morning during breakfast. This is a universal recipe. Honey can also be added to porridge, cottage cheese, drinks or combined with berries for a restorative effect and to improve immunity.

Mountain honey in folk medicine is used in a variety of recipes:

For colds, coughs, flu or sore throat

1. Tea with honey: take 25 grams of mountain honey, add to hot tea with milk. Additionally, you can add some raspberries and lemon. Drink tea in small sips, not more than 6 cups per day.
2. Milk with honey: take 25 grams of mountain honey and stir in 300 ml of warm milk. Drink before going to bed.
3. Nuts with honey: take nuts and honey in a ratio of 1 to 1, for example, half a kilogram of honey and half a kilogram of nuts. Crush the nuts, put them in honey, mix thoroughly and store in a cold place. Take 1 tbsp. three times a day for a month.
4. Milk with butter and honey for an incessant cough: take 300 ml of milk, 30 g of mountain honey and 20 g of butter. Warm the milk, but do not bring it to a boil. Put honey and butter in it, mix everything thoroughly and drink it.
5. Honey with garlic: take garlic and honey in equal proportions, for example, 1 tbsp. Mix the ingredients and eat before going to bed with warm water.
6. Warming, vitamin honey drink: take 300 ml of water, 150 g of mountain honey and one lemon. Warm the water, add lemon and honey, mix the ingredients and drink.

For atherosclerosis.

1. Honey with aloe vera: take 25 g of mountain honey, 1 tbsp. of aloe vera juice and 2 tbsp. of vodka. Mix all the ingredients and make a compress from the resulting mixture. Apply to painful joints until the pain disappears.
2. Tincture of honey with herbs: Take 25 grams each of motherwort herb, marsh wheatgrass, knotweed, clover flowers, 500 grams of mountain honey and 500 ml of vodka or alcohol. In a thermos pour boiling water over all the herbs and let stand 30-40 minutes. Strain the resulting infusion. After that herbal remedy mixed with honey and vodka, cover tightly and let infuse for 5 days in a dark, cool place. Then take the honey tincture orally by 1 tbsp. three times a day.

With cancer

Take 300 ml of brandy, mountain honey, juice of the aloe vera plant, rose hips, 1 tbsp. yarrow herb and 3 liters of water.

All ingredients except honey, brandy and aloe juice, grind, put in a saucepan, pour water and turn on the fire. Wait until it boils, remove from the heat, infuse for 24 hours, then strain the resulting remedy. In the resulting decoction add brandy, mountain honey and aloe vera juice, then infuse again for 5 days. Use for 6 months at 40 ml before breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The remedy should be kept in a cool place at +2-3 ° C.

In pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

Take 25 g of rosehips, honey and 500 ml of water. Bring the water to a boil, add the berries to boil and boil another 8-10 minutes. After that, a container with the broth to put in a warm place, wrap in plaid or shawl and insist 30 minutes. In the resulting remedy add mountain honey, mix thoroughly. Decoction taken for 3 months, half a cup before breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Stomatitis.

Take 25 grams of chamomile, mountain honey and 300 ml of water. Warm the water and pour the chamomile. Allow to cool, then strain. Add mountain honey. Apply the resulting remedy to rinse your mouth.

Cosmetic applications

Honey is used not only internally as a medicinal product, but also externally in the form of masks, scrubs, wraps or tonics. The vitamin composition, a wide range of amino acids, acids and antioxidants help the skin to become elastic, taut and firm. Useful substances contained in bee products easily penetrate the cells of the upper layers of the skin and nourish them. Mountain honey is used not only in making home recipes, but also in professional cosmetology.

When used regularly in cosmetic care:

• pores are reduced;
• skin cells regenerate (regenerate) more actively;
• water is retained in the skin longer than usual;
• All inflammatory rashes (pimples, blackheads) decrease or disappear;
• The skin becomes lighter and more even-toned;
• Wrinkles and irregularities disappear.

Before making cosmetics based on a bee product, it is recommended to make sure that there is no allergic reaction. To do this, you need to put a little mountain honey on the wrist of the hand, hold for about 10 minutes, then wash off. If within a day in this place appeared irritation, redness and itching, most likely it is an allergy.

Face Masks based on mountain honey

1. For oily skin: take one egg, 25 g of honey, 25 g of oat flour. Crack an egg, separate the yolk from the white, whip the latter thoroughly. Add honey and flour to the egg. Stir everything again and spread evenly over the face. Leave the mask on for 15 minutes and then rinse off.
2. For normal skin: Take mountain honey, warm it in a water bath to achieve a slightly liquid state and apply to the skin. Hold the mask for 20 minutes, then rinse.
3. For dry skin: take 25 grams of mountain honey, 25 ml of cream and one egg. Warm the honey in a water bath so that it becomes liquid. Crack the egg and separate the white from the yolk. Mix carefully the egg yolk, liquid honey and cream, spread the resulting mixture on the face and wash off with water after 15 minutes.

Hand mask

Such a mask is often used in the winter, when the skin is weathered, dry and cracked. You should take 25 g of mountain honey, 25 g of pureed oatmeal and one egg. Crack the egg, separate the white from the yolk. Mix the egg yolk, honey and porridge, apply the mixture to your hands and keep it for 30 minutes, then wash it off. You can wear special gloves for hands.

Hair Masks

1. To strengthen and shine and hair: take 30 grams of mountain honey and two eggs. Break the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. If the hair is shorter than the shoulder blades, you can increase the amount of ingredients in the same ratio. Mix the honey carefully with the yolks to achieve approximately homogeneous consistency. The resulting product is evenly distributed on the entire length. Hair should be wrapped in a plastic bag and towel for 60 minutes. After an hour, rinse the mask completely and rinse the hair with warm water.
2. To accelerate hair growth: take 25 grams of cinnamon, 50 ml of olive oil and 25 g of honey. Pour the cinnamon into the olive oil and warm it up a little so that it dissolves in the oil. Then combine with honey and mix well. The resulting mass is evenly distributed, hold for 30 minutes, and then rinse your hair with warm water.

Skin wrap

It is necessary to take honey and milk or yogurt for the base in a ratio of 1 to 1. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and apply a thin layer to the skin of the body. Places with the applied mask, wrap with plastic wrap and leave for an hour. After the wrap, take a warm shower, thoroughly rinsing off all the product from the skin.

Massage remedy

Take mountain honey and warm it in a water bath so that it becomes a liquid, warm and pleasant in contact with the body. Scoop some honey into your hands and massage the selected area with patting movements. The purpose of these movements is as if you are hammering the honey into the skin, tapping and patting. The massage should not take more than one hour, the recommended time is 20 minutes.

Addition to the bath on the basis of mountain honey

Take 1 litre of milk, around 300 ml of mountain honey and 50 ml of rose oil. Warm the milk, but do not boil it. Add the honey and oil and mix together and pour into a hot bath. Soak in water for about 15-20 minutes, and then scrub your body and wash your skin.

Harm and contraindications

The mountain honey as well as any other variety belongs to allergic products. Before using it, be sure to test for allergies or get tested by a doctor to make sure of its presence or absence. If a person has an allergy to pollen, you should also be cautious in using the bee product - there is a high probability that the honey will also have an allergic reaction.

Mountain honey is prohibited for use in children under one year old. Until three years should be given with caution and in small doses. Fully accustomed to the consumption of mountain honey can be when the child is already fully fed with "adult" food and he has no problems with digestion and digestion.

People with diabetes and pregnant women should consult their doctor to decide individually whether they can eat honey, and in what quantities.

How to choose and store

To avoid buying a fake, it is worth knowing about the physical properties of mountain honey:

1. It should be liquid, golden or dark amber in color with a red glow.
2. Natural mountain honey is not transparent; it must contain pollen particles.
3. If you draw the mountain honey with a stick, it should drip from it without interruption, forming a ribbon on the surface of the honey, which holds its shape for a while.
4. The product should not foam, and there should be no bubbles inside.

If possible, several quality tests are recommended, such as with iodine or vinegar. In the first case, a spoonful of mountain honey should be diluted in water and observe the reaction - an unnatural product will form a precipitate. If when you add a couple of drops of iodine, it turns a blue color, then it is better not to buy it. For the second test, you will need to add a drop of vinegar to a teaspoon of honey. A quality product with vinegar does not interact in any way.

Mountain honey should be stored at a temperature no higher than +10 ° C, in a dark place. Direct sunlight and high humidity will harm the composition of the product.

The container should be made of glass, not plastic. A glass jar made of dark glass is excellent. It should be well washed beforehand, not with standard detergents, but with ordinary soap and water bath treatment. If the jar is not clean enough, then soon there will be pathogenic bacteria, and the honey will be spoiled. The lid of the jar should be tight, because the product easily absorbs any odors.

Mountain honey contains natural preservatives, so if you follow the conditions of storage, it will retain its properties for several years.

This is a natural, delicious product with many therapeutic properties. With competent and dosed consumption of honey can significantly improve your health and appearance.