Melilot honey: health benefits and harms

Melilot honey is a product that belongs to the category of elite varieties. It is considered one of the most valuable natural remedies with healing properties. The product has an exquisite taste, rich composition and exudes a delicate floral-vanilla aroma, like the sweet clover itself. Everything related to the composition of honey, its beneficial properties, application in traditional medicine and cosmetology, - hereinafter.

Description of clover honey

Melilot honey is the most valuable beekeeping product, which is made using a special technology. It is distinguished by high palatability and healing potential. Melilot is a medicinal plant, a representative of the Legume family, which has a delicate aroma. It is a good honey plant. On plantations where this perennial grows, bees work and produce a healing product from it.

What does it look like

The appearance of honey may differ depending on what kind of sweet clover was used for its preparation. In the southern regions, clover with yellow flowers predominates. Honey from this type of plant turns golden yellow, in appearance it resembles a similar product obtained from rapeseed, while significantly differing in taste and nutritional value. Honey from white clover is a little lighter. It turns out a delicate cream shade, and also has a thicker consistency.

For about 3-4 weeks, honey remains in a liquid state. If the technology has been followed and there are no impurities in the product, after a month it crystallizes. Thickened honey has a uniform consistency, a light yellow tint, as well as a pronounced floral-vanilla aroma, does not contain lumps. Notes of vanilla is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the product; it can be used to determine the authenticity of honey.

What is made of

Melilotus officinalis - the basis for the product, an excellent honey plant, representing the genus Melilotus, the Legume family. This is a grass with a two-year development cycle, which is widespread on the Eurasian continent. Melilot attracts honey bees during flowering, they collect nectar and produce up to 200 kg of honey per hectare of plantings. This plant is often used to sow the fields that surround the apiary. The beekeeper conducts a mandatory inspection of the territory, it is important to prevent the presence of dangerous crops in the thickets of clover.

Where to collect

Melilot honey is most often produced in continental Europe, in some Asian regions. Also, this product is very much appreciated in the USA, but due to climatic features, the sweet clover grows there a little worse than in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and Germany. These countries also produce products for export. Melilot honey can also be used in wild form, but the product will not be of such high quality, because other honey plants will be present in the thickets of this herb.

Taste

Melilot honey has very different tastes, so when buying, in order to choose a natural product, you need to try it. It has a moderate sweetness, there is no sugary, soft, not burning taste. The bitterness characteristic of many varieties is completely absent. Aftertaste - soft spicy and caramel notes. Knowing these features will help distinguish honey from melilot from the rapeseed variety, which is cloying.Also, excessive sweetness is felt in varieties that have been diluted or supplemented with sugar syrup, molasses. Natural clover honey does not have these features.

Composition and calorie content

Melilot honey is a source of carbohydrates of various types and a valuable, multi-component product that can replace pharmaceutical preparations based on minerals and vitamins. He absorbed all the power of nature and all the most valuable that is contained in the pollen of the plant itself.

Researchers studied the composition of the product and came to the conclusion that it contains more than 70 useful components that have a beneficial effect on human health. Below are the most significant substances that are present in honey from clover in maximum concentration.

1. The four types of sugars are fructose, glucose, sucrose and maltose. Fructose leads in concentration - about 45-50%.
2. Vitamins C, PP, H, group B, which support immunity, nervous system health, reproductive function and tissue regeneration.
3. Minerals: sulfur, potassium, sodium, calcium, chlorine, phosphorus, magnesium.
4. Trace elements: iron, zinc, manganese, iodine.
5. Flavonoids, including rutin in high concentration.
6. Glycosides.
7. Phytosterols.
8. Coumarins and alkaloids.

Also in the composition of this product there is a small amount of valuable essential oils that have a beneficial effect on the respiratory system, skin, and have an analgesic effect. Calorie content per 100 g is 365 kcal, most of them are carbohydrates, which are easily absorbed by the body and do not harm internal organs, like regular sugar.

Useful properties of clover honey

General benefit

Melilot honey differs from other varieties of this product not only in composition, but also in a set of useful properties, methods of application. This is a real medicine, created by nature, which is effective in various diagnoses. To successfully apply honey from sweet clover, you need to know in what situations it is able to help. To begin with, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the general list of pharmacological properties. Melilot honey produces such effects in the human body:

1. It alleviates pain, especially when used externally as a part of ointments or as a separate product.
2. It stimulates the immune system, promotes the production of white blood cells, which is important after radiation therapy or other diseases of the immune system.
3. Relieves inflammation, regardless of the location of the focus.
4. Helps prevent cramps, inhibits the functioning of the nervous system.
5. It normalizes sleep, eliminates night awakenings and facilitates the process of falling asleep directly.
6. It dilutes blood, prevents blood clots, cleanses blood vessels and normalizes blood circulation.
7. Strengthens the heart, prevents heart attack and stroke.
8. Eliminates cough, cleanses the lungs and bronchi.
9. Normalizes the functioning of the brain, improves memory and concentration.
10. Helps with gout, affects the metabolism and digestive system.

In addition, clover honey supplies the body with vitamins, minerals, biologically active substances and carbohydrates necessary for life. But there are also specific properties relevant to certain categories of people.

For women

This is a very valuable product for women's health. Melilot, that same plant from which this medicine is obtained, has a pronounced therapeutic effect and affects the hormonal background. Plant sterols help maintain balance. That is why sweet clover is used in most collections that are prescribed in gynecology to combat diseases and promote women's health.

Honey has healing properties that are more pronounced than that of the plant itself, which serves as a source of raw materials for production. The reason is obvious - the concentration of active substances in this product is many times higher. Here's how sweet clover honey can be for women's health:

1. It helps to relieve menopause painlessly, as well as maintain good health during menopause.
2. It has the ability to restore the menstrual cycle.
3. Increases fertility, increases the chances of rapid conception.
4. Used for rapid postpartum recovery of the female body.
5. Contains minerals and vitamins that help strengthen hair and nails.
6. Helps with infectious diseases and inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system.

Flavonoids and antioxidants help combat a very common problem in women, such as varicose veins. Honey can serve as a prophylactic and therapeutic agent. It has virtually no side effects when used properly. Moreover, it extremely rarely causes allergic reactions, but it is better to consult a doctor before using it.

For men

Men's health can also be strengthened with clover honey, it contains plant analogues of hormones that stabilize the functioning of the reproductive and endocrine systems. Also, honey is rich in flavonoids and vitamins that act as antioxidants. It helps prevent such diseases:

• prostatitis;
• early impotence;
• genitourinary infections;
• urethritis;
• varicocele;
• adenoma.

Also, honey is a well-known prophylactic that protects the male body from various types of cancer.

During pregnancy

Doctors do not recommend the abuse of clover honey during pregnancy, but in fact it can be of great benefit to both the female body and the fetus. It is important to completely abandon the use of this product in the first trimester, because it can lead to the risk of miscarriage at this stage and cause uterine bleeding.

The second and third trimester are periods when you can safely use honey from sweet clover, but it is important to monitor the dosage, because exceeding the permissible norm will entail consequences for the fetus. This product is best used during pregnancy as a medicine, and also as a supplement to the diet in order to cover the increased needs for minerals and vitamins.

Melilot honey during pregnancy is an excellent medicine that can replace antibiotics, antiviral drugs, prevent the development of hemorrhoids and varicose veins. If you happen to catch a cold, honey from clover can be used as a safe medicine. Also, this product can supply the body with all the necessary substances for the development of the nervous system of the child, as well as to maintain the emotional health of the mother. The maximum amount that can be consumed per day is 1–1.5 tablespoons.

When breastfeeding

Sweet clover is the best plant for nursing mothers, and honey from it is even more valuable because it has a more concentrated composition of active substances. You can use the power of a natural product during breastfeeding from the very first days, if there are no contraindications. But you need to coordinate this nuance with the doctor.

Melilot honey is a powerful stimulant of lactation, it can be used by those women who have experienced a shortage of milk or are unable to establish normal breastfeeding. The effect of this product is enhanced if you add it to tea brewed from dry clover inflorescences. It can also be dissolved in milk and drunk 2-3 times a day, but not more than 12 tablespoons per day.

Another advantage of clover honey is that when breastfeeding it can be used as a medicine for various problems associated with the mammary glands. Firstly, it is an ideal remedy for mastopathy, and secondly, it can be used for painful sensations associated with cracked nipples.

It is very important for a nursing mother to select such medicines that, although they penetrate into milk, but do not harm the baby, therefore, clover honey is so valued.It can serve as a preventive and therapeutic agent for colds, when antibiotics or antipyretic drugs cannot be drunk due to feeding. In addition, regular consumption of clover honey when breastfeeding will help to avoid exhaustion, hair loss, chronic fatigue. A child who will also receive part of the active substances with breast milk will sleep well, suffer less from abdominal pain and when teething.

For kids

Melilot honey is an indispensable product for children who are often sick. Centuries-old practice has shown that the preventive course of taking this remedy helps to strengthen the health and protect the child from many health risks and threats posed by viruses and bacteria. If you monitor the indicators of the body during the reception, you will notice that the course is no less effective for the immune system than a trip to a sanatorium or a sea resort.

Children under 1 year old are not given honey from sweet clover. The first reason is that an allergic reaction is possible, this happens extremely rarely, but it is important to observe this precaution. The second reason is the risk of a small amount of bacteria in the product that cause botulism. The gastrointestinal tract in a child under 1 year old is not able to cope with them, so there is a risk of poisoning. If adults only harm the toxin that they produce, then even the bacteria themselves are dangerous to children under 1 year old.

Melilot honey can be introduced into a child’s diet or used as a medicine from 1 year old and only after consulting a pediatrician. This natural remedy has the following capabilities:

1. Strengthens the baby’s immune system.
2. It helps in a matter of days to cope with cough and any bacterial and viral infection that affects the respiratory tract.
3. Improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, increases appetite.
4. Stimulates the production of enzymes necessary for the digestion of food.
5. Harmonizes the psycho-emotional state of the child.
6. Improves sleep, calms, helps to relax quickly.

Clover honey, when used properly, is a worthy alternative to regular refined sugar, which is harmful to children's health. The product is also used in ADHD as an additional drug, as an anticonvulsant drug for various CNS lesions. Melilot honey must be in the house if the children are often sick and recover for a long time after a cold and SARS. Many parents give preschoolers in the morning 1 teaspoon of honey during the flu season and other viral infections.

When losing weight

Melilot honey can be used for weight loss instead of sugar. It contains fewer calories and benefits the body. This product also contributes to faster fat burning, because it contains essential oils and glycosides that regulate lipid metabolism.

Melilot honey can be used during strict diets so as not to lack energy and always feel good. Mono-diets and strict restrictions on food can lead to negative consequences for appearance. Due to poor nutrition, the appearance of the skin worsens, its elasticity is lost, and the hair becomes dull and brittle. Honey will make up for the deficiency of essential vitamins and minerals in the body and prevent the undesirable consequences of losing weight.

In addition, honey can be used externally as an adjuvant. Wraps with this product speed up fat burning. It enhances blood circulation in the fat layer, due to which excess weight goes away faster. Honey massage will help to cope with cellulite, prevent stretch marks on the skin.

The use of honey from clover in folk medicine

For preventive purposes, you can use the product without any system, just supplement it with the diet a couple of times a week. But if you already have some kind of disease, you can prepare medicines based on clover honey using other natural ingredients. The main thing is to observe the proportions and the formulation, and also not to exceed the recommended dosage. The following are the most popular recipes that will help you recover quickly without side effects.

From the common cold

You can cope with the flu and SARS with tea made from a mixture of linden blossom and dry clover grass, with the addition of honey. You must always brew a fresh drink - 1 teaspoon of grass for 2 cups. Drink this medicine every 3-4 hours, but not more often, because diarrhea can develop. This is extremely undesirable for the body, which threw all resources to fight the infection.

With varicose veins

Melilot honey is a powerful anticoagulant, which also strengthens the walls of blood vessels. It can be used at all stages of varicose veins if thrombosis has not begun. To take inside to strengthen the capillaries you need honey with lemon. You can prepare such a medicine:

• grind 3 lemons in a meat grinder;
• add 1 cup of honey to the mixture;
• close the lid in the jar and eat 1 teaspoon 2 times a day.

You need to store it in the refrigerator. Separately, make an external ointment. It will take 50 g of goat fat, 50 g of honey and 2 heads of garlic. Melt the fat in a steam bath and add crushed garlic, warm for another 20 minutes. When the mixture has cooled, add 50 g of honey, mix and refrigerate. Lubricate problem areas every day before bedtime.

Against cough

Melilot honey can be used to make natural syrup, which helps cope with coughing in a matter of days. It eliminates inflammation, dilutes phlegm and blocks bouts of dry cough. To prepare the drug, you need to take only 2 ingredients:

• 2 large radishes;
• 100 g of honey.

It is necessary to wash the root crops, peel them and grate on the smallest grater. Add honey and mix well. Leave the mixture for 2 hours in a warm place, previously covering. After that, fold onto a sieve lined with multilayer gauze, strain all the juice and honey into a clean container. Take 1 tablespoon 5 times a day for 3-5 days. Adults can increase the dosage and drink 30 ml every 3-4 hours.

You can simplify the task - wash the radish, cut a funnel in it, and put 1 teaspoon of honey in it, cover it on top and wait for it to pour juice. Use the resulting liquid 3-4 times a day for a tablespoon, and add honey to the funnel as you use it.

Powerful immunity stimulator

From clover honey, you can prepare a powerful medicine that stimulates the immune system and increases the body's resistance to bacteria and viruses. Suitable for:

• children in the cold season;
• adults who are often sick;
• people with chronic diagnoses.

And also to patients of cancer clinics undergoing rehabilitation after surgery or chemotherapy.

An additional advantage of this recipe is that the medicine is not only useful, but also tasty. For cooking, you need to take the following ingredients:

• 1 cup walnut kernels;
• 1 cup raisins;
• 100 g of dried apricots and prunes;
• 0.5 l of clover honey.

Only dry utensils should be used, because even one drop of water when ingested can cause it to deteriorate quickly. The technology is very simple - grind nuts, prunes and dried apricots in a meat grinder, add honey and raisins to the mixture, mix well and transfer to a clean jar. Take this medicine every day in the morning for 1 month. Children - 1 teaspoon, adults - 1 tablespoon. Wash the product with 1 cup of warm boiled water.

From anemia

With anemia, honey from sweet clover can also help, because it contains folic acid, iron, vitamin C. This recipe is popular:

• 100 g of raisins;
• 100 g of walnuts;
• 50 g hazelnuts;
• 150 g of honey.

You need to chop nuts and raisins, add honey, mix and insist for 48 hours, and then take 1 teaspoon 2-3 times a day for a week. You can add pollen, then the iron content in the medicine will be higher.

Restorative

With a loss of strength, apathy, increased fatigue and a tendency to frequent colds, the healing potential of clover honey can be used. It is necessary to start every 14 days every morning with a glass of warm water in which to dissolve 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. In just a couple of days, you will notice significant improvements, increased levels of vitality and stamina.

With bronchitis

Honey from clover allows you to quickly cleanse the bronchi from excess sputum, eliminate the inflammatory process, cope with cough and normalize breathing. Even with the first use, after 10-15 minutes you can notice significant relief. For the treatment of chronic bronchitis, honey from clover must be dissolved in warm milk - 1 teaspoon per glass - and taken 2 times a day. It is important to use it in a warm form, because it is quickly absorbed, and the active substances from the product enter the bloodstream.

In acute bronchitis, such a technique will not be enough, you need to connect additional natural resources. You can use, in addition to the basic recipe, herbal antitussive, anti-inflammatory tea with clover honey.

Ingredients for cooking:

• 10 g coltsfoot;
• 5 g of crushed Althea root;
• 5 g of plantain leaves.

You need to take 1 teaspoon of the collection, pour a cup of boiling water (200 ml), wait until the grass is infused and cools down to 50 degrees. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of honey in warm tea, strain the drink and drink. Repeat 4-5 times a day for a week.

For liver cleansing

Sweet clover is used in dry form for severe liver diseases in combination with honey. But there are other folk recipes that have proven themselves in therapy. Here is the most effective recipe that has been used universally since antiquity.

Ingredients:

• 200 g of clover honey;
• 1 cup ground milk thistle fruit;
• 2 tablespoons of dandelion root powder;
• 20 g of grated root of calamus swamp.

It is necessary to mix these ingredients, place the medicine in a clean and dry container, close the lid and insist 5-7 days.

Application in cosmetology

Melilot honey is an excellent basis for creating homemade natural cosmetics. This is a powerful ingredient for care products that can produce the following effects:

• lighten the skin of the face;
• increase firmness and elasticity;
• relieve dandruff;
• strengthen hair and give it a natural shine and volume;
• eliminate acne, acne and black spots;
• fight cellulite;
• contribute to improving blood circulation in the upper layers of the epidermis;
• sanitize and normalize Ph skin.

Care for appearance begins with the health of internal organs, therefore it is useful to use clover honey not only externally, but also inside. The following recipes can be used to create cosmetics.

1. Recipe for wrinkles and pigmentation: 10 g of oatmeal, 1 teaspoon of honey, 10 drops of lemon juice. Mix and lubricate the skin, rubbing into problem areas with massage movements, rinse after 10 minutes.
2. For acne, take aloe juice and honey in equal amounts, add 5 drops of tea tree oil, grease your face. Wash off after 7-10 minutes.
3. The scrub is made from candied honey, ground cinnamon and coffee beans. Such a tool can lie in the refrigerator for up to a month.
4. You can make a mask for hair growth - 20 g of honey, a pinch of red pepper and the same amount of ground ginger, 1 tablespoon of burdock oil. Mix and rub into the scalp for 30 minutes.
5. Take half a banana, mash with a fork with a spoon of honey. Add a spoonful of white clay to the mixture. Apply on face and décolleté. Use once a week as a tool with a lifting effect.

Melilot honey is very useful for skin and hair, but you need to test it on your wrist to make sure there is no hypersensitivity reaction.

Harm and contraindications

Melilot honey can be harmful if you don’t know the features and rules of its use. The most common side effects are those who abuse this product. The maximum daily dose for an adult is 100 g, and for a child - 2 times less, that is, 50 g. In case of an overdose, the following symptoms are observed:

• nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain;
• dilated pupils, photophobia;
• headaches, dizziness;
• weakness, fainting.

If such signs are detected, you need to temporarily abandon the consumption of honey, wash the stomach and take an effective enterosorbent. In severe conditions, it is better to call an ambulance right away, because in some cases honey has a negative effect on the nervous system, and for people with weakened immunity or impaired liver function, the consequences can be especially severe.

Another risk of clover honey consumption may be associated with the use of poor quality products. If the bees collected nectar in mixed meadows, where herbs containing toxic alkaloids grew, honey could be “drunk”. Symptoms of poisoning are similar to mild intoxication, so this is the name. Also, if there is a violation of the cooking technology, botulism spores, which are dangerous for children, may be present in honey.

Contraindications for use are also available. First of all, allergy sufferers need to refuse to use honey, those who have intolerance to this product. It is forbidden to use this product for such diseases and physiological conditions:

• children's age up to 1 year;
• bleeding and ulcers;
• decreased blood coagulability;
• thrombosis;
• severe renal or liver failure.

In other cases, the consumption of honey from clover is not only safe, but also beneficial. This product has a beneficial effect on all organs and systems in the body.

How to choose and store

Storage rules for clover honey are standard, but they must be observed so that the product does not deteriorate. It is better to keep the container away from sunlight, because ultraviolet light destroys some of the active substances. It is also important to use only dry containers, otherwise the product will be spoiled and begin to ferment.

Melilot honey can only be stored in metal, wooden or glass containers. It is strictly forbidden to use plastic bottles or containers. Organic acids, which are part of the product, react with particles of the polymer and lose their properties. Honey absorbs toxins from plastic and can be a health hazard.

Shelf life is not limited, but it is better to buy fresh produce for each season. If honey is open and used, it can only be collected with a clean and dry spoon. In no case should you leave honey without a lid, because useful substances are oxidized, and its benefits are reduced.

The rules for choosing a product are standard too, but it's important to know them:

1. A good melilot honey has a moderate sweetness and mild taste.
2. Visually assess the quality and color, as well as the consistency.
3. Try to stop the honey with a spoon, if it is not diluted, it will stretch and fold up the hill, flowing back into the bank.
4. There is no debris in the form of high-quality cleaned honey in the form of pieces of honeycombs, bee wings or some small twigs and blades of grass.
5. If the sediment at the bottom is not a completely natural product, everything in the honey floats to the surface, but with good filtration there should be no debris.
6. To smell honey, it should give slightly vanilla, without too strong smell.

Sometimes unscrupulous manufacturers use additives to increase the volume of production that reduce the benefits of honey. You need to know and be able to expose such actions in order not to overpay for a fake, as for a natural product.

How to distinguish clover honey from a fake

First you need to figure out and know exactly how unscrupulous manufacturers fake honey. The most common option is to mix two completely different varieties. The cost of clover honey is many times higher than the price of other varieties, so beekeepers can add options similar in appearance to dilute the product.

Most often, clover honey is mixed with rapeseed, but a knowledgeable person will easily expose the falsification. There are several ways to help distinguish a natural product from crafts.

1. First of all, try honey. The natural product bakes a little throat.
2. Also pay attention to consistency. If it is candied honey, it should have small grains, 3-4 times less crystals of sugar.
3. Put a drop of liquid product in a glass of water, it will sink very slowly to the bottom. If this is fake, the drop will dissolve in almost 3 seconds.
4. To determine the authenticity, you can use bread crust. If you lower it into a bowl with a natural product, it will remain solid, if it is a fake, the cracker will soften.
5. To identify the presence of chalk or starch in honey, you need to add a small amount of the product to a glass of water, drop 2-3 drops of iodine in the same place. If the liquid gets a bluish tint - this is a fake.
6. Weigh the product, fake is always easier. The mass of a liter jar of natural honey should be at least 1.5 kg.

It is also important to check the evidence from the laboratory when buying honey from individuals in markets and fairs. Product quality and safety must be documented.

Melilot honey is a storehouse of useful substances, an excellent medicine for children and adults. If the product is of high quality and is used in accordance with all the rules, it will bring only health benefits!

Photo of clover honey