Sweet and fruity, honey is a delight for the taste buds, but not only. On the occasion of World Bee Day, May 20, 2021, let's take a look back at the benefits of bee products, such as honey, royal jelly or propolis, and their various uses for health.
Honey is the fruit of the work of foraging bees. They collect the nectar of the flowers, a sweet juice that they take, then store in them. It's kind of food for bees. This nectar will then be brought back to the hive. It will then mature to eventually form honey, at the end of various chemical processes. The composition of honey directly depends on the varieties of plants that have been foraged by bees. However, it is still composed of nutrients such as enzymes, minerals and lipids, and especially a lot of carbohydrates (sugars), which make up 80% of honey.
Besides honey, bee products also include:
Honey, an alternative to sugar
Honey contains different kinds of carbohydrates, such as fructose (the sugar found in fruit) and glucose. It is therefore to be differentiated from common sugar, which contains almost exclusively sucrose. In fact, honey has a lower glycemic index and contains fewer calories than white sugar, while having a higher sweetening power. It can therefore completely replace sugar in certain preparations (pastries, etc.), but also in compote or yoghurt, for example. This is particularly interesting for people who watch their glycemic index or follow a low-calorie diet. Need help to better manage your daily nutrition? With Nutrition Prevention Health coaching, benefit from dietary advice.
The health benefits of bee products are numerous. We can thus cite the following for honey.
On the other hand, royal jelly is rich in vitamin B5. Like honey, it helps to boost the body and immune defenses, but also to fight against physical and intellectual fatigue. It also has an action on estrogen and is therefore prescribed to reduce the undesirable effects of menopause.
Propolis is used for its antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also recommended to treat conditions in the ENT area and diseases of the respiratory tract such as coronavirus, as well as for its antitussive and anesthetic action. In particular, it is possible to take honey and propolis cures to reduce pathogens and stimulate your body to protect yourself from a possible infection. It is often prescribed for sore throats, coughs or loss of voice. Finally, it has an action on oral hygiene by preventing the appearance of mouth ulcers and cavities.
How to consume honey?
Honey can be stored at a temperature between 18 and 24 degrees. Make sure the pot is airtight, and preferably away from light and a source of heat. An important point:honey should not be heated above 37 degrees, otherwise it will lose its nutritional properties. In fact, for desserts, it is better to use cold honey (in a topping for example, or in a compote) rather than in a cake with cooking. Honey is very sensitive to heat and oxidation. To consume it with a hot tea, it is better to separate the honey from your drink, or wait until the latter is at room temperature to add the honey. Also good to know:honey does not deteriorate over time, due to its high sugar content and low water content. Thus, it does not expire, despite crystallization that may appear.
Today there are about ten varieties of honey. To choose it well, pay attention to the composition of the honey in question. Indeed, those found in supermarkets are sometimes cut with white sugar or glucose syrup. Also beware of prices that are too low, which are generally the result of added sugar, in particular. The kilo of honey is at least €10 for French production.
Since January 2021, the origin of the honey must be indicated on the jar. You can read where it came from:France, Spain, or a specific region like the Alps. Preferably, avoid honeys originating "in the European Union and outside the European Union", because the origin and exact composition of the nectars are difficult to trace. To help you choose, the preferred honeys are those with an AB, Demeter, AOP or AOC label, which are a guarantee of quality, as well as the mention "Harvested by the beekeeper". The ideal is to go to shops specializing in honey, organic stores or directly from the beekeeper to buy some.
Honey and all bee products are valuable ingredients, each of which has many health benefits. They are consumed internally, but are also used externally, in certain beauty products.
Source:
https://mieletvertus.com/content/35-pourquoi-miel-perime
https://madame.lefigaro.fr/beaute/pourquoi-il-faut-eviter-de-mise-du-miel-dans-son-infusion-ou-son-the-061219-178622
https://www.femmeactuelle.fr/cuisine/guides-cuisine/nos-conseils-pour-bien-choisir-votre-miel-2109563
https://www.mariefrance.fr/equilibre/bien-etre/virtues-miel-411555.html#item=1
https://www.passeportsante.net/fr/Nutrition/EncyclopediaAliments/Fiche.aspx?doc=miel_nu
https://sante.journaldesfemmes.fr/fiches- Maladies/2627659-remedes-naturels-coronavirus-essential-oils-precautions-use-effectiveness-danger-vitamin-honey-propolis/
