White sweet clover honey. How long does honey keep? Medicinal use

Few people know, but beekeepers recognize sweet clover honey as the reference. This sweetness, bestowed by bees, is not only characterized by an unusual aroma and taste, but is also of great value to the body. Today you will learn how to distinguish sweet clover honey from sweet counterparts collected from other plants, as well as why it is so useful, and whether it can happen that it will be harmful. Read on - only the most interesting things about sweet clover honey are ahead!

Sweet clover honey: how to distinguish?

Sweet clover honey, as the name implies, bees collect from sweet clover. The sweetness is characterized by a delicate aroma, in which hints of vanilla are traced, and a delicate taste. Such a honey has either a light amber or white color. In free sale, sweet clover honey is very rare, it is mainly sold by beekeepers, you can buy it at the exhibition.

Some unscrupulous sellers sell rapeseed sweets under the guise of sweet clover. Outwardly, they are difficult to distinguish, but the products are completely different in smell and taste, the latter is characterized by a more sugary taste and there is not even a hint of vanilla in it. Well, we dare to assume that rapeseed is several times inferior to sweet clover in terms of its beneficial properties.

Beneficial features

Sweet clover is used for the following diseases and pathological conditions:

As you can see, the range of applications of sweet clover is quite wide. This plant is a storehouse of minerals and nutrients, which then fall into the nectar collected by bees. Therefore, sweet clover honey has some chemical properties of this plant, and, therefore, a healing effect. In particular, scientists found in sweet clover: coumarin, melilotol, cymarin, tannins and fat-like substances, essential oil, protein, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, carotene, and various sugars.

When is sweet clover honey useful?

Many beekeepers (and me too) consider sweet clover honey special and even unique to some extent. It is the most useful of all varieties, as it has an immunomodulatory and antiseptic effect. In the article I will note the most basic areas of therapeutic use of this product, as well as methods of use.

The use of sweet clover honey to enhance lactation

One of the beneficial properties of sweet clover honey is increased lactation. To achieve the effect, it is necessary to take one dessert spoon of the product every time after a meal. This will ensure a stable supply of milk needed by the baby. It is possible to use lactation fees with honey for such purposes.

You can also use healthy sweet clover honey during pregnancy so that the body receives an additional portion of vitamins and minerals.

Activation of the immune system

The healing properties of sweet clover honey also apply to human immunity. It's possible
use during epidemics of SARS and influenza. Taking white sweet clover honey, you will receive a powerful stimulation of immune forces, which will help you quickly cope with ailments and illnesses.

To achieve the effect, it will be enough to eat 25 grams of useful sweet clover honey per day. For children, it is desirable to reduce the norm to 10-15 grams, since the product is allergenic.

It should be noted that the immunomodulatory effect of the use of sweet clover honey does not depend on the amount eaten. Therefore, do not overeat in an effort to get more benefits.

Treatment of cough and other bronchial diseases

There are many expectorants against coughs, but they should not be limited to them. After all, natural remedies for this sore will act more gently and will not cause harm. Also, you can always use both remedies for recovery.

For the treatment of such diseases, both pure sweet clover honey and its mixture with radish juice are used. The second way is more efficient. To prepare the medicine, you will need to hollow out a recess in the black radish. In it you put a tablespoon of honey and leave to infuse. The resulting juice is taken in a dessert spoon before meals.

Skin improvement

Probably every woman knows that without proper support, even the most beautiful skin will lose its appearance. My wife knows this too, so she regularly makes face masks to which she adds sweet clover honey. She also mixes it with water and rubs it in the morning.

The easiest way to make a face mask is to grate a fresh cucumber and mix it with honey. The advantages of such a measure are obvious, since the skin is simultaneously disinfected and softened without becoming dry.

Antibacterial effect

Sweet clover honey also has strong bactericidal properties. It can be used to treat wounds and boils. To do this, as a rule, a cake of honey and flour is kneaded, and then applied to a sore spot. It is useful to eat sweet clover honey for those who suffer from ulcers and gastritis. They will heal faster.

You can also apply honey compresses to places affected by varicose veins. Veins and other vessels will narrow, which will reduce pain symptoms.

For stress and insomnia

To cope with stressful situations and insomnia, drink tea with healing sweet clover honey. It can also be stirred in warm clean water and consumed in the morning. Approximately one tablespoon of the product is enough for a glass. This will strengthen the body and have a beneficial effect on the nervous system.

Under reduced pressure

Sweet clover honey will help to cope with hypotension. This is a real salvation for those who suffer from low blood pressure. There are no cures for this condition, so the help of traditional medicine is the way out. It is especially useful to use fresh honey in combs for these purposes.

Contraindications

In addition to useful properties, sweet clover also has some contraindications. It refers to poisonous plants, which in large quantities have a negative effect on the muscles of the intestine, and contributes to the oppression of the central nervous system.

The use of sweet clover for a long time can provoke the appearance of dizziness, headaches, nausea, sometimes even hemorrhages in the muscles, under the skin or in organs, liver damage may occur, paralysis of the central nervous system.

It is strictly forbidden to use sweet clover during pregnancy, internal bleeding, liver disease and poor blood clotting. If you do not follow the rules for using products prepared on the basis of sweet clover and adhere to the proportions, then you can not only not get the desired effect, but also greatly harm your own health.

How to distinguish sweet clover honey from a fake

Fresh honey tastes good, but it is distinguished by a pleasant sweetness, not cloying. AT
depending on the type of plant, the tongue will feel either tart or slightly vanilla aftertaste. The aroma corresponds to the smell - subtle and gradually revealing. A high-quality undiluted product only slowly crystallizes after a few months, starting to form small sugar crystals.

Storage features

Beekeepers advise storing honey in a warm, cool place, although this may speed up the crystallization process in the product. The ideal place is a cellar or a refrigerator, but any other corner remote from the central heating will do.

It is considered to be a very useful variety for both adults and children. This variety has a large number of useful properties and is widely used in traditional medicine and cosmetology. And in this article we will learn how to distinguish real white honey from sweet clover from a fake, how it is useful and what contraindications it has.

Taste and appearance

Donnikovy "amber" very pleasant and gentle on the smell with a slight hint of vanilla. The taste depends entirely on what flowers the bees collected nectar from. Which was collected from white flowers - a bright and rich taste, but its healing qualities are weaker. The taste of yellow sweet clover is not so bright, viscous with a slight bitterness, but it is the nectar from yellow flowers that is more useful. Freshly harvested honey is usually white or light amber in color. Crystallizing, it acquires a white color.

How sweet clover is mined

As already mentioned, sweet clover honey is extracted from yellow and white sweet clover. This plant, also known as wild belongs to the family, is one of the best summer honey plants. It blooms throughout the summer, so the bees collect its nectar all season long. It can be found, as in various wastelands and ravines. And some beekeepers plant this plant purposefully, near their apiaries.

Did you know? The ground flowers and leaves of yellow sweet clover are added to coffee along with cinnamon.

Chemical composition

Donnikovy "amber" contains:

• fructose - from 40 to 50%;
• glucose - from 45 to 55%;
• maltose - from 3.5 to 4.2%;
• sucrose - approximately 0.5%.

Beneficial features

Sweet clover, as a plant, has a large number of useful properties and, accordingly, honey from it is also very useful, it contains a huge amount of nutritional and medicinal properties. It is very useful in the treatment of atherosclerosis, helps to get rid of shortness of breath, has antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, immunostimulating, diuretic, analgesic and sedative effects. Sweet clover is recommended for women during pregnancy and lactation, as it is rich in vitamins.

Important! During breastfeeding, attention should be paid to the reaction of the child, if an allergy occurs, the use should be stopped and contacted by a pediatrician.

Application of honey

Sweet clover nectar reveals its usefulness in almost any form, whether it is an eaten spoonful of pure honey or some kind of potion. But still, the most effective result is obtained with proper treatment and prevention using recipes that have been tested over the years.

In folk medicine

• Sweet clover has a positive effect on the functioning of the stomach and intestines, so medicine based on it is often taken to normalize the level of acidity in the stomach. The recipe for such a medicine is very simple - 1 spoon of bee delicacy is diluted in 120 ml of warm water. With low acidity, the solution should be drunk 10-20 minutes before meals, and with increased acidity, 50-60 minutes.
• To improve kidney function, it is recommended to dilute 3 tablespoons of nectar in 250 ml of birch sap. Take this mixture three times a day. And to clean the kidneys, corn stigmas are also added.
• Recipe for cystitis. You should mix one spoonful of honey and then drink it with a decoction of ordinary bearberry and Take this medicine twice a day for five days.
• If a person suffers from insomnia, he can drink a spoonful of honey diluted in warm water before going to bed. It helps to calm the nervous system and thus promotes better sleep.
• With poor lactation, young mothers need to eat one teaspoon of sweet clover nectar before meals.
• For the treatment of bronchial and pulmonary diseases, a tablespoon of honey should be diluted in the juice of one black radish and this mixture should be taken one spoonful a quarter of an hour before meals.

Important! When adding honey to tea or just water, the temperature of the liquid should not exceed 60 ° C, otherwise the nectar will lose all its useful qualities.

In cosmetology

Sweet clover "amber" is used in cosmetology for the treatment of skin diseases, cleansing and improving the general condition of the skin. For washing, it is dissolved in warm water. Procedures with this solution help to remove boils, acne, blackheads, remove excess fat from the pores.

For problem skin, it would be useful to use a mask based on sweet clover and fresh. Take 0.2 kg of grated cucumbers and 1 tsp. nectar and mixed. This mask moisturizes and disinfects the skin well.

How to distinguish a fake?

When choosing sweet clover honey, pay attention to its color and density. Crystallized "amber" has a white color that resembles ghee or lard. In its structure, it is homogeneous with small, barely noticeable crystals. Also pay special attention to the smell, it should have a light vanilla aroma, if it has a strong vanilla smell, then you most likely have alfalfa honey with the addition of vanilla flavoring.

Nature provides man with many useful plants that help maintain health. Among them are species used by insects for the production of sweet clover honey, which eliminates some diseases. In ancient times, it was also called bottom honey, although today such a name is already considered erroneous.

General characteristics of the plant

Sweet clover belongs to the legume family. It is a perennial herb that grows in wastelands and meadows. Traditional medicine uses this plant as an expectorant, healing wounds, relieving pain or convulsions, and means.

The description of the herb is as follows:

• The height of the stem reaches 2 m. It has several branches. The roots of the sweet clover are of the rod type.
• Each sheet consists of 3 parts. Near the petiole, 2 stipules develop, which are distinguishable in shape and size from the middle formation sitting on a longer branch.
• The flowers are painted white or yellow, and their length ranges from 20 to 70 mm. Framed with narrow tassels.
• The beans are inserted into the cups. The fruits are small.

The plant is distributed almost throughout the globe, but Eurasia is considered its homeland. It is very fond of bees, which then produce sweet clover honey. Sweet clover is famous for its unique medicinal properties, which are completely adopted by the honey obtained from it.

sweet clover honey

Composition of the product

Sweet clover honey consists of carbohydrates (80 g per 100 g of the preparation) and proteins (0.7-0.9 g per 100 g). There are practically no fats in it. Also included are the following components:

• vitamins of groups B, E and C;
• flavonoids;
• some organic acids;
• tannins;
• dicoumarol and resins;
• various glycosides;
• essential oils;
• coumarin.

The calorie content of the product is from 306 to 310 kcal.

Properties of honey

People are often interested in sweet clover honey - what kind of medicinal preparation it is, how it is used. You can use it in its pure form or by adding the product to food. This product has a vanilla scent. It is white or yellowish in color and quickly crystallizes (in 1 month), so in liquid form it can only be purchased from a beekeeper in the apiary.

In medicine, this honey is used because of the following properties:

• It calms the nervous system. Most often, the product helps with insomnia, headaches or neurosis. An adult patient is given 1-2 tbsp. spoons a day, and children under 10 years old - 1 teaspoon.
• With bronchitis and colds, healing sweet clover honey is used as an expectorant. The patient is given 1 tbsp. a spoonful of medicine per day.
• To relieve inflammation on the skin, the product is used externally. For 20-30 days, a bandage soaked in sweet clover honey is applied to the affected area. It is better to do this under the supervision of a doctor.
• The tool can dilate blood vessels. It is used for varicose veins and high blood pressure.
• The product improves immunity. For this, adults are given 20-25 g, and children 10-15 g per day.
• Sweet clover honey helps women during lactation. Doctors recommend that they eat 1 teaspoon every day after meals.
• At the initial stage of an ulcer or gastritis, as well as during intestinal atony, the remedy allows you to eliminate the symptoms of the disease.

For treatment, you can use both white honey (melilot means it was with white inflorescences), and its yellow counterpart. The only difference between these species is that bees collect nectar from 2 different types of the same plant. What type of medicine to use, the patient learns at the consultation with the doctor.

Determination of the authenticity of sweet clover honey

Often, buyers confuse a healing agent with the same type of rapeseed product. To distinguish between these two honeys, it is enough to smell them or eat 1 teaspoon. From sweet clover comes the aroma of vanilla, but rapeseed does not have it. When tasted, the first product has a normal sweetness, and the second is so cloying that most people cannot eat it without dilution.

What do bees collect honey from?

There is another way to detect fakes: two test samples are diluted in water. Sweet clover honey quickly dissolves in liquid, while rapeseed honey remains the same for a long time.

There is another method that allows you to distinguish these 2 types of product from each other. You just need to leave the honey at room temperature for 1 day. A natural remedy will practically not change its consistency, a fake drug will begin to ferment.

Important! Buyers need to know that real sweet clover honey cannot be obtained in a supermarket or bazaar, it is sold only in apiaries.

Counterfeits of a healing agent can also be caught at specialized fairs organized by honey producers. To recognize them, you need to carefully look at the appearance of the product.

This drug must have:

• white or amber surface;
• faint smell of vanilla;
• medium sweetness;
• fine-grained structure.

If a person cannot recognize honey according to the indicated signs, then after the purchase, the authenticity of the product will appear in a month - after sugaring, it will turn white or look like a colorless mass.

Benefit and harm

Positive properties are manifested in the treatment of certain diseases of the stomach and other organs. The medicinal properties of sweet clover honey are as follows:

• increased immunity;
• elimination of pain in intestinal lesions;
• calming effect;
• the ability to heal wounds;
• decrease in pressure in the arteries;
• relief of the patient's condition with colds.

Collection of nectar for honey

Damage caused by the product:

• if the amount of honey consumed by a person differs from that indicated in the recipe upwards, then allergic manifestations are possible;
• when using the product as a dietary supplement, you need to accurately determine its amount, otherwise an increase in urine output may occur.

Important! While drinking sweet clover honey, it is recommended to reduce the consumption of tea, coffee, tonic and energy drinks.

Contraindications and restrictions

When using a remedy for treatment, it is necessary to take into account its characteristics, which allow obtaining a healing effect. At the same time, it is important not to forget that, like any drug, sweet clover honey has its own contraindications and limitations:

• its use by those allergic to beans is prohibited;
• should not be treated with a remedy for patients with indigestion;
• it is forbidden to use the drug with dairy products due to the appearance of symptoms of flatulence;
• the use of honey in diabetes mellitus, obesity or serious disorders of the stomach and intestines is completely excluded.

Important! The treatment of children under 1 year of age and women during pregnancy is limited.

Dosages

Doctors have established the maximum intake of sweet clover honey during the day for an adult. It is equal to 100 g. With a larger amount, indigestion begins.

Standard daily doses for different age groups are as follows:

• children from 1 to 3 years old are given 0.5 teaspoon;
• for children from 3 to 12 years old, the doctor can prescribe 1-2 tsp;
• adolescents over 12 years old and adult patients are recommended to take 1-2 tbsp. spoon.

Note! For older people, the norm is established - Art. spoon for 24 hours, and this dose helps slow down the aging process, improves memory, stimulates the proper functioning of various organs.

For patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2, sweet clover honey can be used only as directed by a doctor. Dose - no more than 1 teaspoon per day.

Apply honey in its natural form or dilute in water. For hypertensive patients, doctors recommend its constant use in a dosage of 0.5-1 tbsp. spoons per day. This helps keep blood pressure within normal limits.

To combat skin rashes (boils, acne, etc.), cosmetologists use the product in face masks and as body wraps. During the procedures, therapeutic mixtures are used, in which 2 tbsp. tablespoons of honey are dissolved in 1 liter of warm water.

Thus, the product is indispensable both as a sweet treat and as a medicine. However, in the second case, any use of sweet clover honey must be agreed with the attending physician.

Sweet clover honey is considered an expensive beekeeping product. Its price is almost twice as high as that of buckwheat or flower honey. But it's well worth the price. Sweet clover honey, with a pleasant floral aroma, has long been considered as a good remedy for the treatment of the abdominal cavity and small pelvis. This honey is used to increase lactation in breastfeeding women, to heal nipple cracks and a number of other diseases. What is sweet clover honey, what useful properties it has and how to use it for treatment, read further in the article.

Sweet clover honey, as the name suggests, is collected by bees from sweet clover flowers: yellow sweet clover or white sweet clover. Fresh honey has a beautiful golden color, which becomes almost white when crystallized. The aroma of honey is very subtle, with slightly perceptible floral notes, reminiscent of light vanilla.

Sweet clover grows almost everywhere. It is planted specifically for honey production. This plant has a special flower structure, which allows you to save valuable nectar even in rainy weather. In Canada, breeders have specially bred a new annual variety of this plant for beekeepers.
In nature, two types of sweet clover are most common: white and yellow. Yellow sweet clover is grown on an industrial scale mainly for medicinal purposes as a medicinal herb.
Flowering of sweet clover lasts a very long time, almost two months. Interestingly, after mowing, the newly grown grass has time to bloom.

Taste and color

After pumping honey acquires a light amber color, almost white. After crystallization, it looks like whipped cream or ice cream with a pinkish tint. The aroma is pleasant, exudes a distant smell of vanilla. The taste of honey taken from white sweet clover is more pronounced than from yellow. He's sweet, but not cloying. The aftertaste lasts a long time.

It crystallizes quickly, a couple of months after pumping. This indicator varies depending on storage conditions. After sugaring its structure is coarse-grained, the color becomes almost white.

Distinctive features

You will be surprised, but in many countries sweet clover honey is considered the best among other bee products. In the USA, for example, this is a first-class delicacy, taken as a standard. In addition, honey made from sweet clover is sold better than others. But what is so special about it?

Due to the fact that sweet clover blooms during the summer and is also quite widespread, the amount of honey that can be obtained is very large. Of course, this feature does not make it a rare type of honey, but allows it to become an affordable product that benefits.

Origin

This bee product is obtained from nectar, which is collected from a plant called sweet clover. Herbaceous plant with beautiful yellow flowers blooms all summer. In height, the sweet clover reaches one meter. This is a medicinal plant that is widely used in folk medicine. Accordingly, sweet clover honey also acquires its beneficial properties from it.

Color

The shade of the product, as you can see in the photo, is quite light. The color is mostly white or light yellow. Depending on various impurities, not necessarily chemical, but the nectar of other plants, it may vary. But it will no longer be pure sweet clover honey. Therefore, be careful when choosing a quality product.

Also, the color differs depending on the state of aggregation of sweet clover honey. In the liquid state, it is almost transparent and yellowish. In crystallized - has a white tint. This difference is clearly visible even in the photo below.

Taste qualities

The taste palette favorably plays with a variety of colors. You will be able to feel a slight hint of vanilla, the sweetness inherent in traditional honey. But he is not cloying at all, but rather pleasant.

Aroma

The aromatic qualities of sweet clover honey are worthy of its taste and color. The smell is subtle, pleasant, without pronounced cutting sweetness. It won't overpower the taste. The product will not overpower the flavor of other confectionery additives like vanilla and cinnamon if you choose to add it to your baked goods.

Crystallization

Sweet clover honey crystallizes quite quickly. But this does not detract from its beneficial medicinal properties. It still remains fragrant, sweet and pleasant.

Composition of sweet clover honey

Sweet clover honey, like any other natural honey, has a very diverse composition, which includes many useful nutrients for humans. These are vitamins, enzymes, organic acids, minerals. In total, honey contains up to 60 different compounds.

In addition to these, sweet clover honey contains resinous, tannic and mucous substances that are beneficial to human health.

Among the vitamins, it is necessary to highlight the B vitamins: B1 and B2, C, E, PP.

Sweet clover honey contains:

• Carbohydrates;
• Sahara;
• Fructose;
• Glucose.

Its calorie content is 314 calories per 100 grams.

Useful properties of sweet clover honey

Sweet clover has many useful and healing properties. Honey, obtained from the nectar of this plant, has the same beneficial qualities as the herb, and is an effective remedy for the treatment of many diseases. It is traditionally used to treat colds, coughs, swelling and diseases of the joints, veins, abdominal pain, gynecological diseases, headaches.

Sweet clover honey has antibacterial, sedative, diuretic, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic properties.
In folk medicine, honey has long been used not only as a pleasant sweetness, but also locally.
The use of sweet clover honey improves blood composition and increases hemoglobin.
In the form of honey cakes, compresses, it is used for boils, abscesses. It is effective for rheumatism, stomach ulcers, joint pain, atherosclerosis and hypertension.

Due to its properties, sweet clover honey can be used for:

• Gout;
• stress;
• Migraines and headaches;
• bronchitis;
• flatulence;
• neurosis;
• Varicose veins;
• atherosclerosis;
• With high blood pressure;
• Insomnia.

Natural sweet clover honey has a healing effect on the entire body. It is often used to make home remedies for many ailments.

Sweet clover honey to increase lactation

To improve immunity

As a preventive measure during the season of colds and viral diseases, take a tablespoon of sweet clover daily. For children, 1-2 teaspoons will be enough, depending on age.

Cough treatment

Honey is often used to treat coughs. It can be drunk with medicinal teas that have expectorant properties, and you can prepare healing remedies, for example, with black radish or onions.

With tuberculosis

Treatment of hemorrhoids

The Russian name for the herb sweet clover comes from the name bottom, which means gout or don, which meant diseases of the small pelvis.

Therefore, it is not surprising that this honey is used to treat hemorrhoids.

Honey is used in the form of a honey solution, which is prepared from 100 grams of water and 20 grams of honey. The resulting solution is used in the form of microclysters.

For best results, you can make a sitz bath with a decoction of sweet clover flowers.

For varicose veins

For the treatment of veins, a medicinal garlic syrup with honey is prepared. To do this, pass 350 grams of garlic cloves through a press and mix with 250 grams of honey. Put the jar in a dark place for a week.

Drink a teaspoon of the syrup received daily, three times a day, an hour before meals.

Instead of garlic, you can use onion juice by mixing it in equal proportions with honey. Infuse for three days at room temperature and then refrigerate for another 10 days. Take the same as garlic syrup.

Treatment of pneumonia

To prepare a compress, mix 2 parts of sweet clover honey with 1 part of aloe juice and 3 parts of vodka. Soak a napkin folded several times with this mixture and apply on the back and chest. Cover with cellophane and put on warm underwear. leave the compress overnight.

constipation treatment

Prepare porridge from oatmeal, grated apples, a little lemon juice, a tablespoon of water and sweet clover honey.

Sweet clover honey can be consumed in its pure form, or added to tea and other drinks. It is undesirable to add sweet clover honey to boiling water, since its medicinal properties decrease in hot water. The norm for adults is 25, and for children - 15 grams of the product per day.

Sweet clover honey is widely used for external use. It is used in compresses for the treatment of suppuration and boils, added to baths for nervous disorders and rheumatism, taken as a basis in cosmetic masks to moisturize the skin and relieve inflammation.

Important in the treatment of gout special diet. Honey is an excellent substitute for sweets that are undesirable for a gout patient. It is eaten with lingonberry tea to reduce pain during an attack. An ointment made from honey and animal fat or essential oils is used to lubricate sore joints.

Sweet clover honey brings great benefits people suffering from cardiovascular diseases. In this case, it is eaten in small portions with cottage cheese, fruits or vegetable juices.

Sweet clover honey helps the body resist viruses during flu epidemics and other colds. To get rid of a cough, a mixture of honey and black radish juice is used. It is taken 12 g on an empty stomach three times a day.

For the treatment of hemorrhoids dissolve 20 g of honey in 100 ml of warm water. The liquid is used for enemas twice a day. This mixture can be poured into baths for hemorrhoidal bumps. For chronic constipation and other intestinal problems, it is recommended to eat honey with oatmeal and applesauce.

Useful properties of sweet clover honey actively manifest themselves when treatment of varicose veins. For treatment, take a mixture of honey and crushed garlic in equal amounts. The mixture is infused for five days and taken before meals.

Sweet clover honey is widely used for problematic skin. Washing with a honey solution eliminates acne, eliminates unhealthy oily sheen. To preserve the elasticity and youthfulness of the skin, a cucumber mask is excellent. Fresh vegetables are rubbed, mixed with honey and kept on the skin for up to 20 minutes.

In cosmetology Donnikovy "amber" is used in cosmetology for the treatment of skin diseases, cleansing and improving the general condition of the skin. For washing, it is dissolved in warm water. Procedures with this solution help to remove boils, acne, blackheads, remove excess fat from the pores. For problematic skin, it would be useful to use a mask based on sweet clover and fresh cucumber. Take 0.2 kg of grated cucumbers and 1 tsp. nectar and mixed. This mask moisturizes and disinfects the skin well.

Sweet clover honey useful properties for children, nursing mothers

While breastfeeding, a woman often wants something tasty and sweet. But many confectionery products (cakes, pastries, sweets) contain too much sugar and artificial additives and are therefore banned. In this case, sweet clover honey comes to the rescue. It not only satisfies the mother's needs for goodies, but also helps to increase lactation.

If a young mother has little milk, it is enough for her to eat a teaspoon of sweet clover 2-3 times a day. To enhance the effectiveness of honey, you need to drink various herbal teas. Drinks should not be very hot, otherwise the honey will be poorly absorbed. It is not necessary to abuse the beekeeping product, its large amount can cause allergic reactions in a child.

Is it possible to give sweet clover honey to children? If yes, at what age? There is no definite answer to this question. Honey is a highly allergenic product, so it should be introduced into the child's diet with great care. After a year, ½ teaspoon can be added to milk, porridge, tea or pastries. A contraindication to the use of sweet clover honey is the presence of any allergy in the baby.

Sweet clover honey can and should be given to a child of school age. During the period of active growth of the child, it strengthens health and immunity, contributes to the development of mindfulness and efficiency. From the age of 12-15, children can be given adult doses.

Contraindications to the use of sweet clover honey

Like all bee products, this honey can cause allergies. Therefore, before use, be sure to make sure that it is not present. You need to eat some honey and if there is no reaction during the day, you can use it for treatment.

If a rash or other signs of an allergic reaction appear, then the use should be discarded. The fact is that sweet clover belongs to the legume family, to which some people may be allergic. After all, honey always contains a certain amount of pollen.

Given that honey is a high-calorie foods, you should not consume it in large quantities for overweight and obese people. How much honey you can eat is better to consult a doctor.

Not only with this honey, but also with any other, compresses are not recommended for tuberculosis, bronchial asthma, bleeding in the lungs, emphysema, heart failure, myocarditis.

Be sure to get advice from a doctor for people suffering from diabetes about the advisability of using sweet clover honey.

Since honey is a mild diuretic, remember to replenish your body with water to stay hydrated.

How to distinguish sweet clover honey from a fake

Anyone who has tried real sweet clover honey at least once will be able to distinguish a fake.

Firstly, sweet clover honey is light yellow in color. The saturation of the color depends on the color of the grass flowers. If there is more yellow sweet clover nectar, then the honey will be darker, with a barely perceptible greenish tint.

If white sweet clover predominates, the honey is lighter.

Secondly, the aroma of honey. Real honey has a very subtle smell with hints of vanilla. After tasting, you can catch light bitter notes.

Rapeseed honey is often passed off as sweet clover honey. It cannot be said that this honey is bad. It just costs less. And the price of sweet clover honey is higher. And rapeseed honey does not have such an aroma and is more cloying in taste.

When buying honey on the market, we always want to be sure that we are not buying a fake. It is important to know several signs by which you can recognize a fake.

Natural honey flows from a spoon in a thin stream. Fake - drops.

When lowering a spoon into honey and quickly twisting it, natural honey wraps around it.

Be sure to try the honey. Natural honey always has an inherent bitterness in the aftertaste. If there is too much bitterness, acidity or an aroma not inherent in honey, then most likely it is a fake.

What varieties are used in beekeeping

All varieties of sweet clover have a specific flower structure. It allows you to save nectar during the rainy season. Also, such a morphological structure prevents the rapid evaporation of this valuable substance. What types of grass are most commonly used in beekeeping?

• White clover. It blooms for a long time, gives high honey productivity: up to 200 kg of honey per hectare. In the southern regions, honey productivity can reach 300 kg/ha.
• Yellow clover. It is more often used for medicinal purposes, but it is also a valuable honey plant. Grows with white sweet clover. Yellow sweet clover honey has a less pronounced taste and smell, but is valued no less.
• annual sweet clover. This honey plant was brought to the USA. Here it is cultivated industrially for beekeeping. Its honey productivity is much higher than wild-growing varieties. In the US and Canada, this is the most popular honey variety. Here, not only fields are sown with sweet clover, but also ravines, wastelands, ditches, places along field roads.

All varieties produce abundant nectar, it is easily accessible to bees. Plants bloom for about two months, after mowing the grass blooms again, which is extremely beneficial in beekeeping.

Where to buy sweet clover honey

Having bought honey, the question naturally arises of how, where and how much it can be stored.

Sweet clover honey does not lose its properties for 2 years. Store it preferably in a glass jar. But more often honey is sold in plastic jars, in which honey can also be stored.

You can not store it in aluminum and metal utensils. The storage temperature of honey is room temperature. It is not necessary to put in the refrigerator. There it crystallizes faster.

Sweet clover honey is a very tasty and healthy beekeeping product and brings not only pleasure, but also great benefits for the body. Be sure to buy and try this fragrant honey.

Storage conditions

No matter how you store sweet clover honey, it candied quickly. There is nothing wrong here. This is his specificity. Useful properties do not disappear. But if you want to enjoy it in a liquid, stretchy consistency, hurry up. To do this, there is a month or two after pumping.

To preserve the beneficial properties of honey longer, it is stored at a positive temperature from 4 to 18 degrees. Above 40 heat and below 35 with a minus sign, they are lost. The storage location doesn't matter. It can be a balcony, a basement, another room.

Air humidity it is preferable to keep around 60%. It is advisable not to take out honey in the sun, since direct sunlight adversely affects its structure. It is better to keep sweet clover honey in glass jars and bottles.

At home, sweet clover honey will retain its healing properties for up to 2 years. It is advisable to keep this useful product in glass, clay, wooden containers and store in a dark, dry place at a temperature of 5-10 degrees. But metal utensils for the content of this natural substance are completely unsuitable, since the beekeeping product will cause the oxidation of iron, which will result in a deterioration in its taste and healing properties.

Sweet clover is a medicinal herb widely used in agriculture. The ingredients that make up the plant provide invaluable benefits to the body as a whole. The fragrant aroma attracts bees, and therefore useful and tasty sweet clover honey is obtained from the plant.

Peculiarities

Honey is produced from the flowers of white and yellow sweet clover. The plant is valued by beekeepers for its excellent honey production. It is possible to get up to 300 kg of honey from a hectare of the yellow variety, up to 500 kg from the white variety. The characteristics of the flower have properties that make it possible to produce a delicious fragrant honey delicacy from it, even the name of this plant from the Greek melilotus is translated as "honey flower". In addition, the culture has several more names, including burkun, sweet clover, bottom grass.

Valuable nectar is preserved in the flower even in rainy weather due to its special structure. By itself, grass grows everywhere, but sometimes beekeepers plant it purposefully to obtain honey products.

The advantages of the plant are worth noting its long flowering period and the ability to recover after mowing. Flowering can last two months, in total it is possible to observe up to four waves of nectar release per season. Collection continues from early spring to late autumn. Planting is done in November in order to get fresh nectar already in the first month of spring.

Compound

The product is produced both in Europe and in apiaries in Canada and the USA. At the same time, the composition of honey from different manufacturers can vary significantly. In general, the natural sweet clover product has the following composition:

• water - up to 18%;
• carbohydrates - up to 80%;
• minerals - no more than 1%;
• water-soluble vitamins, proteins, enzymes, amino acids and dextrins - up to 3%.

Carbohydrates found in the product include fructose and glucose, there is a small amount of sucrose and maltose, melicitose. In addition, this variety contains potassium, iodine, magnesium, phosphorus, cobalt, manganese, antioxidants, among vitamins it is worth noting vitamins of group B, E, K, PP. A special group should include such useful substances as coumarins, melilotins, lactones, tannins, tannins and resinous substances, there is a small amount of essential oils.

Benefit

Thanks to the above elements, the presented product has the following therapeutic effect on the body.

• Increased lactation. Taking one small spoonful of sweet clover after meals, a young mother can be sure that her milk will always be enough for a newborn. It is also possible to use during the period of bearing a child, the product provides the body weakened by pregnancy with additional vitamins and minerals.
• Immunity boost. All types of honey have beneficial properties that improve the immune system, but the sweet clover variety is characterized by the greatest strength over weak immunity. Especially in this regard, a delicacy of white sweet clover is appreciated.

• Expectorant effect. Sweet clover honey is an effective cough remedy, but it cannot be said that in the event of this ailment, honey alone can be dispensed with. The product is able to have an effect only in combination with other means.
• Effect on the skin. There are many recipes for masks, which include sweet clover honey. The advantage of a natural remedy used for cosmetic problems is the simultaneous effect of cleansing, disinfecting and softening the skin. Such a mask is able to prevent and eliminate the dryness of the epidermis.
• Antibacterial action. Excellent as a compress for the treatment of wounds and abrasions. Also, the bactericidal effect is manifested in the case of the use of sweet clover honey by patients suffering from ulcers and gastritis. The product speeds up the healing process. In addition, it can be used as the basis of a compress for the treatment of varicose veins, it constricts blood vessels and reduces pain symptoms.
• Fight stress and insomnia. In these situations, it is recommended to prepare tea with sweet clover honey. Such a drink has a positive effect on the human nervous system.
• Increases pressure. It is a good remedy for hypotension. There are no medicines that can cope with this ailment, and therefore sweet clover honey is an excellent solution during this condition. The most effective will be its fresh intake in combs.

Also among the diseases that sweet clover can overcome are migraine, heart disease, increased flatulence, constipation, gout, thyroid problems, and increased nervous excitability.

Harm

Despite the great benefits that the presented products can bring to the body, there are cases when its use is contraindicated.

• Pregnancy. During the period of bearing a child, honey is useful only in small quantities.
• Allergy. This should be remembered not only by people who are allergic to honey, but also by patients with allergies to legumes - the genus of herbaceous sweet clover belongs to the legume family.
• Diabetes.
• Age up to 2 years.
• Kidney diseases.
• Bleeding.
• Reduced blood clotting.

How to use?

Sweet clover honey is taken both externally and internally. When using the product inside, you need to follow some rules, otherwise problems can arise even in healthy people in the absence of contraindications:

• it is better to avoid combining the product with milk, as this compound can provoke flatulence or other stomach problems;
• you should not take honey along with drugs that have a diuretic effect, this is due to the fact that this product itself has these properties;
• it is not recommended to use honey as part of folk recipes before leaving the house, because if the body reacts negatively to an allergenic product on the street, this will turn into problems, because a person will even have nowhere to lie down.

Each case requires a separate scheme for taking sweet clover honey. In order to avoid undesirable consequences, they should be carefully studied.

• If honey is taken to activate the immune system, then it is recommended to consume 25 g of the product per day. For children, the serving should not exceed 15 g, as honey can cause an allergic reaction. It should also be remembered that natural medicine will bring results regardless of the amount eaten. Therefore, you do not need to "choke", trying to strengthen the immune system.
• For the treatment of cough, a mixture of sweet clover honey and radish juice will be an effective remedy. To do this, put a spoonful of honey into a hole hollowed out in a black radish and insist. The mixture is consumed before meals in a teaspoon.
• To prepare a compress in the case of wound treatment, it is necessary to mix honey and flour and apply the resulting cake to the affected area of ​​​​the skin.
• To calm your nerves during stressful situations, you can dissolve a tablespoon of honey in a glass of warm water and drink the drink in the morning.
• With hemorrhoids, it is required to dilute 20 g of honey in half a glass of water and perform an enema with the resulting solution. As a preventive measure for exacerbation, taking honey baths will help.
• To treat varicose veins, you can mix honey with garlic and onion juice. The mixture is infused for a week, after which it is taken one hour before meals three times a day.
• Patients with hypothyroidism and other disorders of the endocrine system are advised to consume 1-2 large spoons of pure sweet clover dessert every day.

Use in cosmetology

Sweet clover honey is widely used for cosmetic purposes. On its basis, you can prepare masks and scrubs for skin care, nails, hair. Problems that this product can solve:

• signs of early skin aging;
• the appearance of age spots;
• acne, inflammation of the sebaceous glands;
• cellulite and stretch marks;
• brittle hair;
• dandruff;
• fragile and weak nail plate.

Honey gives a restorative effect, due to which it is an indispensable component in the composition of cosmetics. It can not only eliminate the problem, but also be used as a preventive measure. The product disinfects, nourishes, moisturizes the skin and hair. Hand baths based on sweet clover honey are also effective - this method improves the structure of nails, rejuvenates the skin of the hands, helps to eliminate microcracks and irritation.

Use several recipes for preparing cosmetics from sweet clover honey.

Hair Mask:

• mix 3 tablespoons of honey, two yolks and a few drops of aloe juice;
• apply the resulting mixture all over the head, cover with a special mesh;
• After half an hour, you should massage your head and wash off the mask.

To enhance the effect, you can rinse the mask with healing herbal decoctions.

The tool is recommended for use within a month. The mask, which contains honey, heals the hair along the entire length, gives a well-groomed appearance. You should know that the sweet clover product helps to lighten the hairline.

Scrub:

• we combine melted honey, salt, cosmetic clay and a few drops of vegetable oil;
• steam the skin over a steam bath;
• lightly apply the scrub on the skin of the face;
• rinse gently.

This recipe improves the overall condition of the epidermis. Recommended to use before bed. It can be stored for some time in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Honey and milk bath for hands:

• pour 300 ml of milk into a saucepan;
• warm up to room temperature;
• mix warmed milk with 2 tablespoons of sweet clover honey, 250 ml of vegetable oil and 20 drops of grape seed oil;
• immerse hands in the resulting mixture for 15-20 minutes;
• dry hands thoroughly with a towel;
• at night we put on thick cotton gloves.

This recipe perfectly helps to moisturize your hands and enrich your skin with vitamins in winter and spring. The dermis of the hands quickly recovers after regular baths.

Some women who know about the magical properties of sweet clover honey prefer to make baths for the whole body according to this recipe.

How to distinguish a fake?

It is possible to distinguish natural sweet clover honey from other varieties or imitations according to several criteria.

• This product has a delicate aroma. At first, the smell resembles the fragrance of freshly cut grass, and then acquires hints of vanilla. If honey immediately spread a sharp vanilla smell, then the buyer is faced with a simple flavored sugar substance that is not worth the money for which they sell a real sweet clover delicacy.
• You can recognize the product by its color. Honey from white and yellow sweet clover makes almost no difference. It has a light yellow color with a greenish tinge. After sugaring, the product takes on a white color.
• The next aspect is mass uniformity. The consistency of honey should look like sour cream. If the mass is heterogeneous and exfoliates, then the seller is probably trying to sell a mixture of two varieties or a ghee product.
• You can distinguish real honey from sweet clover and taste. This is a sweet delicacy, but not cloying, a slight spicy bitterness is felt in the taste.
• The average cost of the product today is 500 rubles per kilogram. If a merchant offers this product at a low price, then this is a good reason to be wary.

• If you want to enjoy liquid and viscous honey, then you need to eat the purchased product for a maximum of two months. Sweet clover honey has a tendency to accelerate sugaring. This is not a negative criterion, just some of its features. All the benefits are preserved in the candied product.
• In order for all useful substances to be preserved as long as possible, honey must be stored at a temperature of +4 to +18 degrees. All benefits will disappear if stored at temperatures above +40 and below -35 degrees.

You can store treats anywhere.

In order not to run into unscrupulous merchants and not to buy a fake product at the price of a real one, It is worth listening to a few more tips.

• It is better to take products from the beekeeper, and not in the store, since when packing in jars, the honey mass is usually subjected to heat treatment.
• Before buying, read the certificate for honey products.
• Dip a tablespoon in honey and try to turn it over. If honey is wound on it, then the buyer has a natural product. If the mass rolls quickly, then it is better to refuse the purchase.
• Immerse the spoon in the honey substance and take it out. Real honey will flow from a spoon in the form of a hill or ribbon.
• An unusual aftertaste, a feeling of excessive bitterness, acidity, and the aroma of caramel speak of a fake.

Thus, sweet clover honey is a healthy and fragrant delicacy that can have a beneficial effect on all body systems.

The main thing is to learn how to choose a natural product and use it for its intended purpose in moderate doses.

For the beneficial properties of sweet clover honey, see the following video.