Sunflower honey: useful properties and contraindications, what it looks like, reviews, photos

The benefits and harms of sunflower honey deserve detailed consideration. The beekeeping product of this variety is very popular in Russia, but it must be applied correctly.

What sunflower honey looks like

Sunflower honey is widespread and cheap. But in order to choose a quality product on the market or in a store, you need to know exactly how it should look.

Scent

The characteristic honey aroma of this variety is not very pronounced. Basically, the product smells like hay and wet pollen, has light apricot notes, and even resembles fried potatoes to some. The most distinct smell of a sunflower delicacy is emitted fresh, and after crystallization, the intensity of the aroma decreases.

Taste qualities

The product tastes pleasant, sweetish with an implicit bitterness. Immediately after swallowing, there is a slight tickling in the throat, which quickly passes.

What color is sunflower honey

The photo of sunflower honey shows that the fresh product has a light yellow color. As it crystallizes, it darkens and takes on a warm golden hue with mustard notes.

Sunflower honey is easily distinguished from others by its bright yellow color.

Crystallization time

The treat is candied very quickly. Within 2-3 weeks after cooking, it turns into a thick mass.

What is included in sunflower honey

The exact composition of the delicacy depends on numerous nuances, from the variety of sunflower from which the bee pollen was collected, from the region of growth, from neighboring flowering crops. But some valuable substances are necessarily present in any type of product. Among them:

• amino acids;
• dextrins;
• choline and betaine;
• solanic acid;
• enzymes catalase, diastase, invertase;
• manganese, sodium, calcium and phosphorus;
• vitamins PP, H and K;
• vitamin C;
• B vitamins;
• copper, magnesium and selenium;
• iodine and potassium;
• beta carotene;
• fructose and glucose;
• antioxidants;
• glutamic and aspartic acid;
• tyrosine and propyne.

The calorie content of a sunflower product per 100 g is 320 calories. But it is recommended to take it in small quantities, no more than 90 g per day.

Sunflower honey is one of the most common and therefore inexpensive

Why sunflower honey is useful

Due to the richest chemical composition, the product brings great benefits to the body.When used regularly in small doses, it:

• prevents the development of anemia and promotes recovery from injuries and operations;
• helps to fight inflammation due to its pronounced bactericidal and anti-inflammatory properties;
• serves as a source of energy for muscles and nerve cells, since it contains a lot of glucose;
• strengthens the heart muscle and improves the condition of blood vessels;
• increases immune resistance;
• has a quick positive effect on colds and flu;
• helps to get rid of cough and runny nose;
• improves the functioning of the digestive system and protects the liver from ailments;
• stimulates appetite and helps to remove toxins from the body;
• has mild diuretic and laxative properties.

Consuming sunflower honey is good for the nervous system. The product helps fight stress and normalizes sleep.

For women

This sweet treat helps women maintain their beauty and youth. With regular use, the condition of the skin of the face improves, acne and fine wrinkles disappear, and the aging of the epidermis slows down. There are benefits for the hair, the product helps to strengthen it and stop hair loss, makes the curls smoother and more manageable.

Consuming sunflower honey for women is beneficial to combat stress and depression. Only about 50 g of the product per day will contribute to a good mood and help to cope with nervousness and anxiety.

Sunflower honey helps women stay youthful for longer

At the same time, it is better to refuse honey during pregnancy. It is a strong allergen and can harm both the woman and the developing fetus. It should not be used while breastfeeding, newborn babies especially often demonstrate intolerance to bee products.

It is best to add the treat to your own diet a few months after giving birth. First, you should try just 1 small spoon and carefully monitor the child's reaction throughout the day. If negative symptoms do not appear, sunflower honey can be left on the menu. But if a rash and a digestive upset occurs in a baby, the product will need to be canceled immediately.

For men

Honey from ordinary sunflower effectively strengthens blood vessels and the heart system. For men, these properties are especially useful; the stronger sex are more prone to heart attacks and strokes.

In addition, the product helps to strengthen muscles and increases vitality. It can be used to improve libido and improve the quality of semen.

For children

A sweet sunflower product will strengthen the child's memory and concentration, increase his immunity and help protect himself from viruses and infections. But for the first time, honey can be offered to a baby no earlier than 2 years. A bee treat often causes allergies, and the younger the child, the more difficult it is to tolerate its manifestations.

For the first time, you can give sunflower honey to a child no earlier than 2 years

It is necessary to carefully introduce sunflower honey into the children's diet, start with just half a small spoonful of a sweet product. If a day after consumption the baby does not develop diarrhea, rash, or itching, the treat can be left on the permanent menu.

The use of honey in traditional medicine

A sunflower-based treat is very beneficial even with normal food consumption. But even brighter its valuable properties are manifested in the treatment of various diseases, the product acts like a real medicine, and quickly improves health.

Sunflower honey for anemia

The bee product is a real vitamin cocktail, so it helps to quickly increase hemoglobin in the blood and restore vitality. With anemia, patients are advised to consume 100-150 g of sunflower honey daily for a month.

You need to drink the delicacy with kefir or yogurt. In just 30 days, it takes about 3 kg of natural medicine to be taken.

Sunflower honey for hemorrhoids

The healing properties of bee dainties are beneficial for external and internal hemorrhoids. Sunflower honey is used in several ways:

• consumed inside 80-100 g per day;
• make gauze lotions for the anus;
• dissolve the product in sitz baths and take them for 15-20 minutes.

Another method of treatment suggests dissolving 100 g of fresh treats in 500 ml of water, stirring thoroughly and using it for microclysters for internal hemorrhoids. Only 50 ml of a therapeutic agent is injected into the anus, manipulations are carried out twice a day for a month.

In folk recipes, sunflower honey is recommended to be used for colds, intestinal diseases and even hemorrhoids

Honey for the treatment of colds

The sunflower honey product brings a very powerful positive effect in case of ARVI and flu. You can simply dissolve 1 spoonful of bee treats a day shortly before meals, or you can prepare healing drinks. For example, the following recipe is popular:

• a small spoonful of the product is added to a decoction of raspberry and mountain ash berries;
• stir the product well;
• take a healthy drink three times a day warm until the condition is relieved.

Ordinary lemon water with a bee treat also has a good effect.

Sunflower honey for tonsil inflammation

With angina and inflammation of the tonsils, it is recommended to rinse with a honey solution. It is necessary to dilute 4 small spoons of a sweet treat in 250 ml of warm water, and then treat the throat with this agent up to 5 times a day.

You can also lubricate sore tonsils. For this, sunflower honey is mixed with aloe juice in a ratio of 3 to 1 and is applied to sore spots three times a day.

With angina, sunflower honey can be used to lubricate a sore throat

The use of honey in cosmetology

The beneficial properties of sunflower honey have a strong beneficial effect on the skin. The product has a moisturizing and regenerating effect, improves blood circulation in the layers of the epidermis and normalizes lymph flow. It is actively used in face masks, used for anti-cellulite massage, and is looked after with dainties for hair. The product is universal because it moisturizes dry epidermis and normalizes the production of subcutaneous sebum in oily skin types.

Aspirin and honey mask for acne

For oily skin, it is recommended to use the following mask:

• crush 5 aspirin tablets into powder;
• dilute in 5 ml of water and stir until dissolved;
• add a small spoonful of bee product.

The mask is spread over the skin of the face and left until a slight burning sensation appears. After that, the product is washed off, and the epidermis is treated with a moisturizer. Sunflower honey product and aspirin, when used regularly, cleanse pores well, prevent acne and slightly whiten the skin.

Honey masks and solutions are used in skin and hair care

Hair mask with honey and chicken yolk

For dry and brittle curls, the following mask will have a good effect:

• sunflower honey, egg yolk and vegetable oil are mixed in equal proportions;
• add a similar amount of onion broth and regular shampoo;
• apply the product to dry strands and leave for 2 hours under a film and a warm towel.

Honey combined with other ingredients nourishes the scalp with beneficial substances and improves blood circulation. With regular use, the mask stimulates hair growth and protects against hair loss.

Contraindications

For all the benefits of sunflower honey, it should be consumed with great care. First of all, the danger is posed by an allergy to bee products. If it is present, a skin rash, itching, nausea and diarrhea, shortness of breath and headache appear immediately after use.

Sunflower honey can cause allergies, especially if you eat it for other beekeeping products.

For the first time, you need to try a delicacy in a minimal amount, and if there is an individual intolerance to pollen, propolis or bee bread, then it is better to refuse the sweet medicine right away.

Contraindications for sunflower honey include:

• pregnancy and lactation, the possible harm from eating a treat outweighs the potential benefit;
• diabetes mellitus, a bee product contains not only fructose, but also glucose and sugar, therefore, it can lead to a deterioration in the condition;
• obesity, sunflower delicacy is high in carbohydrates and high in calories.

External use must be discarded in the presence of a vascular mesh, and honey massage is contraindicated for varicose veins.

How to check sunflower honey for quality

The delicacy is cheap, so they rarely try to forge it. But when buying, you should still make sure of the quality and naturalness of the product. This can be done in the following ways:

• carefully examine the delicacy - the color of honey from a sunflower should be yellow, and the consistency should be thick;
• smell the product, it should not emit a strong aroma, its smell is pleasant, but weak;
• with the seller's permission to try the product, it should taste sweet with a subtle bitterness, thick and melt quickly on the tongue.

If a white glucose crust has formed on the surface, you should not be afraid. But the sour or caramel flavor gives reason to be wary, a quality sunflower product should not have such notes.

To make sure that sunflower honey is natural, it is advisable to taste it when buying it

You can verify the quality of the product even after purchasing it at home. You need to stir a little delicacy in water, and then add a few drops of iodine to the glass. If the solution turns blue after that, it means that the product is of poor quality and contains starch impurities.

How to store honey properly

So that the sunflower product does not lose its beneficial properties, it must be kept in a dark place at a temperature of 4 to 20 ° C. In direct sunlight and in excess heat, the delicacy almost loses its healing properties. Air humidity should be no more than 75%.

It is best to store the sunflower product in a glass jar or in a ceramic container. But it is strictly forbidden to use metal containers, the honey in them oxidizes and begins to harm health. It is not recommended to put it next to aromatic herbs and spices in a kitchen cabinet, the product absorbs odors well.

Sunflower honey is kept away from aromatic condiments and products so as not to disturb its delicate aroma.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of sunflower honey are inseparable from each other. The delicacy can have a very beneficial effect on colds and other diseases, but in the presence of allergies and other contraindications, it becomes dangerous to health.

Reviews of sunflower honey