Preventive health is not only about physical activity or rest, but also about consuming healthy products such as honey – a natural source of vitamins and nutrients. Honey, which is a treasure trove of enzymes, vitamins and other valuable substances, is recommended as a support in the treatment of various ailments.

As a result, it is quickly absorbed by the body. It is an excellent food for athletes and a great nutrient for weakened people. It accelerates the healing of wounds, strengthens immunity, soothes nerves, as well as helps the body fight bacteria, delays the aging process. In addition to beneficial antioxidants, the bee product also contains potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, iron and folic acid.

Honey, according to European Union Directive 2001/110/EC, is a natural sweet substance produced by bees (Apis mellifera) from the nectar of plants or the excretions of insects sucking the juices from living parts of plants, which the bees collect, dehydrate, process with specific substances of their own, collect and leave to mature in the combs. This product can be liquid or crystallized.

Honeys produced by bees from nectar collected from flowers are called nectar, and those from honeydew, produced by aphids and maggots, are called honeydew. If the bees also bring honeydew to the hive during the nectar gathering period, the beekeeper will obtain mixed honeys from his hives: nectar-honeydrate or honeydew-nectar. Honey made by bees from the nectar of one species of plant is called varietal honey. If, on the other hand, it was made from the nectar of multiple species of plants flowering at the same time, it is called multifloral.

Mature honey, except for heather honey, wrung from sealed combs, is a thick liquid.

Poured from an unscrewed jar or spoon, it forms a characteristic cone on the surface.

Liquid honey is called patoca, and crystallized to solidified form – croup. IMPORTANT: Honey should crystallize (thicken), as this is a natural characteristic of high-quality mature honey. The period of crystallization depends on the type of honey. Acacia and honeydew honey can remain in the patokable state the longest (up to 12 months). At home, crystallized honey can be brought to the patoki state by keeping a jar of croup in water at temperatures up to 40oC. Decrystallization at higher temperatures reduces the nutritional and biotic value of honey. For this reason, tea, coffee, boiled water or milk must be cooled slightly before adding honey, otherwise you will destroy its valuable properties.

To ensure that honey does not lose its properties, it should be stored in a tightly sealed container – then it will not absorb moisture and foreign odors. It is best to store it in a darkened place, in the lower kitchen cabinets. And besides, you can eat honey as you like: on a sandwich or with white cheese, fruit desserts, or in drinks – lemonade, coffee or tea.

It’s best to buy honey directly from the beekeeper and choose honey from near where you live. This is related to the body’s habituation to the pollen of plants found in the region, which will also be found in honey from a nearby apiary. If the consumer is not a gourmet of varietal honeys, multifloral honey can be recommended, which was created from the nectar of many plant species and contains a wide spectrum of biologically active substances, flavor and aroma.