Lavender honey properties, composition, application, benefits

Lavender honey is honey that bees collect from lavender flowers and lavandin. Lavender honey is a rare variety of honey that has a great taste, nutritious, rich in beneficial trace elements with good antioxidant and antibacterial properties.

 

Content

• 1 Features of lavender honey
• 1.1 What does lavender honey look like
• 1.2 Lavender honey color
• 1.3 Aroma of lavender honey
• 1.4 Lavender honey flavor
• 1.5 Composition of lavender honey
• 1.6 Crystallization of lavender honey
• 1.7 Calories in lavender honey
• 1.8 When is lavender honey harvested?
• 2 Benefits of Lavender Honey
• 2.1 Lavender honey as a source of vitamins and antioxidants
• 2.2 Antibacterial properties of lavender honey
• 2.3 Lavender honey for sore throats and coughs and other respiratory infections
• 2.4 Lavender honey soothes and heals the stomach
• 2.5 Lavender honey in skin care
• 3 Medicinal properties of lavender honey
• 3.1 Lavender honey for children
• 4 Recipes for lavender honey treatment
• 4.1 Recipes for colds and flu
• 4.2 Recipes for insomnia
• 5 Contraindications to the use of lavender honey
• 6 The use of lavender honey in cosmetology
• 6.1 Lavender honey for hair beauty
• 6.2 Lavender honey for facial skin
• 7 Lavender honey in cooking
• 8 Videos lavender honey
• 9 How to choose lavender honey, how to distinguish natural lavender honey from a fake in appearance
• 10 Lavender or flower honey

 

 

Features of lavender honey

Lavender honey is a rare variety of flower honey, the beneficial properties of lavender honey are based on such beneficial substances as vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, amino acids, enzymes and others that bees create from nectar and pollen of lavender flowers, enriching them with their enzymes. Considering the composition of lavender honey, its most interesting properties and health benefits, let's consider the features of lavender honey.

What does lavender honey look like?

So lavender honey. What does lavender honey look like? What is the taste, color, aroma of lavender honey. Let's see how fast lavender honey crystallizes. What are the properties of lavender honey.

lavender honey color

The color of lavender honey is very interesting, if, when pumped out, lavender honey is transparent, golden yellow, as if a ray of sunshine had entered the jar, then after crystallization, the color of lavender honey becomes white, with a pearly tint.

Sometimes you can find darker lavender honey. This is due to the fact that in some areas, during the flowering of lavender, bees can bring honeydew from oak. In this case, the darker the honey, the more fall in it.

Aroma of lavender honey

The aroma of lavender honey is unique, it emits a strong almost sour aroma, but at the same time, a bouquet of bright floral and fruity aromas (peach and apricot) will come from honey, with a faint delicate floral aroma of lavender. The aroma of lavender in honey should not be sharp and strong.

Lavender honey flavor

The taste of lavender honey is medium sweet, fresh, with sourness. Lavender honey has a very strong aftertaste. In the aftertaste, sometimes, not every batch of honey, has a fruity aftertaste - the taste of blackcurrant or citrus-strawberry flavor.

Composition of lavender honey

The basic composition of lavender honey does not differ significantly from other nectar honeys. Lavender honey also contains the highest amount of simple sugars: fructose (about 40%), glucose (33%) and water (17-20%). An exception for lavender honeys is the permissible content of sucrose up to 15% due to the high proportion of this disaccharide in the nectar of flowers. The remaining components, although present in small quantities, have a decisive influence on the color, taste and aroma characteristic of individual types of honey.
Compounds that have a decisive influence on the assessment of the species and varietal affiliation of the test sample are called marker compounds. Such a detailed analysis requires modern research methods. One is gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; GC-MS), used for example to determine botanical identity by identifying individual volatile and odorous compounds in a test sample. Flavor profiles are the most characteristic characteristics of food products, which not only influence the organoleptic qualities, but also prove their authenticity. Volatile substances are the main factors responsible for aroma affecting the taste of the product.
This is especially noticeable in the case of honey. Due to the wide variety of volatile compounds, the aromatic profile of nectar is its characteristic feature, increasingly used to determine the botanical and geographical origin of a particular honey. Studies of the aromatic profile of honey have been conducted since the 1980s, the authors of these reports stated that individual volatile components can be characteristic of honey depending on the source of the nectar.
Contemporary reports suggest that the identification of lavender honey can be made based on the presence of several volatile compounds, including 1,8-cineole, which is found only in lavender honey, so it was considered a marker compound. However, another group of scientists found that lavender can be distinguished from others by the presence of heptanal and the absence of 4-oxoisophorone. The base composition of the aromatic profile of lavender honey includes hexanal, heptanal, nerolidol oxide, coumarin and phenylacetaldehyde.

 

Composition of lavender honey
pH: 3.8
Water: 16.7 g / 100 g
Fructose: 36.0 g / 100 g
Glucose: 30.6 g / 100 g
Sucrose: 5.7 g / 100 g.
The composition of lavender honey includes phenolic and other compounds: naringenin, luteolin, gallic and caffeic acids.
The most important volatile compounds found in lavender honey are: heptanal, hexanal, nerolidol oxide, coumarin, high concentrations of hexanol and hotrienol, n-hexanal, n-heptanal, phenylacetaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde.

 

Crystallization of lavender honey

Lavender honey is viscous, thick, but easily spreadable. Lavender honey crystallizes a few months after pumping. After crystallization, lavender honey becomes fine-grained, but each year the size of honey crystals can change, which depends both on the variety of lavender and on other factors. Lavanden honey has larger crystals than lavender honey.

lavender honey calories

The calorie content of lavender honey is at the level of 315–320 kcal per 100 grams of honey. In one teaspoon - 37-42 kcal, in one tablespoon - 109-114 kcal.

When is lavender honey harvested?

Lavender honey bees are harvested from lavender and lavandin flowers, usually lavender and lavandin (a hybrid of several types of lavender), grown to produce lavender oil, which is widely valued in perfumery and cosmetics, as well as in medicine. Under the conditions of the Crimea, flowering of early varieties of lavender begins around June 10-15 and lasts about 15-20 days, late varieties bloom until mid-July. But since lavender is grown to produce lavender oil, it is mowed at the very peak of flowering.
As a rule, beekeepers, in order to obtain pure lavender honey, pump out all the honey from the hives that are available before the lavender blooms and then pump out the honey a second time when the lavender bloom ends. In this way pure lavender honey is obtained. Therefore, freshly pumped lavender honey in the Crimea cannot be obtained earlier than the beginning of July, and no later than the third decade of July, or even earlier - it depends on the time of mowing lavender.
In addition to the Crimea, lavender is grown in the North Caucasus and Moldova, but lavender plantings occupy a very small area.
If you decide to order lavender honey in France, say, then lavender honey in France is usually harvested from late June to early August, depending on climatic conditions, altitude and variety of lavender. As a rule, in France, the most lavender honey on sale is at the end of July. but in this case, there are features that we will discuss below.

Useful properties of lavender honey

The beneficial properties of lavender honey are significant and specific, let's take a closer look.

Lavender honey as a source of vitamins and antioxidants
The beneficial properties of lavender honey are due to the presence of vitamins and amino acids in it. Lavender honey contains the highest levels of tyrosine of any honey studied.
What is tyrosine and why is it so important?
It is one of the essential amino acids and our body uses it in many places:
- to produce neurotransmitters that can help prevent or treat certain conditions.
- Using niacin, folic acid, vitamin C and copper, our body converts tyrosine into many important substances, including melanin, skin pigment and the female hormone estrogen.
- for the treatment of depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), attention disorders caused by lack of sleep, stress, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and chronic fatigue.
- Consumption of tyrosine with royal jelly increases the levels of dopamine and tyramine in the brain.
Lavender honey, its beneficial properties are complemented by the content of other amino acids in it: phenylalanine, proline, tyrosine, isoleucine, arginine, histidine, lysine and valine.
Lavender honey beneficial properties are due to high antioxidant properties.

Lavender honey belongs to the group of honeys with strong antioxidant properties. Antioxidant compounds neutralize free radicals and help maintain the body's antioxidant defense barrier. These compounds include mainly carotenoids, polyphenols, tocopherols and ascorbic acid. Due to their antioxidant properties, phenolic compounds have the ability to regulate blood glucose and cholesterol levels, so their consumption is recommended for people with diabetes.
Phenolic acids also have other pharmacological effects: choleretic (for example, acids: caffeic, ferulic and chlorogenic), antibacterial (acids: caffeic, vanillic, p-coumaric), hemostatic (ellagic acid) and antiseptic, astringent and antiperspirant (gallic acid). Phenolic acids, due to their antioxidant properties, also prevent the degradation of collagen, thereby counteracting photo-oxidative damage to the skin. The phenolic compounds found in lavender honey can enhance natural defense mechanisms against oxygen and chemical shock. The flavonoids of lavender honey that support the antibiotic effect include: apigenin, kaempferol, quercetin, hesperidin, pinocembrin, galangin.

It is believed that the antioxidant properties of lavender honey are due to its flavonoids and phenolic compounds: naringenin and luteolin, which are found in high amounts in lavender honey, as well as high levels of gallic and caffeic acids. Gallic acid is believed to have the ability to kill cancer cells without harming healthy ones. Caffeic acid is used in supplements to enhance athletic performance and treat exercise-related fatigue.

Antibacterial properties of lavender honey

Lavender honey has antimycotic properties.
Antifungal effect of lavender honey against Candida albicans, Candida krusei and Cryptococcus neoformans. Lavender honey has shown high antifungal activity against all of them, especially against Candida krusei. Scientists believe that in the future, lavender honey may be used as a natural remedy for myocotic infections.
Lavender honey is considered not very effective as an antimicrobial agent when compared to manuka honey and some other varieties of honey. The antibacterial activity of lavender honey is considered moderate to low in the West.
However, Crimean beekeepers have their own opinion on this matter and consider lavender honey to be a good antiseptic, compared to other varieties of flower honey.
Lavender honey also has excellent preservative properties.

 

Lavender honey for sore throats and coughs and other respiratory infections

Lavender honey is useful for respiratory infections. Flower honey is an excellent natural remedy for coughs and sore throats. Its viscous texture is great for relieving sore throats, soothing irritation and promoting healing of the throat mucosa. Its antibacterial action helps to reduce the bacterial load, helping to inhibit the development of respiratory tract infections such as colds and flu and relieve their symptoms. It is recommended to either add honey to tea, or just take it. It is best to use just natural honey, because it contains all of its beneficial components (pollen, vitamins, flavonoids, etc.).
It is also recommended to avoid heating honey, as the heat destroys most or all of its biologically active components. Therefore, when adding honey to tea, it is important to let the tea cool down so that its heat does not reduce the beneficial properties of lavender honey.

Lavender honey soothes and heals the stomach

Lavender honey is good for soothing mucous membranes, on which it forms a kind of protective layer, this layer will prevent further irritation and allow sensitive mucous membranes to heal. Honey has traditionally been used for ailments such as sore throats, gastritis, sensitive skin, cuts, wounds, burns and scars. Preliminary research acknowledges the effectiveness of honey for healing.

Lavender honey in skin care

Like all types of honey, lavender honey is good for the skin. Applying lavender honey can help reduce the frequency of acne breakouts naturally, both because it has a topical antibacterial and antifungal effect, and because it has a soothing effect to soothe irritation and redness, it helps unclog pores, helping to fight acne.
Lavender honey helps to treat dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, urticaria. The use of lavender honey allows you to eliminate various dermatological problems on the skin of the face.
Lavender honey is used to treat acne.

Medicinal properties of lavender honey

• The medicinal properties of lavender honey show good results as an antiseptic, for external use in the treatment of burns, insect bites, small infected wounds, cuts.
• The healing properties of lavender honey can be used as an antirheumatic and antispasmodic agent.
• The medicinal properties of lavender honey are used as a soothing cough remedy and as an anti-inflammatory agent for the respiratory tract in respiratory diseases.
• The healing properties of lavender honey are indispensable in the treatment of bronchitis, flu, tonsillitis, as well as problems with insomnia or even hypertension.
  The medicinal properties of lavender honey are used as an anticonvulsant and antispasmodic to relieve muscle spasms.

Lavender honey for children

Lavender honey can be given to children, it is moderately sweet and they like it, but it is not recommended to give lavender honey to children under the age of three.

 

Recipes for lavender honey treatment

Recipes for colds and flu

For colds and flu, lavender honey is recommended in various forms, just eat natural lavender honey, take it with tea. In the treatment of respiratory diseases in France, it is recommended to even breathe in its aroma.

Recipes for insomnia

For insomnia, 2 hours before bedtime, it is advisable to drink warm water with lavender honey diluted in it. It helps to calm down and sleep well.

Contraindications to the use of lavender honey

Lavender honey can cause allergic reactions in susceptible people. People allergic to lavender flower pollen, honey bee enzymes, and other bee products should avoid consuming lavender honey. If you're not sure if you're allergic, just put honey on your skin and watch for reactions to see if it's safe for you to eat lavender honey.
Do not abuse honey for people with diabetes.

The use of lavender honey in cosmetology

Lavender honey useful properties are used not only in traditional medicine or cooking, but also in cosmetology, for skin care or hair care.

Lavender honey for hair beauty

Lavender honey beneficial properties are used for hair care. Honey is used to prepare nutritional mixtures for hair.

Lavender honey for skin

Lavender honey beneficial properties are used for facial skin care, because it not only heals burns, cuts, but the use of lavender honey allows you to eliminate various dermatological problems of the skin of the face.
Lavender honey cleanses the pores of the skin well, prevents the appearance of acne, and is used to treat acne. In addition, lavender honey is great for dull skin, giving it a natural glow and glow.
lavender honey beneficial properties perfectly help the skin of the face as part of honey masks.

Lavender honey in cooking

Lavender honey useful properties are widely used in cooking. In regions where lavender honey is traditionally obtained (France, Spain), there is a whole line of dishes in which lavender honey is traditionally used, which gives dishes a special fresh, summer taste. In any kitchen, lavender honey can be used to make sandwiches, as an addition to desserts, and lavender honey is also used to make hot drinks, yogurt, ice cream, fresh fruit salads.

How to choose lavender honey, how to distinguish natural lavender honey from a fake in appearance

How to choose a good lavender honey when buying. This question is very difficult, because even the European market is littered not with real lavender honey, but with a fake - heated honey infused with lavender flowers. Assessing the botanical affiliation of lavender honeys is a real problem even for highly qualified specialists, because very often these honeys do not contain lavender pollen. This is due to the fact that in recent years hybrid varieties (L. latifolia) have been used in the cultivation of lavender, producing an insignificant amount of pollen, which is therefore absent from the nectar and then from the honey. The proportion of lavender pollen in honey is so small (in the EU natural monofloral lavender honey requires only 15-20% pollen) that it cannot be an indicator of the authenticity of lavender honey. For this reason, it is recommended to supplement the results of pollen analysis with other methods of determination, such as physicochemical parameters, organoleptic profile, as well as the identification of some minor components, such as volatile marker compounds.

In general, lavender honey is produced in rather limited regions of the world. It can be the North Caucasus, Crimea, Moldova, the Balkans, France, Spain, New Zealand, Australia, California. At the same time, let's say right away that the price on the world market of lavender honey is quite high and is about 70-80 US dollars per 1 kg of lavender honey as of 2015, and prices have not decreased since then. In France, lavender honey is protected by a special trademark because it can only be produced in a limited number of regions, such as Provence. At the same time, all the lavender honey collected in Provence is almost completely bought out by local restaurants and demand outstrips supply by about 100 times. In Spain, an annual competition is held for beekeepers who produce lavender honey, where they determine the best lavender honey in Spain and publish the results of the competition, indicating which beekeepers have the best lavender honey and its characteristics.

In some regions, lavender plantations can be found, but there will be few of them per country and they will be very small and do not allow you to get much lavender honey.

So wherever you buy lavender honey, in Europe or in the Crimea or the Caucasus, find a beekeeper who receives lavender honey and buy honey directly from him, because otherwise you risk buying just a super expensive fake.
It would also be good for Russian beekeepers to hold a competition for the best lavender honey within the framework of regional beekeeping organizations, so that consumers know where to buy the best honey.

Lavender or flower honey

Remember lavender honey is primarily a food product, but lavender honey has unique beneficial properties, the taste of lavender honey is special, but still use it more as a food product, and not as a remedy. Good flower honey collected in an ecologically clean area from meadow or forest herbs will be no less useful and tasty than lavender honey. Therefore, first of all, focus on beekeepers and buy natural honey, be it lavender honey or flower honey.