Honey not pumped out of the honeycomb has the highest quality. It is practically sterile, and the components that make up the honeycomb impart additional medicinal properties to such a product. The fact is that when laying nectar in the honeycomb cells of the bee, each of them is treated with propolis. This antimicrobial substance remains in the combs and enters the human body when they are sucked and chewed slowly. Also in the combs and the honey itself, a small percentage of pollen is found, which is also good for health.
Many people ask the question – if honey in combs is it possible to eat wax? Despite all the positive characteristics of comb honey, the comb itself has no special nutritional value.
The content of the article
- 1 What is wax
- 1.1 Useful Properties
- 1.2 Противопоказания
- 2 How to eat
- 3 When is it better to eat
- 4 How to store correctly
- 5 About fake
What is wax
The wax in the beehive acts as a “packing container”. The collected pollen and nectar are placed in it and left for long-term storage. This is the fodder base of any bee colony, without which the hive will die.
Bees have special wax glands that work actively during the honey harvest period. Therefore, the construction of honeycombs on foundation occurs fastest in late spring, early summer, when families multiply en masse.
If you look at any of the collections on traditional medicine devoted to treatment with beekeeping products, you will find that wax in its pure form is recommended for use as an external agent. And only the cap, which seals the cells after the maturation of the honey product, can be used for ingestion, and even then in microscopic doses.
Useful Properties
Obviously, the question of whether it is possible to eat honeycombs disappears by itself. There is no point in consuming large quantities of wax internally. By the way, there are about 145 grams of wax in a frame measuring 435 by 120 millimeters.
But if a small part of the wax (even better than a backing) still gets into the stomach and then into the intestines, there will be no harm. These components are an adsorbent, which also contains biologically active substances – the secret of the jaw glands of bees, pollen particles, propolis.
Small amounts of wax and capping:
- cleans the intestines from toxins, especially its thin calving;
- has a positive effect on digestion;
- strengthens the gums when chewing.
Противопоказания
Under the wording, whether it is possible to eat honey in comb with wax, often means slowly chewing a small piece. it the size of the honeycomb is about two by two centimeters.
Since the combs contain several beekeeping products at once, extreme care must be taken! Pollen enhances the allergenic characteristics of natural honey.
Honeycomb is contraindicated:
- with food intolerance;
- with diabetes mellitus (used under strict control of blood sugar levels, and only after consulting a doctor);
- with skin diseases characterized by a retention of carbohydrates in the epidermis;
- with exacerbation of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- in the postoperative period after surgical interventions on the gastrointestinal tract.
With caution, the honey product is introduced into the diet of pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as small children.
How to eat
If you can eat honey with combs, it is necessary to remember the recommended daily amount… For adults, this is no more than 1-2 tablespoons per day.
Read more: About the daily use of honey and its amount
The product is chewed in the mouth until the sweet taste disappears completely. After that, the wax can be chewed a little more, like ordinary chewing gum. It is very useful for the gums and strengthens the roots of the teeth (works as a kind of trainer for the jaws).
It is better to do this in the morning on an empty stomach to recharge your batteries for the day ahead, start your metabolism, and improve digestion.
Read more: Drinking natural honey on an empty stomach in the morning
When is it better to eat
Honey product in any form – without honeycombs or in them, useful when consumed daily in small amounts.
The daily dose for adults is from 80 to 150 grams. And nutritionists recommend not to eat more than one or two tablespoons without the top. For children, the norm is 30-50 grams, depending on age. No more than a teaspoon is eaten at a time.
The maximum benefit will be achieved during periods of rampant so-called colds.… Honeycomb honey perfectly relieves the first symptoms of acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections – pain, dryness and sore throat.
If your throat hurts, you have a runny nose, you can chew the honeycomb for 15-20 minutes three to four times a day… The wax lids of the honeycomb contain lysozyme, which imparts bactericidal properties to the product. At the same time, teeth, tongue, gums are cleaned of plaque, which eliminates unpleasant odors, starting inflammatory processes, and bleeding.
Also, thanks to honey, the product has other medicinal properties:
- normalizes the functions of the intestines and stomach;
- soothes the nervous system;
- strengthens the heart muscle and vascular walls;
- establishes metabolic processes;
- stimulates the body’s immune system.
How to store correctly
The ready-to-eat (fully sealed) honeycomb is cut into small pieces. Then they are placed in a hermetically sealed container – plastic food containers, glass or enamel containers.
In this form, the honeycomb can be stored in the refrigerator for a year. Particular attention is paid to tightness, since the bee product easily absorbs extraneous odors.
Note: Before using the daily dose, it is better to hold it for half an hour at room temperature. This will allow the wax to regain its usual elasticity (the honeycomb will not crumble unpleasantly in the mouth).
About fake
One of the main questions of concern to buyers, is it possible to counterfeit honey in combs?
This bee product is not counterfeited. But its nutritional characteristics can deteriorate if bees use low-quality foundation for construction.
It is better to buy the so-called “tongues” – cells built by bees outside the space of the frames… This is a completely natural product. Of course, it is the hardest to find in the market. Beekeepers are reluctant to part with the honeycomb, as the wax is overheated and later used for the acquisition or production of foundation. Therefore, it is better to negotiate a purchase privately.
Also, special sectional honey is sold in the markets if the apiary is focused specifically on selling it.
Note! Sugar (crystallization) occurs during long-term storage. This does not indicate a fake. Cells can also lose their tightness over time and become more fragile. This is also the norm.
It is the absence of counterfeits that makes this type of bee product the most valuable for health. But swallowing honeycombs with honey is still not worth it. For the use of wax in micro doses, if it is necessary to cleanse the digestive system from toxins, it is better to choose a cap.
