Linden honey has a distinctive color, so it is easy to recognize. It is worth reaching for it, because it has numerous properties and nutritional values. Linden honey has a strong antibiotic, diaphoretic, antitussive, expectorant and antispasmodic effect. Check what other properties linden honey has and how to use it.
Lime honeyis honey obtained from nectar (flower secretions composed mainly of glucose and fructose, which attracts insects) from broad-leaved and small-leaved linden. It is harvested at the turn of June and July during the flowering of July.
Linden honey is currently considered the most valuable nectar honey, while the lime itself is considered the best raw material in beekeeping. Linden honeys have been produced since at least the 16th century. In a letter from 1826 we read: “The best honey is harvested at the beginning of July, mainly in places with many lime trees. This very fragrant and sweet type of honey has been called - for a month now - July and sometimes you pay as much as three ducats per pot (a Polish measure of 4 liters). "
Lime honey is relatively difficult to obtain as most linden trees grow alongside roads and it is not easy to find a larger cluster of linden trees free from car exhaust fumes.
Linden honey - color. How to recognize linden honey?
Lime honey is golden yellow or greenish yellow in liquid form. After crystallization, it turns cream or yellow-orange. Lime honey crystallizes in the form of small grains. It has a sharp and slightly bitter aftertaste and a distinct linden blossom aroma.
Linden honey - how to use?
Linden honey, like any other, can be used to sweeten tea. However, it cannot be added to boiling water as it loses its valuable properties. Honey can sweeten pastries, desserts, spread it on cottage cheese or add it to milk in case of a cold and sore throat.
Lime honey - calories, nutritional values
The basic composition of all natural honeys is chemically similar. They contain 70-80% of sugars and 10-20% of water. The remaining ingredients, such as organic acids, proteins, phenols, vitamins and minerals, can vary widely. There are about 300 different chemicals in honey. The composition of linden honey consists of 74%glucose and fructose, 1.5-3% sucrose and water.
Micronutrients present in linden honey are essential oils, flavonoids (hesperetin, hesperidin, rutin, isoquertin, tiliroside), tiliacin glycoside, triterpene taraxerol, tannins, bitter compounds, organic acids (coumaric, chlorogenic and lysozyme) . The amount of minerals does not exceed 0.35%, the main one being potassium. The vitamins contained in honey are vitamins C, H, PP and B vitamins, but their amounts are small.
An important ingredient of honey proving its quality and authenticity is the content of the amino acid proline. According to the Polish Standards, the amount of proline cannot be lower than 25 mg / 100 g. In linden honey it is from 28.48 to 68.55 mg / 100 g, which is most likely related to the different conditions of honey production and storage. Storage at high temperatures has a negative impact on the nutritional value of honey.
The acidity of honey is expressed in degrees Soxhlet-Henkel (oSH). For linden honey, it has one of the highest values among honeys and amounts to 3.7 oSH.
Macronutrient content in 100 g of linden honey:
| Energy | 308 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 77 g |
| Including sugars | 77 g |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Protein | 0.3 g |
Lime honey - he alth properties
Lime honey has a strong antibiotic effect. Its antibacterial activity, expressed in units of antibiotic activity per gram of honey [JA / g] is 24.4.
Goldenrod, buckwheat and nectar-honeydew honey (31.8; 30.0, 29.2 JA / g respectively) have stronger antibiotic properties, honeydew honey and heather honey are similar to linden honey, while clearly lower it has rapeseed (18.0), multifloral (16.5) and acacia (11.0) honey. The antibiotic activity of the praised Manuka honey may also be surprising, which is 18.6 JA / g and is significantly lower than that of domestic honeys.
The presence of polyphenolic compounds belonging to the group of antioxidants with high biological activity is of great importance for the pro-he alth activity of honey. These compounds protect the genetic material and cell-building proteins, naturally increase immunity and protect the circulatory system. One of the studies analyzed the content of these compounds in organic and conventional honeys - acacia, linden, coniferous honeydew and multiflorous honeys.
Lime honey has the highest content of total polyphenols, phenolic acids and flavonoids, respectively: 91.79; 63.92 and 27.87 mg / 100 gproduct for organic honey. With conventional honey, the amounts are approximately 10-15% lower. The content of these valuable he alth-related ingredients is at least 1/3 higher in linden honey in comparison to the other tested ingredients. The concentration of total polyphenols in the tested organic honeys is:
- acacia - 67.27 mg / 100 g
- honeydew coniferous - 32.86 mg / 100 g
- multiflorous - 44.41 mg / 100 g
Linden honey is used for colds, flu, upper respiratory tract infections, bronchitis and pneumonia. It has a diaphoretic, antitussive, expectorant and antispasmodic effect. It soothes inflammation and has antipyretic properties. Eliminates pathogenic microorganisms such as staphylococci, streptococci, yeast fungi, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli.
Linden honey is recommended in cardiovascular diseases due to its diuretic effect, reducing swelling and gently lowering blood pressure. However, people taking medications for high blood pressure should not abuse it. For people with cardiovascular disorders, its diastolic and calming effects are also important, which results from the presence of essential oils.
For this reason, it is recommended to use linden honey also in the case of insomnia, chronic stress, nervous hyperactivity and even neurosis. Linden honey is recommended in infections of the urinary and sexual systems, digestive system disorders due to antibiotic activity and in rheumatic diseases due to its anti-inflammatory effect.
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Linden honey - price, where to buy
Honey can be bought directly from beekeepers, at fairs, in beekeeping chain stores and in supermarkets. It is best to buy honey directly from the beekeeper. Then the certainty increases that the honey has not been adulterated, thinned, reheated, etc. A liter jar of honey weighs approximately 1.4 kg. It is worth checking it to avoid buying diluted honey.
Linden honey is very light compared to others. The easiest way to recognize it is by its taste - it characteristically nips on the tongue. It should also be remembered that linden honey is liquid at the latest by the end of the year in which it was collected, and it often starts to become saccharified after a few weeks after its production. Therefore, when buying honey in winter or spring, it must already be saccharified.
Liquid consistency indicatesto adulteration. Honey prices vary depending on where it is purchased and the year it is harvested. Linden honey ranks roughly in the middle when comparing the different types of this product.
It is more expensive than rapeseed and multiflorous honey, and cheaper than honeydew, buckwheat and heather honey. One liter jar of linden honey costs 30 PLN on average, but the retail prices may be much higher.
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Author: Time S.A
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Find out moreLinden or multiflorous honey?
Lime honey is characterized by a noticeable sharp and bitter aftertaste, which is not found in multiflorous honey. Some consumers do not like it, while others choose linden honey precisely because of its unique taste. In terms of other functional properties, linden and multiflorous honey are similar.
They crystallize within a few weeks to several months, the grain size after crystallization is similar. Multiflowering is a bit darker. Both these honeys are said to be universal honeys.
Lime honey contains more antibiotic compounds and more antioxidants than multiflorous honey, so it can be he althier. It is also less accessible than multiflorous honey, which, after rapeseed, is one of the most common and cheapest honeys.
Sources:
1. Bąkowska M. et al., Pro-he alth properties of selected honeys, Pomeranian Journal of Life Science, 2022, 64 (3), 147-151
2. Kedzia B. et al., Antibiotic activity of domestic varietal honeys, Advances in Phytotherapy , 2014, 2, 67-70
3. Jasicka-Misiak I. et al., Chemical markers of varietal honeys, Wiadomości Chemiczne, 2011, 65, 9-10, 821-837
4. Śliwińska A. et al., Preliminary evaluation of the quality of honey based on selected physicochemical and microbiological parameters, Bromatologia, Chemia, Tooksykologia, 2011, 3, 784-791
5. Świetlikowska K. et al., Assessment of compounds content total polyphenols, including phenolic acids and flavonoids in various types of organic and conventional honeys, Postępy Techniki Przetwórstwa Spożywczego, 2013, 2, 65-69
6. Godlewska M. et al., Physicochemical and antimicrobial properties of honeys from the region Podlasie, space. Problems in Biological Sciences, 2015, 64 (2), 347-352
7.Samojlik T., A very useful tree - the history of small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata) in the Białowieża Forest, Dendrological Yearbook, 2005, 53, 55-64
8. https://www.gpbartnik.pl/rodzaje-miodu. php
9. http://kaszubskiemiody.com.pl/miod-lipowy
Aleksandra Żyłowska-Mharrab, dietician Food technologist, dietitian, educator. A graduate of Biotechnology at the Gdańsk University of Technology and Nutritional Services at the Maritime University. A supporter of simple, he althy cuisine and conscious choices in everyday nutrition. My main interests include building permanent changes in eating habits and individually composing a diet according to the body's needs. Because the same thing is not he althy for everyone! I believe that nutritional education is very important, both for children and adults. I focus my activities on spreading knowledge about nutrition, analyze new research results, and make my own conclusions. I adhere to the principle that a diet is a lifestyle, not strict adherence to meals on a sheet of paper. There is always room for delicious pleasures in he althy and conscious eating.
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