Honey is a food produced by bees that go from flower to flower to collect nectar. In general, honey contains sugars, minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese and selenium, vitamins, such as vitamin C and group B, proteins and antioxidant substances such as polyphenols and carotenoids that confer an anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial action and also properties able to support the immune system (Miguel et al, Integr Med Insights, 2017). However, both the composition and the specific properties of honey vary according to the type of plant from which it is obtained. Today we talk about cherry blossom honey.
Cherry blossom honey, properties and characteristics
Cherry honey is a rare and precious honey, characterized by a delicate perfume. Cherry honey is produced in low quantities since the cherry trees bloom in the early spring, when the weather is still unstable and the bees are not very active. Cherry honey proves to have diuretic and purifying properties since it helps the kidneys to eliminate toxins (Natural Medicine from A to Z, Bruno Brigo). Not only that, like all the other types of honey, it is also a source of energy immediately available, thus proving to be an excellent snack for students, sporty people and people who have an active life. But the properties of cherry honey do not end here. In fact, based on scientific studies, cherry honey is characterized by the high presence of two precious antioxidants, quercetin and kaempferol (Miguel et al, Integr Med Insights, 2017). Quercetin and kaempferol give to the honey anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective properties since they contrast the formation of blood clots and protect the endothelial function, that is, the action of the endothelium that is the lining of the blood, lymphatic and heart vessels (Olas et al, Nutrients, 2020). Finally, it was also possible to observe the presence, in cherry honey, of naringenin (Petrus et al, Anal Bioanal Chem, 2011). Naringenin is considered, in addition to being an antioxidant, also an anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-tumor substance, capable of protecting the liver but also the endothelium. Not only that, naringenin, being similar to estrogen in the body, is also classified as phytoestrogen. This means that, given the similarity with the body's estrogens, it can take its place avoiding the effects related to both a deficiency and an excess of these hormones in the body (Salehi et al, Pharmaceuticals, 2019 - Samarghandian et al, Pharmacognosy Res., 2017).
Cherry honey, uses
Cherry honey with a sweet and delicate taste is excellent for sweetening herbal teas, but is also perfect combined with yogurt. In the morning soy yogurt you can add, together with a teaspoon of ground flax seeds, whole grain oats and berries, a teaspoon of cherry honey. Alternatively, quickly toast a slice of wholemeal bread, perhaps rye bread, and spread some cherry honey.
