Applying honey onto thin paper, if the droplet beads up without soaking into the paper, it indicates that it is real honey.
According to pharmacist Võ Hùng Mạnh, Head of the Pharmacy Department at Bình Định Traditional Ethnic Medicine Hospital, honey has numerous health benefits, but it must be authentic and pure honey. If you are unaware of how to differentiate, you might accidentally purchase honey that is made from sugar water or starch.
In folklore, there are many tips to help distinguish between real and fake honey. According to pharmacist Mạnh, a common method is to drop honey onto a thin white paper; observe the droplet, if it beads up without showing any signs of soaking into the paper, then it is real honey and not diluted with water.
There are many ways to identify real honey versus fake honey.
Another method to distinguish authentic honey is to take a fresh green onion stalk and dip it into a jar of honey, then remove it after a few minutes; if the onion stalk turns from green to dark, it indicates that the honey is real. Additionally, you can drop honey onto an area with ants; if the ants do not swarm to the droplet, it is also a sign of real honey.
Dropping honey into clean water: if you drop honey into clean water and observe that it forms round beads that do not dissolve and sink to the bottom of the glass, you have purchased real honey.
Nowadays, many people commonly apply the method of placing honey in the freezer; if after 24 hours it does not freeze, then it is real honey.
However, pharmacist Mạnh believes that the quality of real honey varies greatly, depending on the soil, season, and weather conditions. Mr. Phú, a beekeeper in the mountainous region of An Lão, Bình Định, stated: “Though it’s all forest honey, honey produced in areas with many eucalyptus and tea trees… the honey extracted from these plants is not as good as that from the natural flowers in the wild.”
Benefits of Honey
- Honey is used in cosmetics and skincare due to its cleansing and moisturizing properties. It contains 80% sugar and the remaining 20% includes nutrients such as iron, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin C, B, and magnesium. This natural ingredient has antibacterial and antiseptic properties that enhance healing effectiveness.
- Due to its antibacterial and antifungal properties, honey is a basic component used to boost health and brighten skin. Apply a small amount of honey onto dark spots or skin blemishes before bed, and wash it off with warm water in the morning. Repeating this for several days will reduce dark spots and blemishes.
- Honey is also used to treat other skin issues such as eczema, circular lesions, and psoriasis, reducing inflammation in the skin.
- Honey contains vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, which stimulate fat and cholesterol metabolism, helping to maintain body weight and prevent obesity.
- Drinking a glass of warm water mixed with honey and lemon juice on an empty stomach in the morning is a very simple and effective method for weight loss. Honey helps detoxify, cleanse the liver, eliminate toxins, and flush fats from the body.
