What is clover honey?
Clover honey is known for its mildly sweet, floral taste. It can be used to sweeten almost anything. And the best part is that it doesn’t have any of the negative side effects of artificial sweeteners.
Clover honey is rich in anti-inflammatory ingredients. It also has an abundant amount of antioxidants, minerals, and nutrients. Let’s delve more into this all-natural, sweet concoction known as clover honey.
Clover Honey
Knowing a little bit about the clover plant and its honey by-product is useful. It can help us understand why clover honey is so tasty, nutritious, and useful.
Honey is famous for its antibacterial and antiviral properties – especially Manuka Honey. However, clover honey is no exception.
In fact, the Greek physician Hippocrates (of the Hippocratic oath) is said to have commended the health benefits of clover honey.
He wasn’t alone. Physicians from all cultures and time periods also referred to the high healing powers of honey. They believed it was the perfect combination of both food and medicine.
Several thousand years before them, Ancient Egyptians and Greeks hailed honey as a versatile treatment. They used it as the main ingredient in medicinal compounds and mixtures.
Honey was also used extensively in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was thought to replenish health and boost overall energy.
The Clover Plant
Did you know that there are over 200 clover species worldwide?
Of this number, only a handful can be considered for honey production, such as:
- Red Clover
- Dutch Clover
- Alsike Clover
- Crimson Clover
All types of clover are popular as a healthy treat for rabbits and chickens as well!
Types Of Honey
There are over 300 unique honey types, each coming from different flower sources.
This might come as quite a surprise because we’re used to referring to honey as one generic brand of natural sweetener. Honey comes in different colors, ranging from dark brown to being almost free of any color.
The taste also varies greatly. The flavor depends on the flower source, as well as where the bees made their delectable honey.
The flavor can range from being bold and quite noticeable to being rather mild. Buckwheat honey is an interesting monofloral variety made by bees from buckwheat flowers.
The Most Common Honey
The most common of all these varieties is clover honey.
It’s one of the best-tasting, most affordable, and widely available. The reason they’re so widely available is that the nectar in clover plants is a bee-favorite. They can’t get enough of it.
Clover plants are tough and can withstand temperature fluctuations throughout the year. This makes it easier to maintain clover honey production year-round.
Another benefit of clover honey is that it helps farmers. Clover crops are ideal for replenishing the nutrients found in the soil. They also work to protect the soil and prevent soil erosion.
Clover Honey Uses
Clover honey is light-colored.
It has a mild sweetness that’s perfect for sweetening your drinks and caffeinated beverages. It’s also an excellent sugar substitute when cooking or baking.
One of its best qualities is that it’s not overpowering. It also doesn’t leave a powerful aftertaste.
Speaking of aftertaste, dog food companies have come up with a brilliant way to get your dog to take his medicine.
By wrapping medicinal pills in a fun honey-flavored snack, your dog gets the treatment he needs while enjoying a nutritious, healthy snack to munch on.
Here are some creative ways to incorporate clover honey into your diet:
- Stirred into yogurt
- Drizzled over ice-cream
- Poured over cereal
- Mixed into vinaigrette
- Added with stir-fry
Clover Honey Nutritional Value
Is clover honey good for you?
All types of honey are loaded with natural sugars. That’s why nutrition experts will never refer to any kind of honey as ‘health food.’
On the bright side, clover honey is packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. It also contains traces of iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B and C, and zinc.
Honey is a fantastic way to satisfy your sweet tooth without having to munch on fattening snacks. You can still maintain a healthy weight while having your sweet honey as well.
With a low water content, honey has an acidic pH balance.
On average, one tablespoon (21 grams) of clover honey contains:
- 60 calories
- 17 grams of carbohydrates, which are all due to its high sugar content
- 0 grams of fat
- 0 grams of protein
Clover Honey Health Benefits
Honey has been around for ages.
It looks incredible, it tastes great, and it’s good for you. It’s great in baking and cooking and can be used as an alternative to sugar.
The health benefits of clover honey are many, and here are a few of the most significant ones.
1. Reduces Bacterial Growth
One study was carried out on the antibacterial properties of over 16 different types of honey.
The study concluded that clover honey has the strongest antibacterial action.
It’s also used as a dressing for scratches, wounds, and even burns because it reduces bacterial growth.
Another study looked at the effectiveness of clover honey in healing foot wounds in people with diabetes.
It found that honey completely healed over 40% of all wounds. Plus, almost 43% had a significant reduction in the size of the wound.
2. May Help With Allergies
Using honey that is sourced from your geographic area seems to have a positive effect on seasonal allergies.
This is probably because it exposes your body to some of the potential allergens in your area, in a more natural way.
Interestingly, prolonged fasting is another way to reduce certain types of allergy or autoimmune symptoms, though through a different mechanism.
Once your body gets into some of the later stages of fasting (after about 3 or 4 days), your immune system gets partially broken down.
It is then rebuilt again from new stem cells once you end your fast.
3. Suppresses Your Appetite
One of the most interesting health benefits of honey is that it keeps your appetite in check.
This process keeps you feeling full for longer. So, you won’t have any mid-day or midnight cravings between meals.
Here are more of clover honey’s health benefits:
- Works as an antiviral
- Natural remedy for colds and coughs
- Reduces cellular damage
- Lowers risk of inflammations and diseases
- Improves cardiovascular health
- Boosts central nervous system
- Lowers LDL cholesterol and triglycerides
- Balances out HDL cholesterol levels
- Maintains optimal weight control
- Regulate blood sugar levels
- Reduces seasonal allergies
- Treats gastrointestinal disorders
Clover Honey Safety Tips
It’s an excellent, all-natural treatment for a good deal of health problems. But there are instances where honey isn’t as perfect as it could be.
Make Sure To Use Proper Storage
Without proper storage, the healing properties of clover honey can be diminished.
Excess heat can also break down the highly nutritious ingredients found in honey.
You should preserve honey in airtight containers. Make sure they’re placed somewhere dry.
Honey containers need to be away from direct sunlight and moisture.
Keep Honey Away from Infants
The spores of one type of bacteria, Clostridium botulinum, can find their way from soil to honey.
These spores transform into bacteria in the bowels. They can produce harmful neurotoxins in the body.
Adults and older children aren’t affected by it. This is because their gastrointestinal tracts have fully matured.
Yet, infants still have underdeveloped gastrointestinal tracts. So, it’s harder for them to cope with this type of bacteria.
That results in an illness known as infant botulism. It can turn into a life-threatening condition quite fast if not treated as soon as possible.
Pure Clover Honey
Clover honey has been used for centuries as a reliable treatment for many diseases.
It diminishes viral infections and inhibits bacterial growth.
There are many types of honey sourced from a wide variety of flowery plants all over the world. Yet, this honey is one of the most widely available.
Next up, find out how long honey bees live!