Autor: Christiano Figueira | Publicado: 2016-11-20T23:36:00-02:00




Brazilian Jataí Honey
















As the old
saying goes, “I’ll take my vinegar with a teaspoon and my honey with a ladle.”
Throughout the ages, honey has been considered a source of energy. It is also a
naturally predigested food. Foods that are broken up by enzymes outside the
body are known as “predigested.” Sauerkraut, sourdough, sprouted seeds, and
kombucha are examples of predigested foods by an external process. Honey, on
the other hand, is in a category of its own whereas it is predigested by
nature. Besides being easily assimilated, requiring little assistance from the
gastric system, honey, in its wild form, is a great source of vitamins,
minerals and food enzymes. One tablespoon daily will go a long way in promoting
health and vitality.









“If raw
honey cotains all of these qualities, then why are you writing about a
different type of honey?” you may ask yourself. Is the Jataí honey any better?



Jataí is a
municipality in southern Goiás state, Brazil, nicknamed Bee City. Its common
name comes from the Indian Guaraní word “jateí” (pronounced “ja-teh-ee” ) which
means “hard fruit.” Various palm-trees were called “jateí” because of its small
coconut-type fruits. The Portuguese adapted the word to jataí.







The Jataí
bees are a very efficient plant pollinator native to Central and South America,
reaching as far as southern Mexico and northern Argentina. These bees are
social, docile and they do not have a stinger. They are easily handled by
beekeepers. Another name for them is “three doors,” because they close their
beehive’s opening whenever threatened by predators. The size of their colonies
varies from 2000 to 5000 bees.

This Jataí
honey is one of the rarest in the world because the bees, although prevalent,
are very small, creating a small beehive and producing less.





The honey
is rich in vitamins, minerals, acids and amino-acids. It has various medicinal
properties, such as antibiotic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. Its effect
as a bactericide (gran positive and negative bacteria) comes from a substance
called “inibina” (a result from the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide produced
by the honey’s glucose oxidase enzyme).






Brazilian
doctors conducted a research on Jataí honey against fourteen other types of
honey and were able to ascertain its superior anti-bacterial properties, as
well as confirm its recommended use as a substitute for antibiotics. One of its
known healing attributes is in fighting and preventing cataracts, but it is
also used for cough, and the closing of open wounds.






Other
recommended uses:

for sinus
infections

for
bronchial inflammations and all respiratory illnesses

for colds
and flus

The Jataí
honey has a finer texture than other types of honey and its flavor is more
acid, therefore a tad bitter. It must be kept refrigerated to avoid
fermentation. The honey is consumed as a nutritional element, it is used as an
antiseptic, as a preservative and even as an embalmer due to its
anti-putrifying qualities. The very light-in-color, almost clear, fragrant
honey produced by these bees derives from a variety of plants, including many
that comprise the shade cover for a diverse shade coffee system.





In
Honduras, the honey is called “chumelo” honey and is prized for its supposed
medicinal properties. In Colombia, their honey is highly prized and is credited
with healing properties, especially to cure eye diseases such as cataract.
Honey medicinal uses are widespread across all cultures within their range.



FIVE
REASONS TO CONSUME JATAÍ HONEY:

It contains
less fat (lipids) than regular honey

It provides
medicinal benefits such as digestive aid, bronchitis, cataracts

It is a
natural antibiotic

It
stimulates the growth of native bees

It
increases the polinization of native plants, biodiversity and it preserves the
species.




by Christiano Figueira