The Buzz
Hive Five for Bee Products
Oct
Okay, so we all know that bees make honey.
But did you know that there are many other beneficial products derived from the hive?
Apitherapy is the medicinal use of products made by honeybees (such as honey, pollen, royal jelly, propolis, and beeswax) to help heal diseases and treat symptoms. Using the healing properties of bees isn’t a new fad, in fact it’s been around for thousands of years.
Bee Venom Therapy, however is the process of utilizing live bee stings or bee venom injections against inflammatory or central nervous system diseases in a therapeutic way. It may treat everything from Multiple Sclerosis and Lyme Disease to Arthritic Pain, Sciatica, Parkinson’s and Lupus, many clinical studies are underway around the world. Bee Venom is full of pharmacological benefits, including 18 known components ranging from enzymes and peptides like melittin which can cause the pain, itching and inflammatory response but then begins its work to fight it. Bee Venom also contains sulfur, which produces the release of cortisol from the adrenals, thereby guarding the body from infection. Essentially, Bee Venom holds the key ingredients to relieving pain and stiffness, fight inflammation and building up immune function!
Let’s dig a little deeper. What are all these products good for and how do they work differently on our system? The lesser known derivatives of the hive include pollen, royal jelly, propolis and beeswax.
Recently, bee pollen has gained traction in the health community because it’s loaded with antioxidants, nutrients, amino acids, vitamins, lipids and over 250 active substances. In fact, the Federal Ministry of Health in Germany recognizes bee pollen as a medicine. With benefits such as lowering cholesterol, decreasing risk of heart disease and boosting liver function. This is in addition to reducing inflammation and naturally boosting your immune system.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bee-pollen
Royal Jelly on the other hand, is the creamy white substance that young workers bees feed their queen. This nutrient dense product has been praised for speeding up wound healing, lessening PMS symptoms and improving skin. Royal Jelly contains many vitamins including many of the B vitamins and antioxidants as well as having anti-inflammatory properties. Both animal and human studies have shown significant reduction in “bad” cholesterol when taking about 3g of Royal Jelly per day. Supplementing daily is also very providing when it comes to blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity. Studies are still being done to determine how it directly aids in so many different areas of health and healing.
Propolis is a resin-like material that is used in building the hive. It usually comes from the nectar of cone bearing trees. Propolis is a wonder Multivitamin. Besides containing 12 different flavor flavonoids, it also boasts vitamins such as B1, B2, B6, C, E and minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, copper, zinc and iron. So next time you are in need of a multivitamin that packs a punch, look no further than Propolis.
Last but not least, Beeswax can be used in aromatherapy, cosmetically and medicinally.
– soothes and rejuvenates the skin and hair
– aids in healing burns and cuts
– moisturizes chapped lips
– fights against topical skin allergies such as eczema and rosacea
If your health is compromised, whether immune system function, inflammation, muscles and joints, heart, adrenals, digestion, infection, PMS, allergies, skin, hair or almost any other number of ailments, it is well worth your time to research how incorporating bee products could help you. For more detailed information on research and anecdotal studies that have been done in reference to hive products and their benefits, please visit this link. Here’s to healing!
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