3 Natural Products of Honey Bees and Their Amazing Health Benefits
There's more to honey bees than just honey.
We all know where to turn when we get a sore throat. A hot cup of tea loaded with honey hits the spot. But many of us are not aware of the range of products that honey bees produce. In fact, the health benefits range from soothing cuts and burns to helping alleviate the symptoms of asthma and allergies. You can find many of these awesome products at your local health food store so be sure to look for them during your next experience. These three very common products from the honey bees and their amazing benefits will make you more aware of how much we owe thanks to the honey bee population. They are truly miracle workers who create miracle products.
1. Propolis
Our bees working on their propolis landing board.
Let’s dive right into a honey bee compound that has a rich history and great topical benefits, propolis.
Bee propolis is a resin resulting from the combination of bee’s saliva, beeswax, and substances bees extract from a wide array of botanical sources. The make-up of propolis varies depending on the type of plant sources, collection time, and location but consists of approximately:
- 50% Resins
- 30% Beeswax
- 10% Essential Oils
- 5% Pollen
- 5% Other Organic Compounds
Bees use propolis in order to seal small cracks in their hives to ward off predators. But humans have also used propolis throughout historic times.
- Egyptians used propolis for medicinal purposes, but amazingly incorporated propolis into the mummification process.
- The ancient Greeks, as recommended by Aristotle, used propolis to speed up the healing of wounds and al skin afflictions.
- The Roman warriors kept small amounts of propolis with them during battle in order to speed up wound healing and for its numbing properties.
- The Incas used propolis for infections.
- British used propolis to prevent infection of wounds during the Boer War.
The chemical composition of propolis consists of over 300 natural compounds with amazing health benefits. Propolis is thought to have antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. Propolis can be consumed orally or applied topically. Among the remedies that propolis treats include:
- Propolis works wonders as a topical treatment for acne due to its antibacterial properties.
- Propolis contains an antifungal flavonoid called pinocembrin. This makes propolis great for topical application for toe and nail fungus.
- Propolis's antibacterial and antiseptic properties are great for minor wounds such as cuts, scrapes, and burns.
- Propolis can be used as a mouth rinse to treat painful mouth sores, sore throat, and for fast healing following oral surgery.
- Anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties make propolis great as a preventative treatment for cold sores and stomach ulcers when consumed orally.
Bee pollen is made by honey bees and is the food of the young bee. Not to be confused with the pollen that causes common seasonal allergies, bee pollen infrequently causes allergies. Honey bees collect the male seeds of flower blossoms and mix it with their digestive enzymes. This creates a seed like substance that is low in calories but extremely rich in many essential nutrients required by humans. Bee pollen is made up of over 40 percent proteins and contains other essential compounds including B-complex, folic acid, and amino acids. Astoundingly, bee pollen has a higher protein concentration than any animal source. In addition, bee pollen contains bioflavonoids, which are antiviral and antibacterial compounds with amazing health benefits.
Some key benefits of adding bee pollen to your diet and skincare routine include:
- Energy – Bee pollen is a great natural energy source due to its richness in B vitamins, protein, and carbohydrates. Bee pollen provides a sustainable energy source that can last through the day.
- Anti Asthma – The anti-inflammatory benefits of bee pollen can help inflammation of the lung tissues, keeping asthma symptoms at bay.
- Allergies – Simply put: Pollen lowers histamine levels in the body, clearing allergies and sinus problems.
- Digestion – The many enzymes in bee pollen help aid in digestion, helping prevent digestion-related conditions such as indigestion and acid reflux.
- Immune System Support – Antibiotic-type and antiviral properties help humans avoid viruses. Further, its rich antioxidant make-up helps protect cells from damaging oxidation of free radicals.
Make sure to thank the honey bee for its tireless efforts making bee pollen.
Fun Fact: It takes a honey bee one month of eight-hour workdays to produce one teaspoon of bee pollen. Each pellet consists of about two million flower pollen grains, which means that one teaspoon of bee pollen is made up of over 2.5 billion grains of flower pollen.
3. Royal Jelly
Royal Jelly is also known as the “milk of the bees”. All bee larvae are fed it for the first three or four days after hatching. For potential queen bees, this jelly is their lifeblood. In fact, queen larvae are put into special queen cells and are surrounded by royal jelly. This is what helps them to develop their “queen morphology”. Royal jelly is the queen bee's extraordinary source of food. It is a blend of secretions from the salivary glands of the worker bee and contains a high concentration of vitamins B5, B6, and amino acids and is believed to be a potent antioxidant a special rejuvenating substance that promotes tissue growth and muscle and cell regeneration.
The wondrous properties Royal Jelly is known for include:
- Anti-aging: Royal jelly contains antioxidants to fight the signs of aging. It rejuvenates your skin, tightens pores, and gives you a radiant look. It eliminates the free radicals that cause aging and restores a healthy glow to your skin.
- Brain benefits: The antioxidants in Royal Jelly help protect fatty acids in the brain tissue from free radical attacks. The nutrients in royal jelly can help restore chemical imbalances in the brain, helping alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.
- Antibiotic and antiseptic properties that are very similar to the benefits of propolis.
- Bone health: When combined with bee pollen, Royal Jelly can help prevent bone loss due to osteoporosis. Royal Jelly enhances internal calcium absorption, which can build also work to build bone health.
We hope you found this piece educational regarding the health benefits of products produced naturally by honey bees. If you are interested in learning more about where to buy propolis, please check out 35 Hives. 35 Hives is dedicated to the preservation of the American bee population and its native habitats. We hand-collect these amazing substances from our own bees without harming them in any way.
About the Creator
35 Hives
35 Hives is passionate about preserving the American honey bee population and its native habitats. Since 2012, we have been raising honey bees right in America's heartland, north of Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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