From Honey to Royal Jelly: Bee Healthy!

From apples to plums, many plants need bees for pollination - otherwise they cannot develop fruit. These industrious bumbles make many products that are beneficial to human health. Here is an overview!

Somewhat less well known than honey is the fact that the air from bee hives has a healing effect. When breathed in through a special breathing mask, the air from the hive has a postive impact on the bronchial mucosa. Patients with respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and hay fever or have had good experiences with it. This is not surprising when you consider that the 35 degree warm air in the hive is formed of a unique mixture of pollen, propolis resins, honey, wax and other natural substances.

Much more common than breathing in hive air is the beeswax made by the worker bees that is fitted into the typical hexagonal honeycomb shapes. This wax contains close to 300 materials and is commonly used in the form of beeswax pads, ointments and creams.

The most famous product that natural honey bees make is of course, honey. It can reduce fevers and also helps to heal open wounds. Furthermore, honey has a plethora of healthy ingredients such as calcium, iron, magnesium or sodium. Honey has even been noted as a natural remedy for gastrointestinal complaints.

Continuing on to royal jelly, this is the substance with which bee larvae are fed, especially the queen bee. She only needs - thanks to the royal jelly - 16 days to hatch. Over her lifetime she will feed on nothing else. Accordingly, the royal jelly has a similar effect in humans: in times of physical and psychological stress, royal jelly helps strengthen the immune system, stimulate the metabolism and normalize female hormonal balances.

Now we come to bee pollen and propolis : The pollen is what the bee carries after visiting flowers. You can see pollen as the small yellow flower beads stuck on the bees hind legs. It is rich in carbohydrates, proteins, hormones and enzymes. In medical world pollen is used to strengthen and stimulate the digestive system.

Propolis, however, is a gummy, sticky material that the bees make from tree resin. They use it as a building material for the hive, insolating and disinfecting it. The disinfecting effect can also be used on humans in the treatment of wounds and skin disorders such as acne, eczema and psoriasis. Even when used against warts and nail fungus, people have reported successes. Propolis can also be used internally for stomach and intestinal problems. Be careful though, there are also people who are allergic to it!