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Bees are the only of the vast class of insects since ancient times have served man faithfully, while remaining absolutely independent creatures. Indeed, bee products are completely unique substances, without which it is difficult to imagine modern human life. And, despite the technological progress of recent decades, people still have not learned how to produce something similar artificially.
What do bees produce
In fact, everything that can be found in bee hives can be of benefit to humans, including even the dead bees themselves.
It is almost impossible to find a person who has never heard about honey and its healing properties.
- wax, as the main building material for bee colonies, it is also widely used by humans as a useful product.
- Pollen, or bee pollen – the most easily accessible product of bee production.
- Perga is an improved variety of pollen.
- royal jelly, on the contrary, it is a very inaccessible product of beekeeping, which, moreover, is not easy to preserve.
- drone milk – no less difficult to assemble product, not yet very popular, although known since ancient times.
- Propolis – a product that bees use as glue, for fastening and repairing cells, has universal healing properties.
- Bruise combines many properties of wax, propolis and bee bread, it is an interesting product with a lot of useful qualities.
- bee subpestilence – a product of beekeeping, which is simply the bodies of dead bees.
- Bee venom – in beekeeping, both live bee stings and finished products with it are used.
- Merv – raw material for the production of wax and some other bee products.
Obviously, bee products are very diverse both in terms of the composition of the ingredients and their appearance. The effect of any products from bees will be further enhanced if they are combined with honey or used in combination with each other.
The benefits and harms of bee products
Products from bees conquer not only with their healing, naturalness and versatility in use, but also with a complex effect on the human body.
In addition to being widely used in the medical field, bee products are widely used in more than 50 different sectors of the economy.
Honey in ancient times was called the gift of the gods, sent to earth in order to make people happy.
Perhaps the most important benefit of bee products is that, thanks to a completely unique and not fully comprehensible composition, their use can have a universal, complex effect on the human body. To treat not one particular disease or problem, but to have a beneficial effect on all major life support systems. In addition, bees themselves are amazingly positive insects. And the products that they create carry a large positive charge of a good mood, cheerfulness.
And bee products, first of all, are good as a prophylactic. Many diseases will recede without even having time to manifest themselves, if you make friends with a variety of products that these little worker bees produce for life and use them regularly.
As for the harm that some bee products can cause, much depends on the individual characteristics of the organism. Yes, unfortunately, the organisms of some people do not quite adequately respond to the use of products from bees. They may show a wide variety of signs of allergy: from itching with rashes to swelling, including the nasopharynx, which can be really life-threatening. Fortunately, this does not happen often, at the first suspicious signs, you should completely refuse to take bee products and consult a doctor.
Some bee products carry a rather large potential danger (for example, bee venom or death) and have many contraindications to their use. In addition, pollen and honey itself obtained from some poisonous plants (azalea, aconite, rhododendron, wild rosemary, privet, mountain laurel, andromeda) are also poisonous. Therefore, in those regions where these plants can grow, one should be especially careful, because these products do not pose any danger to the bees themselves. The use of such “poisonous” honey and other products obtained from certain plants, of course, is not dangerous to human life, but at high doses, symptoms similar to intoxication may appear: dizziness, loss of coordination, headaches, general weakness.
Beekeeping products and their application
Beekeeping products are interesting for their diversity, and, unlike honey, not all of them have a pleasant taste, color and texture.
Honey
Honey is by far the best known and most palatable product of beekeeping.
Natural honey is a product of processing nectar and honeydew by bees. Most bees obtain nectar from flowers, sometimes on bracts, leaves or stems. Pad is a sugary waste products of various parasitic insects; bees collect it from shoots, leaves, bark and branches of trees. Accordingly, there are: flower, honeydew and mixed varieties of honey. When honey is born, complex chemical reactions occur, as a result of which, under the influence of the glands of bees, a product with a unique composition is formed.
Honey ripens in each cell for 3-8 days, after which the bees seal it. Frames begin to be collected when the number of cells with mature honey is at least ¾ of their total number. Since unripe honey contains about 30% more water, it is able to spontaneously ferment and quickly deteriorate. Even using artificial ripening methods, it is impossible to achieve the usual healing properties from such a product, so it is important to track the number of cells with sealed, and therefore fully ripened honey.
Since more than 70% of honey consists of natural sugars: glucose, fructose and six more varieties, it is ideal to use it for any kind of preservation, instead of regular sugar. The safety of the product will be additionally ensured by the presence of many antimicrobial substances in honey, and, in addition, the digestibility of the preparations will increase.
Useful properties of honey are determined by its rich unique composition. In addition to carbohydrates, it is also rich in proteins, especially honeydew varieties. Honey also contains many vitamins, amino acids and trace elements. It also contains about 40 types of yeast and fungi, which play a beneficial role in the functioning of various human organs.
The main healing role of honey is that it activates all biological processes in the human body. But it should be remembered that honey cannot be heated above + 60 ° C, otherwise all its beneficial properties will be nullified.
The taste and aroma of honey depend mainly on those plants from which the bees collected nectar and honeydew.
By taste, different varieties of honey are usually divided into sugary (from buckwheat and white acacia), sweet and moderate (from cotton and sweet clover, honeydew). And natural honey can also have a characteristic aftertaste. Clover or raspberry honey has a delicate and delicate aftertaste, while buckwheat and linden honey have a spicy taste. It can even be quite harsh and bitter, like honey obtained from tobacco or chestnut.
Different types of honey also differ in consistency, i.e. viscosity and slow or fast crystallization. Varieties of honey also differ in color: there are colorless, golden yellow, brownish, brown-green and even almost black.
Honey of different varieties is widely used in the food and confectionery industry. On the basis of natural honey, cosmetic masks, shampoos, and creams are often made. But its most valuable use is in herbal medicine and medicine. Honey can prevent and help in solving the following health problems.
- At home, it is the most powerful and effective antimicrobial agent.
- Honey can help people with diabetes replace sugar in their diet.
- The product is used as a sedative.
- Improves the functioning of all digestive organs.
- Honey neutralizes all manifestations of cardiovascular diseases;
- Helps in the fight against anemia, gives strength and vigor;
- The product helps with diseases of the skin, eyes, ears;
- Honey can serve as an effective treatment for wounds;
- Helps with poisoning, removing toxins and poisons from the body;
- The product relieves joint pain, helps with arthritis and does much, much more.
Royal Jelly
The name of this unique beekeeping product appeared due to the fact that bees use it to feed their babies – larvae. Moreover, the process of feeding milk to the queens lasts 5 days, while the larvae of ordinary worker bees and drones are fed to them only 3 days.
Milk is produced by the bees themselves, the most important property of this product is that it contains a program designed for the growth and rejuvenation of cells. After all, exactly the same larvae receive nutrition in the form of royal jelly, but from them the output is completely determined, the number of worker bees, queens and drones necessary for this particular bee family. This means that royal jelly contains a kind of heredity code that helps to maintain the viability of the bee colony.
And for a person, this means that royal milk is able to protect the body from viruses, not destroying them, but laying in each cell a new program aimed at healing and growth. It is no coincidence that the most popular use of this product is the fight against aging and age-related changes in the human body. Even the most popular bee products cannot match royal jelly in terms of potency. The use of this product for pregnant and lactating women is especially effective, since the program incorporated in it has a beneficial effect on the prenatal state of the child and its postpartum development.
When fresh, the color of royal jelly varies from white to cream, the taste can be sharp and sour, and the smell is quite specific. In addition, you can keep the product fresh only in the freezer. The only way to use fresh royal jelly is to mix it with honey in a ratio of 1:100. The medical industry produces quite a lot of preparations with this product from bees – tablets, powders, emulsions, suppositories, ampoules. All of them are stored only in the refrigerator and without access to light.
Royal jelly is actively used in the perfume and cosmetic industries.
Pollen
Bees are excellent pollinators and thus help many fruit plants to produce a significant harvest of fruits and berries. And they carry the collected pollen to the hive, pre-processing it with their salivary gland. As a result, the collected pollen resembles small multi-colored granules. One bee is able to deliver about 20 mg of pollen at a time. The color of the pollen varies in all shades of yellow and brown, and each time depends on the plant from which it was collected. The composition of this product is very diverse and uneven. But in the complex, it provides the content of more than 250 elements and substances.
In beekeeping, the selection of pollen from bees is considered one of the most simple operations – it is enough to place special devices – pollen traps – at the entrance holes. One bee family can thus collect about 100 g of pollen in one day. And for the season to gain up to 5 kg.
Bees use pollen both fresh and processed (perga), and for a year one family needs about 25-30 kg of this product to feed with high-quality vitamin-protein food.
Due to its diverse composition, pollen is actively used both in medicine and in cosmetics.
The introduction of the product into various creams and nourishing masks can significantly improve the condition of the skin, heal wounds and other damage.
And for medicinal purposes, this product is used both singly and in mixtures with honey (usually at a concentration of 1:1 to 1:4). Moreover, the dosage and the specific method of using the product depends on the type of problem and the duration of the treatment course.
Pollen is capable of:
- To have a positive effect on the work of the cardiovascular system, hematopoietic organs and the muscular apparatus.
- Stimulate the work of the endocrine glands, the activity of the kidneys and adrenal glands.
- Enrich the composition of the blood.
- Provide antimicrobial activity against more than 30 types of bacteria and some fungi. Moreover, the antimicrobial effect of the product does not depend on temperature (it is preserved at both low and high temperatures up to + 120 ° C) and on the presence of sunlight.
- To improve the condition of patients with physical and mental exhaustion, as well as the elderly.
- Effectively help in the treatment of depression and alcoholism.
Perga
Perhaps it is bee bread that can rightfully be considered one of the most unique beekeeping products. In folk medicine, its amazing healing properties have been known since ancient times. But official medicine recognized them relatively recently. Another name for perga is bread, and it is with this product that the bees feed their younger generation. It is also the main food for the uterus.
The bee pollen is produced by the bees themselves. And this process is amazing in its essence. The worker bee, which returned with a bribe, passes the collected nectar to other bees, but shakes off the pollen itself into special honeycomb cells. Other bees mechanically grind pollen, process it with their salivary glands, and add about 25% of nectar to it. Then again they interfere and tamp, in order to finally pour honey. After the product has matured, the most important and interesting thing happens – the insertion of a special biochemical code into it, which allows you to influence the growth processes of the younger generation. It is this code that is responsible for the formation of the most important life systems in the body of bees. And it is precisely because of its unique properties that bee bread is able to have a truly magical effect on the human body, incomparable with the influence of any bee product.
The benefit of using this product from bees is not to cure any particular organ or to help with a diseased condition. Perga is able to restore order in the entire life support system of the human body. It is a kind of stimulant that launches the body’s defenses, and for a long period and without much expenditure of additional energy. It is one of the main bee products for boosting immunity.
A large role is played by preparations from bee bread in cosmetology. They effectively smooth wrinkles, give the skin elasticity, radiance and additional tone. Hair after several procedures of application of pollen gain softness and silkiness.
As for the use in medicine, the bee product perga is able to cope even with such diseases, which are considered in many cases practically incurable:
- disorders of cerebral circulation;
- traumatic brain injury;
- sexual disorders and infertility in men;
- pregnancy pathologies, infertility and gynecological diseases in women;
- heart attacks and strokes;
- anemia;
- all kinds of allergies and skin diseases, including psoriasis;
- alcoholism and drug addiction.
Perga is a product in the form of small granules, quite pleasant in taste, with a slightly perceptible characteristic aroma of honey.
Propolis
Propolis is sometimes referred to as bee glue because bees produce it by processing the resinous organic matter they collect from the buds, shoots, and bark of trees and shrubs. With the help of this product, the bees close up damage in the cells of the honeycomb and prepare their home for wintering.
The composition of propolis, like other bee products, is unique, and its benefits to humans are enormous. The consistency of the product is most often hard, slightly sticky, softens with increasing temperature. The taste of natural propolis is not at all sweet, but rather bitter, pungent, and sometimes even burning.
Propolis is actively used in the chemical industry for the manufacture of high quality varnish. If in ancient times the product was used in medicine mainly for the treatment of wounds and skin diseases, then at present the range of its application is constantly expanding. It is difficult to imagine a disease in which propolis would not play at least an auxiliary role.
There are many ways to use this product:
- they use it in its pure form, simply dissolving small pieces in the mouth from diseases of the gums and teeth;
- make tinctures for alcohol, vodka, water and even milk;
- dissolve the product in oily environments, making a variety of ointments;
- prepare solutions for inhalation.
Wax
And this beekeeping product, along with honey, has been actively used by people for several millennia. Scientists have found that it is produced by young insects aged 10 to 20 days, and it serves as the main building material in any bee dwelling.
To produce 1 kg of wax, bees need to process about 3,5 kg of honey. More than 300 different substances and elements are known in the composition of the product.
The scope of this beekeeping product is huge:
- in pharmaceuticals;
- in dentistry;
- in the chemical industry;
- in the printing industry;
- in optics;
- in medicine;
- in the candle business – only natural wax candles are used for worship.
It is difficult to imagine modern beekeeping without this product.
The most popular beeswax-based products are a variety of wound healing and anti-inflammatory ointments, as well as skin care creams.
The product usually begins to melt when it reaches a temperature of + 60-65 °C.
There are several main types of wax:
- Pasechny – a product of the highest quality. It is extracted using wax melters and can be used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes.
- extraction – this product is obtained by processing merva, using various chemicals.
- press – it is mined in wax factories.
Bruise
This bee product is a type of wax. It represents the upper caps with which the bees seal the finished combs with ripened honey. But at the same time, its composition is much richer than that of wax. It necessarily includes pollen, and propolis, and honey. This is a universal remedy for bacterial and viral diseases, since it combines all the properties of the bee products included in it.
As a rule, chewing zabrus does not cause any allergic reactions. And, since the product is very pleasant to the taste (after all, it contains a considerable amount of honey), children of all ages and adults with a sweet tooth will appreciate the treatment with zabrus.
Chewing zabrus is an excellent prevention and helps with the common cold (including chronic), flu and sinusitis. The product has a beneficial effect on the body with metabolic disorders, in the functioning of the muscular system, and problems with blood circulation. The product is also effective in the treatment of hay fever. Chewing zabrus cures periodontal disease, gingivitis, stomatitis and tonsillitis. It will also easily raise the general tone of the body and create reliable protection against infections during epidemics.
drone milk
Larval or drone milk has been used in modern medicine quite recently, although information about its use has been known since ancient times. This beekeeping product is a thick liquid of a light shade with a sweet and sour taste. Its other name is homogenate brood-brood. In many Asian and southern countries, drone milk is used as a dietary supplement, often along with honey.
This valuable bee product is rich in vitamins and hormones, including natural testosterones. Therefore, it is characterized by a powerful rejuvenating and healing effect. Restores the nutrition of tissues, organs of the endocrine system and normalizes metabolism.
Merv
This beekeeping product is practically unknown to the general public, since only beekeepers encounter it. It is obtained after melting old honeycombs and is a mixture of wax, bee bread, and the remains of the waste products of bees. It has a black color and is mainly used as a raw material for manufacturing wax in the factory.
As an auxiliary product, a liquid can be isolated from the merva, which is often used as a vitamin supplement for feeding farm animals.
Undersea
Podmore is nothing more than the corpses of bees. The product is summer-spring and winter. Although it is practically not used in official medicine, this bee product is considered by the people to be a fairly effective remedy for the following health problems:
- Phlebeurysm.
- Diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
- Diseases of the joints, skin and teeth.
- Sexual dysfunction in both women and men.
- Problems with memory, hearing and vision.
Chitosan is the most active active substance in the bee sea, which has shown its effectiveness in protecting against radio emissions, in removing heavy metals and toxins from the body.
The product is used not only in medicine, but also in veterinary medicine, as one of the plant protection products, in cosmetics and in other areas.
Podmor has the ability to rejuvenate and purify the blood, so this bee product is recommended for use by people over 40 years old.
An alcohol extract, liniment (an infusion of ground substance with vegetable oil) and a steam (water infusion) can be prepared from dead bees. All products, except for the alcohol extract, are for external use.
Bee venom
Despite the fact that for some people with hypersensitivity, even a single bee sting can be fatal, this product is actively used to help with various ailments.
A healthy person can easily withstand up to 10 bee stings at a time, while a lethal dose will be 300-400 procedures. Children, women and the elderly are especially sensitive to bee venom. In case of possible poisoning, it is necessary to remove the bee sting from the body as soon as possible, and then make a healing drink, which must be taken every three hours until the final removal of all symptoms. The drink is prepared according to the following recipe:
- 1 liters of boiled water;
- 200 ml of high-quality vodka;
- 1 g of ascorbic acid;
- 50 g of honey.
Mix all products in one container and drink 100 ml at a time.
Despite the possibility of allergic reactions, bee venom has a significant healing effect. Medicines containing this bee product are recommended to be taken by anyone who suffers from:
- Rheumatic diseases of muscles, joints, blood vessels, heart.
- Vascular diseases, such as thrombophlebitis, atherosclerosis.
- From trophic ulcers, hypertension, arthrosis.
- Nervous system lesions: neuralgia, radiculitis, polyneuritis.
- Some eye diseases – keratitis, iritis, scleritis.
Today, bee venom is included in ointments, aqueous or oily solutions, capsules and tablets.
Which of the bee products is most useful for boosting immunity
Almost all bee products activate the immune system and increase the overall tone of the body. But the most useful will be a mixture prepared according to the following recipe:
- 200 g of honey;
- 2 g of royal jelly;
- 15 g of perga.
From the above products, a healing mixture is prepared by carefully mixing them with each other. Take on an empty stomach 1 time per day, 1 teaspoon for a month.
Contraindications to bee products
As already noted, it is necessary to start treatment with beekeeping products from small doses, carefully looking at the reaction of your body to them. The possibility of allergies can block all the beneficial properties of bee products. Fortunately, this doesn’t happen very often.
In any case, it is necessary to observe the dosages and norms for the intake of bee products in order to avoid adverse effects. Especially many contraindications exist in the treatment of bee venom – they were indicated in the corresponding chapter. The most harmless products of beekeeping are zabrus and perga.
Conclusion
Beekeeping products are an extraordinary gift of mother nature, created by working bees and designed to help humanity not only maintain and increase health, but also solve many other economic and domestic problems.
