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Honey, propolis, royal jelly – mankind has been familiar with the healing products of apiaries for more than the first millennium. But right now, bees are once again becoming the stars of medicine, pharmacology, cosmetology and even perfumery.
The fact that honey is not just sweetness, but a bee sting is not only pain, people have known since time immemorial. The Egyptians believed that bees were born from the tears of the sun god Ra, the Greeks considered them the inhabitants of Olympus, and the Celts considered them a symbol of wisdom. Who first came up with the idea to relieve joint pain with bee stings, treat a cold with propolis, and a sore throat with honey, history is silent. But today the list of diseases that an ordinary bee can overcome is in the dozens. The popularity of apitherapy (from the Latin apis – “bee”), in other words, healing with bee products, is growing rapidly.
Proven superiority
Previously, apitherapy was relevant only in those countries where, according to biologist and naturopath Roha Domerego, “it allowed replacing 70% of essential medicines.” So in the Soviet Union, bee treatment received approval during the Great Patriotic War. There was not enough medicine, and in 1941 Professor Nikolai Artemov was ordered to start researching the possibilities of bee venom. In the shortest possible time, he presented a list of diseases in which this component can be applied. Since then, apitherapy has been officially recognized in our country. But in Europe, this method has become relevant only in recent years, when scientific evidence of its effectiveness began to appear one after another. So, in France, about 20 hospitals began to use honey after surgery professor Bernard Decotte demonstrated its effectiveness in wound healing in the experience of 3500 patients. And the Sorbonne professor Remy Chauvin officially stated in the mid-1990s: “The use of royal jelly in many diseases can achieve a greater therapeutic effect than treatment with synthetic drugs.” Today, many clinics and research institutes, both in Russia and abroad, are studying the abilities of bee products.
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At the tip of the sting
But there is another side to the coin: our natural fear of bee stings. It’s not easy to deal with her. However, experts have their own methods. “First, I demonstrate the whole process on myself. Someone else’s example is always reassuring. After that, I give the client a special massage that reduces the sensitivity of the skin,” says Gennady Oborin, an apitherapy specialist at Aldo Coppola Italian beauty centers. But it is still hard for many to step over themselves and voluntarily “lie down” under the sting. Yes, and bees do not yet inspire the same confidence as, for example, medicinal plants: the range of “beekeeping” possibilities seems to be narrower. Apitherapists categorically disagree with this and allegorically compare the bee with a “disposable syringe of health.” Bee venom contains more than 50 active substances: minerals (phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, copper), acids (hydrochloric, formic, phosphoric), fats, proteins, carbohydrates (glucose, fructose), as well as acetylcholine and histamine. But its main strength lies in peptides – compounds consisting of one or more amino acids. They have a bactericidal effect, relieve inflammation, stabilize the cardiovascular and calm the nervous system. The effectiveness of apitherapy has been proven in the treatment of varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, diseases of the joints, spine, and post-stroke conditions, multiple sclerosis and many other diseases. And some experts consider bee venom an excellent alternative to Botox and mercilessly sting the faces of their clients.
Exemplar
“Bees provide for themselves without damaging the environment,” emphasizes Catherine Ballot-Flurin, one of the founders of organic beekeeping in France. “There is a kind of quid pro quo pact between them and nature. In other words, pollination in exchange for nectar. Catherine is convinced that apitherapy helps us get closer to nature and to ourselves. “Bees are an example of what we all should strive for: an excellent organization of life and work (which the most highly developed country would envy), strength, courage, beauty, intelligence, bioenergy,” she never ceases to praise her wards. It’s hard to disagree with this. But on the other hand, having stung, the bee dies, sacrificing its life in the name of our health. Many are confused by this. “Yes, I kill the bee after a bite, because, having lost part of the intestine along with the sting, it will die anyway,” Gennady Oborin admits. But he does not see ethical problems in this: since nature has decided that this insect can heal us at the cost of its life, then so be it.
Precious Gifts
In addition to the “personal” participation in the overall health of the bees, without stint, endow us with a mass of useful waste products. Literally everything is used: from the well-known honey, royal jelly, propolis and perga to such strange products as chitin, drone milk and even subpestilence (bees that died during the winter). Some of these remedies are good for health, others for appearance, and still others are universal. Pollen effectively replaces probiotics that restore intestinal flora. In addition, it is rich in protein (one tablespoon of pollen contains about the same amount as 100 g of meat). Propolis is the only anti-inflammatory agent to which no pathological flora can adapt. And royal jelly is used both internally and externally. “By choosing beekeeping products, you are inoculating your body with beauty and health dating back thousands of years,” concludes Catherine Ballot-Fluhren.
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Smeared with honey
The surge of interest in bees could not but affect the cosmetic industry. Honey and royal jelly have become real stars of care. So, Guerlain, based on the research of professor of surgery Bernard Decotte on the healing properties of honey, created the Abeille Royale line. Its products enhance the skin’s ability to heal itself and prolong youth. The main component of the Honeymania body collection, The Body Shop, is wild honey from the rainforests of Ethiopia. The brand’s specialists believe that its composition is much more active than the “homemade” honey we are used to. L’Oréal Paris’ famous “Luxury Nutrition” line also contains honey and is regularly replenished with BB cream. The fashion for bees has even touched perfumery. This fall saw the light and a new “honey” fragrance Honey, Marc Jacobs. Never before has a self-care ritual been so sweet and beneficial.