To most people, bees are annoying little creatures that are best avoided. But to an increasing number of health-conscious
people, bees, or at least the products they produce (honey, bee pollen, propolis, royal jelly and bee venom), are a godsend.
Take U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), for example. Seasonal airborne allergies
plagued Harkin, until a friend who had used alternative remedies to rid himself of several ailments suggested he try a
bee pollen-based treatment.
When his allergies cleared up, Harkin became such an advocate of alternative medicine that he was instrumental in
getting the National Institutes
of Health to fund the Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM), where studies are conducted on a wide array of
nonconventional treatments.
Senator Harkin joins a long list of "bee-lievers," if you'll pardon the pun, who have found relief for a variety of
health problems in bee hives.
Apitherapy, the name given to medical treatments derived from bee products, began as an ancient practice in China and
the Middle East,
going as far back as 3,000 years ago. The renowned Greek physician Hippocrates, and the Ancient Egyptians, were some of
the first people to
record the use of bee products for health reasons.
As far back as 400 B.C., Greek athletes ate honey to enhance their
performance, similar to the way today's athletes load up on carbohydrates before an event. Many of Cleopatra's
cosmetics were honey-based, and honey was also used
as a sterile surgical dressing in the Middle Ages.
More recently, rigorous research is bringing to light the science behind many of these so-called "folk medicine" cures.
Honey, for example,
has been clearly established as a highly effective topical antibiotic, especially useful as a dressing for
post-surgical wounds, burns,
and other infections. When taken internally, honey has also been shown to eliminate the H. pylori bacteria, which is
responsible for stomach ulcers.
Honey can actually fend off colds and infections. The Chinese place it in the sun in glass jars and let in sit out
for many seasons. As the honey turns brown, it absorbs the energy of the sun and the passing seasons. The aged
honey is taken for energy at the onset of a cold.
Honey contains the vitamins thiamin, vitamin B-6, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid, and the minerals copper, iron,
calcium, manganese, magnesium, potassium, and zinc, as well as
amino acids, and several compounds that work as antioxidants, including pinocembrin, which is found exclusively in honey.
In addition to honey, though, bee hives produce a number of other products that have shown remarkable curative properties.
Some of the most promising are bee pollen, royal jelly, propolis, and bee venom. People who suffer from diseases such as arthritis, lupus,
and multiple sclerosis have turned to bee venom therapy in their desperation to find relief from conditions that defy traditional medical approaches.
Studies have shown that, like honey, bee pollen contains vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, and has anti-bacterial properties, as well.
Bee pollen also contains a startling amount of protein; five to seven times more than is found in beef. Many nutrition experts consider bee
pollen to be "perfect food." Bee pollen supplements can provide relief against one of nature's most irritating substances,
the airborne flower pollens that cause hay fever. Research shows that about 17 percent of hay fever sufferers said their symptoms were significantly
improved with bee pollen. To be effective, the therapy needs to be started before allergy season begins.
Another benefit of bee pollen is heightened athletic performance. "Bee pollen is used by almost every Olympic athlete in the world," says James Higgins,
owner of the Hillsboro, Ohio-based Higgins' Apiary and treasurer of the American Apitherapy Society. "It gives them more energy and better performance
for events like marathons, and they aren't as exhausted the next day."
Another great bee product is royal jelly. A thick, milky secretion produced by worker bees, royal jelly is fed to all
bees during the first three
days of life as larvae. Only queen bees continue to receive the jelly throughout their life, though, and, as a result,
the queens are 50 percent
larger than other female bees and live four or five years, as opposed to the ordinary bee's lifespan of a mere 40 days.
The chemical make-up of royal jelly explains why it is such a potent food. Royal jelly contains royalism (a complete protein), minerals, high
levels of vitamins B-5 and B-6, and a rare fatty acid known as 10-HDA. The combination of royalism and 10-HDA fights bacteria, fungus, and viruses.
Studies also show that royal jelly stimulates the adrenal glands, which control metabolism. In China, royal jelly is used as a treatment for
degenerative conditions, weakness and fatigue, anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, and as an anti-aging supplement.
Medical research has also shown that royal jelly can lower blood cholesterol levels in animals and humans. In addition, it has anti-bacterial
and anti-tumor properties.
Propolis is a waxy, resinous sap which bees collect from the buds of trees and plants to use as a sterile sealant for their hives. The substance
contains an amazing range of more than 150 compounds, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and flavonoids. Although it's used in everything
from cosmetics to toothpaste, propolis is known in scientific fields as "nature's penicillin" because of its ability to fight everything from
bacteria and viruses to fungi and even tumors. Historically, Hippocrates recommended it for curing wounds.
More recent research shows that propolis is an effective treatment for tuberculosis, colitis, and ulcers. But some of the most exciting findings
have emerged in just the last few years. One study found that a water-extract of propolis possessed more free-radical-scavenging abilities than
well-known antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E.
Another revealed that a substance in propolis known as caffeic acid phenethyl ester
(CAPE) had not only anti-inflammatory and immune-regulating properties, but cancer fighting abilities, as well.
In fact, the latest research indicates that propolis may one day take center stage as an immune-system enhancer and cancer treatment.
Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Bronx, N.Y.) found propolis to be a non-toxic, natural product that reduced HIV-1 cell
replication and enhanced immune responses. Similarly, a Japanese study determined that an extract of Brazilian propolis not only suppressed
tumor growth, but also activated the immune system by increasing the T-cell counts.
Like all the other products of the hive, bee venom contains a wide range of
beneficial substances, including an anti-inflammatory compound 100 times stronger than hydrocortisol.
Bee venom has been studied all around the
world. In fact, there are more than 1,500 scientific articles on the subject, and bee venom has been used to
treat an array of conditions,
including arthritis (both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis), chronic and acute injuries and pain, scar tissue,
and multiple sclerosis (MS).
The bee venom is usually administered via live bees, but it can also be injected, used in a salve or liquid that is rubbed into the skin,
or inhaled. Currently, there are a number of ongoing studies involving bee venom in this country. The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America,
for example, has awarded a grant to a Connecticut immunologist to study bee venom's effect on the disease. Meanwhile, hundreds of MS patients
are working with bee-keepers and bee venom therapists to alleviate symptoms like fatigue, muscle spasms, and instability.
It may take years before we completely understand how and why products of the hive have such beneficial effects on
human health.
But there is no doubt that they do work for a number of conditions. Bee-lieve it!
Randi Fredricks
has a Doctorate in Naturopathy and a Masters in Psychology. She runs her own natural health business,
All Things Well,
and counsels clients at her office in San Jose, California. You can reach her at 800-957-5655 or
contact her online. This article may be taken partially or in whole from Randi Fredricks' book
Healing & Wholeness: Complementary and Alternative Therapies for
Mental Health. Copyright © 2008. All rights reserved.
No part of this article may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems.
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