Bee therapy- apitherapy
On bee therapy
Bees are extremely valuable to nature and human beings. They not only provide a means of reproduction for many plants, but also produce many beneficial and healthy substances. From honey, beeswax, propolis, pollen, royal jelly to a simple sting (bee venom), all of these have valuable beneficial, healing effects on man.
Join me on the quest to discover what is bee therapy, what and how we can use bee products to enrich our lives.
Honey
Oh sugar sugar.
Honey is probably the first bee product you associate with bees It is made from the sweet nectar of flowers. The nectar is processed into food edible by bees and luckily for us, humans.
Honey is sweet and used as a sweetener and as an ingredent in many cooking/baking recipes, as well as some beverages, including the popular mead. You should note that the taste honey depends on the source of nectar! Therefore honey is usually categorised by its source, such as chesnut honey, acacia honey, buckwheat honey, sunflower honey, etc..
Honey is also a natural preservative in itself, being not only sweet, but also containing very little water (honey is also classified based on its water content!), making it fairly safe to preserve for long periods of time without it going bad.
Many methods of processing honey exist:
- honey in crystal form, made so by stirring (which adds oxygen). Some people love this type, some prefer liquid forms.
- honey processed by heat- heat reduces the quality of honey by removing valuable vitamins. Pasterization removes any organisms such as spores from honey.
- sonicaly processed honey is a method that does not involve heat, but removing spores. It does also inhibit crystalization, meaning honey will stay liquid.
- raw honey, unprocessed honey.
Many forms of honey also exist:
- solid- crystalized
- liquid
- solid, dried honey
- comb honey- honey still in its comb
Negative effects of heating honey start to show at 37 celsius/99°F, honey starts losing many antibacterial properties, vitamins and enzymes!
The Archies singing about honey - They love it too!
The Archies are obviously big fans of bee therapy.
Honey medical application
Bee therapy method number one
Honey has been used traditionally as a topical creme or through ingestion. Honey is a known antiseptic/antibacterial natural method. Honey nectar source (flower type) and further processing determine the effects of honey.
- Honey as a topical creme can be used as an antiseptic. It requires oxygen to act, so do not cover such wounds
- Diabetic ulcers can be treated through honey, as an alternative to antibiotics
- In the colon, honey can reduce injury made by colitis
- Soothing agent for caughs
- Helps burns heal faster- used as a topical creme. Tried and tested, it works! Apply immediately after a burn.
Pollen
How can we use it in bee therapy?
Pollen is the male gene material and vegetative material (nutrients) of flowers/plants. Entomophilous plants transfer pollen through insects, for example bees, bumblebees and flies.
Some people develop alergies to pollen, sometimes reffered to as hay fever.
Pollen is used as a health supplement. It contains around 3 percent vitamin/mineral components which are beneficial to humans.
Pollen is claimed to improve stamina/energy efficiency of the body. Some claim pollen is a great weight loss product.
