Honey is not just prized for its sweetness

Honey is a sweet viscous fluid made from the nectar of various plants that is collected and concentrated by the honey bee.

It is made up of mainly glucose and fructose. Whereas refined white sugar is mainly sucrose. Unlike table sugar, honey contains a small amount of various vitamins and minerals.

It has a lower glycemic index than refined white sugar but still can be detrimental to individuals with diabetes. Nectar can be collected from different regions and from different species of plants and, as a result, can have different colour and taste.

Honey also contains antibacterial and fungicidal compounds. It has been used topically to prevent skin infection and promote healing. Honey is often used in cough syrups and has anti-tussive qualities. A small amount of honey containing local pollens may help build up immunity and desensitize allergic reactions like hay fever and asthma.

Bee pollen consists of plant pollens collected by worker bees, combined with plant nectar and bee saliva. These are packed into small pellets which are used as a food source for the male drones. Commercially, the pollen is gathered at the entrance of the hive by forcing bees to enter through a portal that is partially obstructed with wire mesh thus brushing off the hind legs into a collection vessel.

The use of bee pollen increased in popularity in the late 1970s following testimonials of athletes who used supplementation of this product tp increase stamina and improve athletic ability.

The pollen consists of amino acids, proteins, sugars and a small amounts of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Bee pollen is a good nutritional source for drone bees.

The specific function of bee pollen is not entirely understood. There are some reports bee pollen may increase athletic stamina and improve recovery time. It may also increase energy and appetite in those who are sick and debilitated.

Beeswax is the wax obtained from the honeycomb of the honey bee. Beeswax is a pale, yellow solid with a mild, sweat and oily odour. It contains a large amount of fats, aromatic oils and lipids.

In Asian folk medicine, beeswax is used to treat diarrhea, hiccups and to relieve pain, among other uses. For external use, it is often used as ingredient in emollient creams, lotions and ointments. Occasional allergic reactions to beeswax have been reported.

Propolis is the resinous product collected from the buds of conifer trees and is used by bees to fill in cracks in the hives. It has been used in folk medicine since as early as 300 BC for medical and cosmetic purposes.

This thinly oily substance contains resins, wax, oils, essential aromatic oils, pollen and a small amount of vitamins and minerals.

Propolis has been reported to possess such versatile activity as antibacterial, antiviral, fungicidal, local anesthetic, estrogenic, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, immune stimulating, hypotensive and anti-cancer properties. It is important to note, that many of the purported actions of propolis have not been confirmed clinical research.

Propolis is used as a base for many ointments, creams and emollients. It has been used as a supplement to treat menopausal and other female disorders.

Royal jelly is a milky white jelly substance produced by worker bees to develop and nurture the queen bee.

Queen bees are fed royal jelly as their main food source. Because of the specialized nutrition required, queen bees differ from worker bees in several ways. Queen bees are about twice the size of regular bees, they lay an average of 2,000 eggs per day while female worker bees are infertile. Queens live five to eight years, which is about 40 times longer than regular worker bees. These differences lead to the marketable assumption that ingestion of royal jelly will have similar effects on humans as it does for queen bees.

Royal jelly has been promoted to stimulate growth, increase muscle size, improve fertility and prolong longevity. It has also been used as skin tonic and hair growth stimulant.

Royal jelly is a complex mixture of proteins, sugars, fats, variable amounts of vitamins and minerals and pheromones or sexual hormones. About 15% of royal jelly is an acid which is thought to play an important role in bee growth regulation.

In preliminary studies it has also been found to possess specific anti-tumour and anti-microbial activity. It’s estrogenic effect in regulating female hormones is questionable.

There is only limited preliminary evidence that royal jelly increases size, fertility or prolongs longevity. It is a good source of various vitamins and minerals including B vitamins. Occasional allergic reactions and skin rash have been reported.

Adverse effects of consuming bee products include allergic reactions, hay fever, skin rash and in severe cases anaphylaxis. They are not recommended to children under I year of age because potential Clostridia botulinum contamination.

The information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical advice. All information and content are for general information purposes only.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.