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Honey gets its start as flower nectar, which is collected by bees, naturally broken down into simple sugars and stored in honeycombs. The unique design of the honeycomb, coupled with constant fanning by the bees’ wings, causes evaporation to take place, creating the thick, sweet liquid we know as honey.

The color and flavor of honey varies from hive to hive based on the type of flower nectar collected by the bees. For example, honey made from Orange Blossom nectar might be light in color, whereas honey from Avocado or Wildflowers might have a dark amber color. In the United States alone, there are more than 300 unique types of honey produced, each originating from a different floral source.

Fortunately, honey bees will make more honey than their colony needs, so it is necessary for beekeepers to remove the excess. On average, a hive will produce about 80 pounds of surplus honey each year.

Extracting and Bottling:

Beekeepers — large and small — harvest honey by collecting the honeycomb frames and scraping off the wax cap that bees make to seal off honey in each cell.

Once the caps are removed, the frames are placed in an extractor — a centrifuge that spins the frames, forcing honey out of the comb. The honey is spun to the sides of the extractor, where gravity pulls it to the bottom and it can be collected.

After the honey is extracted, it is strained to remove any remaining pieces of wax or other particles. Some beekeepers and bottlers might heat the honey to make it easier to strain, but this does nothing to alter the liquid’s natural composition. It only makes the straining process easier and more effective.

After straining, it’s time to bottle, label and distribute the honey to retail outlets. Whether the container is glass or plastic, or purchased at the grocery store or farmers market, if the ingredient label says pure honey, you can rest assured that nothing was added, from bee to hive to bottle.

Honey Variations:

The color, flavor, and even aroma of a particular variety of honey may differ depending on the nectar source of flowers visited by the honey bee. The colors may range from nearly colorless to dark brown, the flavor may vary from delectably mild to distinctively bold, and even the odor of the honey may be mildly reminiscent of the flower.

Varietal honeys may be best compared to varietal wine in terms of annual climactic changes. Even the same flower blooming in the same location may produce slightly different nectar from year-to-year depending upon temperature and rainfall.

There are more than 300 unique types of honey available in the United States, each originating from a different floral source.

Health Benefits:

Honey has been used for centuries to help alleviate some of the symptoms associated with a common cold. For relief of the irritating symptoms, try a spoonful of honey to soothe and coat your throat. Take a spoonful straight, as often as you need, to relieve the irritation.

Honey is a source of carbohydrates, providing 17 grams per tablespoon, which makes it ideal for your working muscles since carbohydrates are the primary fuel the body uses for energy.

Honey is a humectant, which means it attracts and retains moisture. This makes honey a natural fit in a variety of moisturizing products.

Honey has been used to heal burns and prevent infection for thousands of years. It has been used as a wound cover in studies on treating burns and is found in many licensed medical products. There is evidence to support the benefit of honey in healing and sterilizing infected wounds. Promising results show that honey may reduce burn-healing time.

Honey has been commonly used for wound management and the promotion of healing. It has also been used to treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The pollen particles in honey can help to relive allergy symptoms by helping you build immunity to the pollen in the air.

How to take Bee Pollen

Adults: Start with 1 tsp. in the morning (1/2 hour before breakfast) followed with some water, juice or milk. Increase your intake every day by a few grains until reaching 2 tsp. a day (10 ml). For normal daily intake you may take up to 1 tbsp. (15 ml) daily.

Children: Start from 3 grains, increasing by 2 grains every few days until reaching 1/2 tsp. a day. You may mix pollen with raw honey and eat it, or dilute it in a liquid at room temperature.

Information:

One of Nature's Most Perfect Foods

The amazing bee has provided us with a beneficial natural food supplement. Long ago the Greeks and Romans called natural bee pollen "the life-giving dust" or the secret "ambrosia" eaten to acquire eternal youth. Pollen was entombed with pharaohs, used by native tribes, and for centuries by tribes in China. In our modern times, scientists, gerontologists and nutritionists have rediscovered these bee-prepared foods and confirmed that they are able to promote benefits in the form of healing and rejuvenation. Some nutritionists state that you could live adequately on bee pollen alone. Science shows that bee pollen, that wondrous yet mysterious nectar, has natural rejuvenating powers, aids beauty, boosts energy, extends life span, fights allergies (and possibly even cancer) and relieves digestive disorders. Bee pollen bursts with easily-assimilated protein and lecithin, which nourish the brain and nervous system.

Food fit for the Queen!

Beehive foods are superior food sources. Based on its research, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has stated that bee pollen is the most nutritious food we can eat. It contains every nutrient required to sustain and support life in a pure, raw and unaltered form. Bee products can provide support for almost any ailment or desired health enhancement. One of the real appealing characters of the hive, besides the bees themselves, is bee pollen. This miracle is considered to contain every chemical substance needed to maintain life, nourish, rejuvenate and heal, and nobody proves it better than the queen bee. How a single bee can reign totally supreme in a community of thousands? Being the sole female, responsible for laying 2,000 eggs daily and living forty times longer than the worker bees, the queen bee is by far the most amazing testament to bee pollen. No wonder it is considered a complete food, a great supplement to build the immune system and provide energy for the entire body!

Dr. S.Seradj, D.O.M.,

Bee pollen is known to be an accelerator of human growth. It regulates the action of the intestinal functions, especially in cases of chronic constipation or diarrhea, which have been resistant to antibiotic treatment. Pollen self-digests and aids the digestion of other foods. A natural occurrence with bee pollen is weight control. Taken into your digestive system, there is a speedy combustion, which makes fats burn faster and increases the rate of burned calories.

Detoxification and Immunity

Bee pollen is used as an immune system builder, has the ability to correct body chemistry and eliminate unhealthy conditions. European physicians note that people with an alcohol problem, when treated with pollen, show great reduction in alcohol cravings. Young people who want to get off heavy drugs go through minimal or no withdrawal when treated with bee pollen. It also has the ability to throw off poisons and toxic materials from the body.

Tests Show Improvements

In France and Poland some doctors have added pollen to children's and adult's diets and observed that, after a few days, all the people felt better and their blood analysis showed an improvement, especially anemic children. Pollen has been used for curing some ailments of our nervous system. After a week, people who take it become less nervous, more optimistic, are more eager to work, and depression disappears. It has also been known to help relieve diabetic symptoms. Doctors have obtained good results. In one test, 32g of pollen daily taken for 2 weeks lowered the amount of sugar in 1 liter of urine by 41.8 g. Dr. Chauvia and Dr. Lenormand say that pollen also contains an antibiotic similar to penicillin and is able to inhibit the development of some microorganisms such as Salmonella.

Help in Middle Age

Doctors have made another discovery, but they are not able to explain it entirely. Men who start eating 15g (1 tbsp.) of pollen daily when they are around 40-45 years old do not have any problem with their prostate gland. Current prostate problems can often be eliminated using pollen (including patients scheduled for surgery). Pollen for potency: It helps with the ability to perform the sexual act and the procreative capacity in cases of barenness and impotency. It is good for men over 40 and for menopausal women.

Help for Seniors

Pollen is very effective with seniors who do not have the appetite to maintain a healthy diet. All minerals in bee pollen are present in a highly digestible and organic form necessary for the digestion of many foods, functioning of glands, organs and nerves, and the balancing of blood, lymph, and aqueous and general metabolism system. Pollen also contains active antibiotic substances, which destroy bacteria on contact. Bee pollen is useful in cases of stress and nervous endocrine system disorders due to its high content of natural B Vitamins. Bee pollen increases energy and mental alertness and is believed to slow down the aging process.

Fighting Disease

By increasing the body's healing power, the body can help build resistance to disease. It has been successfully used with allergies, asthma, chronic rheumatism, colitis, arteriosclerosis, insomnia, depression, failing memory, hay fever, to normalize intestinal activity, to lower cholesterol levels and stimulate appetite, lower high blood pressure, offset the effects of drugs and pollutants, anaemic conditions and attention deficit. It is especially useful in times of pregnancy, lactation and intensive physical or mental work. It maintains the high levels of energy required to keep up with hectic schedules, deadlines or long hours. Pollen brings back vitality without the dangers of artificial stimulants like caffeine, ephedra or quarana and can be taken safely at any time. It is a natural product, admirably tolerated, and compatible with other therapies. Bee pollen is a powerful food supplement for children, growing teens, and adults of all ages. Bee pollen is the only natural food that contains almost all of the 22 elements of which the human body is composed. Today, more than ten thousand tons of bee pollen is consumed as food or medicine all over the world every year! Everyone can benefit from taking Bee pollen!

How to use Royal Jelly in Honey:

Eat one teaspoon every day. You can also apply to the skin; it will be sticky like honey.

Information:

Royal jelly is a milky secretion produced by worker honey bees. It typically contains about 60% to 70% water, 12% to 15% proteins, 10% to 16% sugar, 3% to 6% fats, and 2% to 3% vitamins, salts, and amino acids. Its composition varies depending on geography and climate. This product gets its name from the fact that bees use it for the development and nurturing of queen bees.

Royal jelly is used for asthma, hay fever, liver disease, pancreatitis, sleep troubles (insomnia), premenstrual syndrome (PMS), stomach ulcers, kidney disease, bone fractures, menopausal symptoms, skin disorders, and high cholesterol. It is also used as a general health tonic, for fighting the effects of aging, and for boosting the immune system.

Boosts Immune System and Counters Allergic Reactions:

According to a 2001 study published in the journal International Immunopharmacology, royal jelly can help boost the immune system. In the study, histamine response to allergens was immediately suppressed, showing that it may help relieve seasonal allergy symptoms. (2) However, more research is still needed to completely validate its allergen-suppressing abilites.

Helps Alzheimer’s Patients:

Recent research indicates royal jelly may improve short-term memory because it’s demonstrated to have a beneficial role on neural functions. We know that Alzheimer’s disease is associated with impairments of learning and memory, which is why this study published in Advanced Biomedical Research was designed to examine the effect of royal jelly on spatial learning and memory.

Because the brain tissue contains a lot of unsaturated fatty acids that are especially vulnerable for free radical attacks, the antioxidant substances found in royal jelly can play an important role in prevention and cure of neurodegenerative diseases. That includes working as a potential Alzheimer’s natural treatment.

Contains Beneficial Probiotics:

Royal honey appears to have a valuable effect as a source of bifidobacteria, which is the beneficial bacteria that supports the health of the gastrointestinal tract, making it a useful probiotic. Clinical studies have associated other beneficial effects, such as immune enhancement and anti-carcinogenicity, with the presence of bifidobacteria in the GI tract. The unique composition of honey suggests that it could enhance the growth, activity and viability of bifidobacteria in fermented dairy products.

Eases Menopausal and Postmenopausal Symptoms:

Research shows that taking royal jelly can help reduce menopausal symptoms and improve feelings of well-being in menopausal women. The combination of royal jelly, evening primrose oil, damiana and ginseng may also decrease menopausal symptoms.

Improves Collagen Levels for Great Skin:

A study conducted by the Department of East-West Medical Science at Kyung Hee University in Korea reports that royal jelly regulates skin photoaging following exposure to ultraviolet-B radiation. The anti-aging effects on the skin were assessed by determining the collagen content and epidermal thickness of skin tissue.

The level of procollagen type I protein was increased in the subjects that were fed with a dietary supplement containing 1 percent royal jelly extract. These findings indicate that royal jelly may protect against skin aging by enhancing collagen production.

Treats Osteoporosis and Inflamation:

The Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Medical Faculty of Erciyes University in Turkey aimed to investigate whether royal jelly and bee pollen reduce the bone loss due to osteoporosis.

There were significant differences found that showed positive bone health in the lumbar spine and proximal femur in the royal jelly and bee pollen groups. Bone tissue calcium and phosphate levels were higher, as well, indicating that royal jelly and bee pollen may decrease bone loss due to osteoporosis. Royal jelly is very well established as an immune modulator so it comes as no surprise that it was effective in another autoimmune condition such as arthritis. Royal Jelly might be helpful in a condition such as rheumatoid arthritis because it interrupts these signals continually asking for more inflammation, which over the long term leads to damage of the joint, pain and disability.

Aids in Healing Wounds:

Honey has long been known as an aid in wound healing. Studies reveal that royal jelly has significant benefits in wound healing as well. In a 2010 study, a wound was promptly treated with royal jelly at varying concentrations for up to 48 hours, and migration was analyzed by evaluating closure of the wound margins. Furthermore, altered levels of lipids, which were recently reported to participate in the wound-healing process, were analyzed. Ultimately, the research demonstrated that royal jelly enhances the migration of fibroblasts, a cell in connective tissue that produces collagen and other fibers, and alters the levels of various lipids involved in the wound-healing process.

Improves Male Infertility:

Research published in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine evaluated the protective effect of royal jelly on sperm parameters, testosterone levels and malondialdehyde production in mice. Sperm count, sperm motility, viability, maturity and DNA integrity were analyzed in the study. The findings suggest royal jelly treatments can improve male fertility.

How to use Propolis Powder:

Apply to skin for cuts, burns, bruises, acne, eczema, psoriasis, etc.

Take 1/4 teaspoon everyday to prevent sickness or one teaspoon as needed.

Mix with honey as needed. Do not cook the propolis.

Information:

The bees use propolis to cover cracks in their hive, to line interiors of a honeycomb to ensure sterile environment in preparation for the queen to lay eggs, thanks to its antimicrobial properties. At the same time, the bees are lining propolis around entrance to the hive, so they can clean themselves before entering a house. It is also used to mummify any enemies killed in the hive, which are too big for the bees to throw out.

When scientists have looked closer at the exact chemical composition of propolis, they have found that it actually contains over 300 natural compounds, including amino acids, coumarins, phenolic aldehydes, polyphenols, sequiterpene quinines and steroids. In general, raw propolis is made up of approximately 50 percent resins, 30 percent waxes, 10 percent essential oils, 5 percent pollen and 5 percent of various organic compounds. The interesting thing about propolis, which is also true for honey, is that its composition is always going to vary depending upon the exact collection time, collection location and plant sources.

Propolis usage is said to date all the way back to the time of Aristotle circa 350 B.C. Ancient Egyptians were also known for using propolis in their mummification process while the ancient Greeks and Assyrians loved it for its wound- and tumor-healing abilities.Science and personal experience continue to show that bee propolis remains an incredibly medicinal substance today.

Helps Combat Cancer:

One of my favorite bee propolis benefits is that it appears to possess anti-tumoral and anticancer properties. There are currently over 300 scientific studies and articles focusing on propolis and cancer treatment. Two propolis polyphenols in particular seem to be the most potent anti-tumor agents. They are caffeic acid phenethyl esters from poplar propolis and Artepillin C from Baccharis propolis. Scientists believe that the ability of propolis to prevent cancer from developing in both animal models and human cell cultures is likely the result of its ability to inhibit DNA synthesis in tumor cells as well as its capability to induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) of tumor cells.

A 2016 study evaluated the effects of propolis extracts from the northern region of Thailand on cancer cell growth. All of the extracts showed high antioxidant activity as well as high phenolic and flavonoid content. Overall, the propolis extracts showed anticancer activities and extended the survival of animal subjects who already had tumors. This study concludes, “From these findings, it is evident that propolis extracts can be considered as a naturally obtained agent extremely useful in cancer treatment.

Treats Candida Symptoms:

Candida or candidiasis is an infection caused by Candida Albicans, a yeast-like fungus. This is the most common type of yeast infection found in the mouth, intestinal tract and vagina, and it may affect skin and other mucous membranes. If the immune system is functioning optimally, this type of yeast infection is rarely serious. However, if the immune system is not functioning properly, the candida infection can migrate to other areas of the body, including the blood and membranes around the heart or brain.

A study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research found that propolis extract inhibited oral candidiasis in 12 patients with denture-related inflammation and candidiasis. Other research published in 2011 in the Journal of Medicinal Food revealed that propolis seems to be the bee product with the highest antifungal activity as demonstrated by its effect on 40 different yeast strains, including Candida Albicans. Other bee products tested included honey, bee pollen and royal jelly.

Stops Herpes (Cold Sores) Reproduction:

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections are extremely common. HSV-1 is the main cause of herpes infections on the mouth and lips, which are commonly known as cold sores and fever blisters. The herpes virus can live dormant inside a person’s immune system for a lifetime, periodically causing blisters that burst and turn into open cold sores or ulcers before healing. When left alone, herpes cold sores usually last about 10 to 14 days and are uncomfortable for a variety of reasons — causing redness, pain, burning and often embarrassment. HSV-1 can also cause genital herpes, but HSV-2 is the main cause of genital herpes.

Prevents and Treats Common Cold and Sore Throats:

Scientific studies have shown that propolis extracts may naturally prevent as well as shorten the duration of the common cold, which can often include a dreaded sore throat. One study administered an aqueous propolis extract to a group of very young school children for the entire duration of a year’s “cold season.” The exact daily dose is not given, but the children treated with propolis had fewer colds with acute or chronic symptoms. The propolis extract was also tolerated well.

In another scientific evaluation of the effects of bee propolis on the common cold, the group taking propolis extract (amount not indicated) became free of symptoms faster than the placebo group. Specifically, the cold symptoms for the propolis takers went away two and half times quicker than the subjects who took a placebo.

Fights Parasites:

Giardiasis is a parasitic infection that can occur in the small intestine and is caused by a microscopic parasite called Giardia lamblia. You can contract giardiasis from contact with infected people or by eating contaminated food or drinking water. A clinical trial looked at the effects of propolis extract on 138 giardiasis patients, both adults and children. The researchers found that the propolis extract resulted in a 52 percent cure rate in children and a 60 percent elimination rate in adults.

Improves Fertility for Females with Endometriosis:

A pilot randomized controlled trial looked at the effects of propolis supplementation on women with infertility and mild endometriosis. The researchers found that taking bee propolis at a dose of 500 milligrams twice a day for six months resulted in a pregnancy rate of 60 percent compared to only 20 percent in the placebo group. Studies have yet to show if propolis can also benefit infertile women without endometriosis.

Wounds:

Propolis has a special compound called pinocembrin, a flavonoid that acts as an antifungal. These anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties make propolis helpful in wound healing. One study found that propolis can help people who have had traumatic burns heal faster by speeding up new healthy cell growth. Another study found that a topical propolis alcoholic extract was more effective than a steroid cream in reducing mast cells in oral surgery wounds. Mast cells are associated with inflammation and slowed wound healing.

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