Honey is made by worker bees who, flying from flower to flower, collect nectar produced in the blossom. The bee swallows the nectar which is rich in sugars, vitamins, minerals, where it collects in its honey stomach. During flight, bees use the water from the nectar which dries it out making it viscous.
Once the bee arrives at the hive, it stores the nectar in honeycombs. Other bees use it at the same time enriching it with enzymes. The beehive is a kind of a dryer because the bees, several times during an hour, replace the air and emit heat. The nectar dries further and becomes increasingly more viscous.
The highest quality honey is obtained during extraction, or cold pressing. It is very important, because of the geographical origin of honey, where the bees are stationed during grazing.
Honey originating from areas that are far enough removed from urban areas so that they have practically not been exposed to various contaminants and pollution can be called Ecological honey, originating from ecologically clean areas.
Honey is sweet, thick and viscous, produced by honeybees, it has a specific taste and aroma which acts bactericidal (suppresses bacteria and prevents their growth) and antifungal (anti-fungal agent). It is easy to digest and is an ideal food which is almost entirely utilized by the body. Honey improves the metabolism and the functioning of all organs thereby strengthening the body’s resistance.
It cleanses the blood of toxins and facilitates the absorption of substances (drugs, vitamins, hormones, active substances from medicinal herbs). By consuming honey in the morning, detoxification is stimulated, while consuming it during the evening produces a calming effect.
Honey has over 180 different ingredients, numerous organic acids, various vitamins, minerals, enzymes, wax, pollen and essential oils. It also contains: various sugars, essential amino acids, fruit acids, antibiotics – phytoncides, antioxidants, i.e., all substances necessary for a health life.
Due to its harmonious composition, honey is a biologically valuable food for children and adults.
It is easy to digest and is quickly and almost completely utilized by the body. According to enzyme content, honey is among the most important foodstuffs and natural sources of energy. With regular consumption, we gain physical endurance and mental stability.
Bee pollen (pollen) is a product that worker bees collect from budding plants, process with nectar and own ferments, shape into lumps and place in wax honeycomb cells. Pollen is the bees main food without which one cannot imagine the development of bee offspring.
The chemical composition of pollen includes: cellulose, acids, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, trace elements, enzymes, etc.
Pollen is used in the original and stabilized (lyophilized) form.
Pollen in its original form can be in the form of lumps or ground up. It is preserved in honey, dark containers, hermetically sealed, or lyophilized.
Every grain of pollen contains ingredients necessary for the creation and development of life.
It contains proteins, vitamins, amino acids, fat, carbohydrates, enzymes, co-enzymes, hormones.
Propolis (bee glue) is a bee product resulting from a mixture of resinous substances that bees collect from buds from woody plants and natural beeswax.
The term propolis is Greek and translates into: pro-before, polis- fortress, i.e., protection of city, fortress. In the world of bees, propolis really is this significant. It serves as a building, disinfecting matter which bees use to fill cracks, strengthen honeycombs, disinfect and polish cells and reduce the hole in the beehive in order to enjoy more protection from the enemy.
Research has identified propolis’ complex chemical composition, i.e., about 60 types of different substances distributed according to: 55% resins and balsams, 30% wax, 10% essential oils, 5% pollen, tannins, mechanical impurities and other. The resin substances contain flavonoids, organic acids, esters, alcohols, amino acids and others.
If propolis is kept at room temperature, in a dry and well-ventilated place, in parchment paper, it can maintain its quality for up to 3 years. The healing properties of propolis are numerous: antimicrobial (bacteriostatic and bactericidal), antiviral, biostimulative.
Royal jelly is a product of a young bee’s glands, which they use to feed larvae to make a new queen. Queen bees are also fed with royal jelly. Royal jelly can be put into circulation in its original form or stabilized (lyophilized). In its original form, it is a milky color, with a more or less thick consistency, a sour-sweet taste and a specific odor. Lyophilized royal jelly powder is white to light cream in color and very hygroscopic. Dry, stabilized (lyophilized) jelly, which is kept at a temperature of 0 to 14°C, will retain its biological properties for up to 5 years, while at a temperature of -20°C it will retain its quality up to 7 years. Royal jelly contains all basic matter needed for the construction and the survival of a living organism: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, amino acids, ferments, hormones, macro- and trace elements and others.
To be usable, royal jelly must meet the following requirements:
- must not contain more than 70% water
- must comprise at least 30% dry matter
- must comprise at least 11% proteins
After numerous tests conducted on royal jelly, it was found that the chemical composition is very complex (as stated above) but what gives it a special characteristic is the presence of various vitamins.
In addition to its nourishing properties, royal jelly is better known for its medicinal effects – antimicrobial and antiviral, and some research in this field has shown that a royal jelly solution, ratio of 1:50 000, destroys some viruses in only 4 minutes!
What royal jelly is best known for:
- medicinal effect on endocrine glands
- immunostimulant (increases the body’s resistance to diseases)
- stimulates the formation of blood, increases the level of hemoglobin in the blood
- improves myocardium and blood vessel function
- balances out the metabolism
- improves working ability and memory, sleep and appetite
- slows down the aging process
- regenerates an exhausted body
- a natural biostimulator and antioxidant
Royal jelly contains acetylcholine, which is responsible for the transmission of nerve impulses and the development of the brain, collagen, which helps maintain a youthful appearance, and gamma globulin which strengthens immunity.
Royal jelly is commonly used in the form of products, usually mixed with honey as its most natural “preservative”.
Therefore, royal jelly can be considered a super-food for the human body.
Why is royal jelly an ideal food for humans?
Tests have shown royal jelly’s positive effect on a wide variety of conditions such as impaired vision, varicose veins, poor nutrition, symptoms of early menopause, sexual problems, infertility, lack of sex hormones, hair loss, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, migraines, symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome and stimulating the immune system.
Royal jelly significantly lowers blood cholesterol and reduces the risk of atherosclerosis. It stimulates the production of antibodies, which eliminates the causes of many infections, toxins and free radicals.
10-HDA, which has been declared the most powerful natural anti-cancer factor, forms part of royal jelly’s composition.