"If bees were to disappear, mankind would only have four years to live. This famous quote, often wrongly attributed to Albert Einstein, tells us a lot about the vital role of bees for humanity. Indeed, bees allow, among other things, the pollination and they ensure alone this essential act for more than two hundred thousand species of flowering plants! Thus, without them, many mechanisms essential to the earth's ecosystem would be left behind... Moreover, in addition to this aspect essential to the survival of the human species, bee products can be used to treat humans. Apitherapy, from the Latin "apis" "bee" and the Greek "therapia" "care", is the treatment by the various products of the hive, and they are of great therapeutic interest: royal jelly, propolis, pollen, honey, wax and even venom will be used for their various properties and particularities.
Antiseptic
The Origin
It is the most famous product of the hive, which comes from the transformation of nectar (sweet substance secreted by the glands of certain flowers, the melliferous flowers) deposited in the alveoli by the bees. Its composition varies according to the flower foraged, hence the different names (Flower honey, Mountain honey, Forest honey...), and it is composed mainly of sugars (glucose and fructose), as well as water and various nutrients
The benefits of honey
Anti-infective and antibiotic
Antioxidant
Healing
Tonifying and stimulating
Digestive tonic and protector
Metabolic stimulant
Immunostimulant
The Origin
Royal Jelly is a substance secreted by the glands of young worker bees. It is a milky jelly which constitutes the main food of the young larvae during the first three days of their life, and it is the only food of the queen (hence its name!). It is an incredible source of proteins and nutrients, which vary according to the different bee species: minerals, water, proteins, vitamins, lipids, carbohydrates, enzymes, nucleic acids and antioxidant nutrients.
The benefits of royal jelly
Stimulating
Anti-infectious
Digestive tonic and protector
Antioxidant
Royal jelly, the best for
Anti-infectives
The Origin
Propolis is a more or less solid resin that protects the buds and young shoots of certain trees. A real barrier against pathogens, bees collect it with their mandibles, kneading it and mixing it with their saliva to bring it back to the hive, and use it to protect it from microbial diseases. They use it to protect the entrance to the hive, to seal cracks, to clean the air in the hive, to line the inside of the alveoli of young eggs, or to embalm the insects they have killed.
The benefits of propolis
Antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral
Anti-inflammatory
Healing
Immunostimulant
Anticancer
Stimulant
The Origin
Pollen is the male fertilizing element of the flower, and is therefore variable according to each plant species. The bees, while foraging, collect the pollen grains in the form of tiny balls attached to their hind legs, and bring it back to the hive to mix it with lactic ferments and yeasts to feed the young larvae.
The benefits of pollen
Stimulant
Digestive tonic
Antioxidant
Metabolic stimulant
Pollen, the best for
Anti-inflammatory
The Origin
Secreted by specialized glands, bee venom is a substance composed of 85% water which is used by the queen to get rid of her rivals, and by the worker bees to defend the hive, but at the risk of their lives... Made up of different enzymes, peptides, carbohydrates and lipids, it has particular properties which will be put to good use by apitherapists who collect it in syringes or use it directly via the bee. Venom therapy is an unconventional treatment that is still being studied but has proven to be effective.
The benefits of bee venom
Anti-inflammatory
Antalgic
Cardiotonic
Anticoagulant
Cosmetics
The Origin
Beeswax is a complex mixture of organic compounds secreted by the wax glands of the bees from their 2nd or 3rd week of life until their death. It is a greasy and white paste, used for the construction of the alveoli of the hive. It has a double origin, and depending on whether it comes from the cells or the old frames, it will be used respectively in cosmetics or in industry (to make candles for example).
The benefits of beeswax
Cataplasm
Cosmetic container
Candle making
Beeswax, the best for
What do honey, royal jelly, pollen, propolis, venom and wax have in common? They are all products that come from the bee. And to discover the fascinating world of the hive and these little hymenopterans that make beekeepers happy, come on, let's dive into the heart of the hive!
The mysteries of the hive!