In our last post, we talked about the fantastic ways that pollinators contribute to the health of our environment, but they can also contribute to the health of humans. As pollinators, bees contribute to our health by pollinating fruits, vegetables, and nuts, essential for healthy diets. However, bee species specifically contribute to many products we use as health or medicinal products. These products include honey, propolis, and beeswax, and they have been used for thousands of years for their antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Consult your doctor to ensure these products won’t impact the effects of preexisting conditions or medications.
Let’s dive into these bee products and their uses.
Local Raw Honey
Not only is honey a yummy sweetener, but it also has many medicinal benefits. Honey helps with allergies because it contains pollen from local flowers, which alleviates allergens related to those flowers. It also contains antioxidants, lowers cholesterol, reduces the risk of heart disease, and is used to heal wounds.
Bee Pollen
Pollen is a plant and flower pollen mixture with nectar and bee saliva. Bees collect it as they fly from flower to flower, then store it in sacks on their hind legs. It provides protein and other nutrients for bee bread.
Bee pollen is a superfood containing amino acids, micronutrients, macronutrients, and everything your body needs except carbohydrates. It is not only used for allergies but is also commonly used by bodybuilders, law enforcement, people who play sports, or those who need its body-enhancing properties without drugs.
Propolis Tinctures
Propolis, also known as bee glue, is used by bees to fill in cracks, provide structural support, and sterilize. It is strongly antibacterial, inhibiting the growth of any bacteria, fungus, or other unwanted microbe that might thrive in the warm and humid hive environment.
The word ‘propolis’ is derived from the Greek ‘pro’ (in front of, at the entrance to) and polis (community or city), meaning ‘before the city’ or ‘in defense of the city’ (i.e., the hive). Bees also use propolis to contain potential pathogens from mice and other hive intruders. The bees kill the intruders and mummify their carcasses in propolis to prevent their decay from degrading the hive environment.
The bees make propolis from tree resins they collect from leaf buds and tree sap. Worker bees collect the resins and carry them back to the hive on their legs in their pollen baskets. The bees mix the collected resins with wax, honey, and enzymes from their stomachs to turn them into the fantastic and ever-useful substance we know as propolis.
The end composition is ~50% resins, 30% waxes, 10% essential oils, 5% pollen, and 5% plant debris, but each hive has unique resins collected from a given hive’s local trees.
Propolis tinctures are made by mixing propolis with clear-grain alcohol, such as vodka. They can be easily applied to wounds or cuts as a liquid bandaid. Propolis has many properties that help treat or prevent infections, act as an anti-inflammatory, lower blood pressure, and heal other ailments caused by inflammation.
Beeswax
Beeswax is a natural wax produced in the abdominal segment of a worker bee, which is deposited into a flaky scale. It is collected and pressed into a honeycomb to store honey and protect larvae. Just like other bee products, beeswax has a ton of medicinal benefits. It can treat many skin problems, protect the liver, lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, treat fungal infections, and relieve stress.
Beeswax candles don’t emit the toxins associated with petroleum-based candles. They also last a lot longer. You can make candles by mixing beeswax and essential oils for a longer-lasting smell. Beeswax can be found in beauty products like lip balm, skin moisturizers, and conditioners. Beeswax is a glaze, waterproofing gel, or chewed like chewing gum.
In Conclusion
Bee products offer a wealth of many health benefits. Many products use at least one of these products and have multiple purposes. Finding a local, trusted source for bee products is essential to get the full benefits, so talk to your local beekeeper or farmers market organizer to learn more about what’s available in your area. Consult your doctor to ensure these products won’t impact the effects of preexisting conditions or medications.
What are your favorite uses for these bee products? Let us know!
Written by Kayla Kamp, Owner of Replenishing Farms and Advocate of Local Food and Farmers