Healthy products right from the bee hive
Honey (rare ones)
Royal Jelly
Pollen
Propolis
Bee venom
Beeswax
Royal Jelly
Pollen
Propolis
Bee venom
Beeswax
Honey, "food of the Gods"
Honey is the result of nectar (a sweet sticky substance exuded by most flowers) collected by foraging bees during their travels away from the colony. Once the nectar is consumed, the honey bee mixes it with enzymes produced in special glands in her head and thorax, starting the conversion of the nectar into honey while flying back to the hive. The foraging bee then passes it on to a younger working bee that further converts the liquid, before placing droplets into hexagonal comb cell (honeycomb). Once the water content has been reduced to the right level, the cell is capped by the working bees.
The type of honey -- light or dark, liquid or solid -- made by the bees is dependent on the types of foliage and flowers available to them. Crops such as oil seed rape (the bright yellow fields in the spring) produce large quantifies of honey that sets very hard, while garden flowers tend to give a clear liquid honey. If the beekeeper wants to produce a mono-floral honey (i.e. clover, lavender...), the beehive is put out of range from other sources. Mono-floral or poly-floral, honey comes in many tastes, depending on the flower(s). Different hues and flavours will depend on the type of bee, differences in pollen, type of flower and stage of season; the honey will never be exactly the same.
Honey is much more than just a simple sugar. For thousands of years, honey has been used by mankind in many capacities to help give the human body energy and health. More precisely, honey is a supersaturated sugar solution with approximately 17 % water. Moisture content is one of the most important parameters to be considered in the quality of honey; when it approaches 20%, it is liable to fermentation and gets spoiled in a very short time.
Fructose is the predominant sugar at 38/39 percent, followed by glucose at 31 percent. Besides carbohydrates, honey contains small amounts of protein, enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Honey is known to be rich in antioxidants (including catalase, ascorbic acid, flavonoids and alkaloids). Although appearing only in trace amounts, honey typically contains about 18 different amino acids.
Rich in minerals and nutrients, honey also has some antibiotic properties that may aid in the healing process. It is an extremely stable product, which can literally last forever if kept in the right conditions. The high osmotic pressure resulting from the sugar concentration draws water out of the bacteria, inhibiting their long term survival. Honey helps against infections, promotes tissue regeneration and reduces scarring; natural thyme honey bandages have been used at Limoges University Hospital (France) since the late 1980s to help wounds heal more quickly.
At Bee Treasures, we only focus on rare honeys (White Acacia, Coffee flower, Heather, Manuka...), in particular those that have targeted and demonstrated therapeutic uses.
The type of honey -- light or dark, liquid or solid -- made by the bees is dependent on the types of foliage and flowers available to them. Crops such as oil seed rape (the bright yellow fields in the spring) produce large quantifies of honey that sets very hard, while garden flowers tend to give a clear liquid honey. If the beekeeper wants to produce a mono-floral honey (i.e. clover, lavender...), the beehive is put out of range from other sources. Mono-floral or poly-floral, honey comes in many tastes, depending on the flower(s). Different hues and flavours will depend on the type of bee, differences in pollen, type of flower and stage of season; the honey will never be exactly the same.
Honey is much more than just a simple sugar. For thousands of years, honey has been used by mankind in many capacities to help give the human body energy and health. More precisely, honey is a supersaturated sugar solution with approximately 17 % water. Moisture content is one of the most important parameters to be considered in the quality of honey; when it approaches 20%, it is liable to fermentation and gets spoiled in a very short time.
Fructose is the predominant sugar at 38/39 percent, followed by glucose at 31 percent. Besides carbohydrates, honey contains small amounts of protein, enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Honey is known to be rich in antioxidants (including catalase, ascorbic acid, flavonoids and alkaloids). Although appearing only in trace amounts, honey typically contains about 18 different amino acids.
Rich in minerals and nutrients, honey also has some antibiotic properties that may aid in the healing process. It is an extremely stable product, which can literally last forever if kept in the right conditions. The high osmotic pressure resulting from the sugar concentration draws water out of the bacteria, inhibiting their long term survival. Honey helps against infections, promotes tissue regeneration and reduces scarring; natural thyme honey bandages have been used at Limoges University Hospital (France) since the late 1980s to help wounds heal more quickly.
At Bee Treasures, we only focus on rare honeys (White Acacia, Coffee flower, Heather, Manuka...), in particular those that have targeted and demonstrated therapeutic uses.
Royal Jelly
Royal jelly is a secretion mixed with pre-digested pollen produced by the pharyngeal glands of the young nursing bees. It is a creamy white-yellowish gelatinous substance, with a very characteristic sweet & sour taste. Royal jelly is an exceptional nutrient, essential for the development of a colony, allowing bee larvae to grow at a pace with little if any equivalent in the rest of the animal kingdom.
While other bee larvae are only provided with the substance during their first three days, queen bees enjoy this diet throughout their life (which lasts several years as opposed to several weeks for a rank-and-file, sterile honeybee). The spectacular fertility and long life-span of the queen has for long time attracted people's attention. Royal jelly is collected from larger queen cells, where they are stocked faster than they are consumed. A well-managed hive will typically produce around 500g of royal jelly, depending on the length of the active (blooming) season. Royal jelly is a rare product, difficult to harvest.
Composition: Sugars (15%); proteins (13%-18%), including 10-HDA (see below); lipids (3-6%); water (60-70%); B Vitamins, B5 in particular.
Potential benefits
Royal Jelly can be consumed on its own either in very small quantities (usually leaving it to melt under the tongue) or in capsules. The lyophilisation process, which consists in drying up the product, implies a loss of about two-thirds of the initial weight. Other healthy ingredients often combined with royal jelly include ginseng and acerola.
Its nutritiousness as well as the nature of some of its ingredients are what make royal jelly particularly appealing as a nutrition or cosmetic complement. Here are some key considerations on the composition and conservation of royal jelly:
Royal jelly, a rare and difficult substance to harvest and handle, is our specialty product.
While other bee larvae are only provided with the substance during their first three days, queen bees enjoy this diet throughout their life (which lasts several years as opposed to several weeks for a rank-and-file, sterile honeybee). The spectacular fertility and long life-span of the queen has for long time attracted people's attention. Royal jelly is collected from larger queen cells, where they are stocked faster than they are consumed. A well-managed hive will typically produce around 500g of royal jelly, depending on the length of the active (blooming) season. Royal jelly is a rare product, difficult to harvest.
Composition: Sugars (15%); proteins (13%-18%), including 10-HDA (see below); lipids (3-6%); water (60-70%); B Vitamins, B5 in particular.
Potential benefits
Royal Jelly can be consumed on its own either in very small quantities (usually leaving it to melt under the tongue) or in capsules. The lyophilisation process, which consists in drying up the product, implies a loss of about two-thirds of the initial weight. Other healthy ingredients often combined with royal jelly include ginseng and acerola.
Its nutritiousness as well as the nature of some of its ingredients are what make royal jelly particularly appealing as a nutrition or cosmetic complement. Here are some key considerations on the composition and conservation of royal jelly:
- 10-HDA -- Royal jelly's most potent and therefore valuable compound -- is unique, can't be found anywhere else in nature (and can’t be made artificially). It is an antibacterial compound and helps to strengthen the immune system
- Note: The amount of 10-HDA (10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid) in royal jelly varies, and its content can be normalised. Typically in the 1.5% - 2.5% range, the 10-HDA content is sometimes higher. Some New Zealand honey producers boast a content of 3.1%, "the highest level of 10-HDA known" according to one of them. This type of assertion deserves scrutiny. More generally, one should exercise caution with respect to the advertised-level of 10-HDA, given that it is the substance's key unique compound
- Royal jelly is the natural product with the highest density of vitamin B5, a vitamin that supports energy production and neuro-transmission, and also possesses high levels of the other B vitamins
- Since the product is perishable, producers must have immediate access to proper cold (4° celsius) and dry storage in which the royal jelly is stored. Royal Jelly is best kept in a glass container with a sealed plastic lead (the product's acidity, at pH4, attacks the metal). There is a debate in the profession about the pros and cons of freezing, and as a result of the use of the "fresh" terminology for the product. All in all, it is our view that science favours immediate freezing as an optimal way of maintaining the product qualities
- Chloramphenicol: In the early 2000s, samples were found to be contaminated at high dosage by this antibiotic used in apiculture, and the European Commission blocked imports from China -- the largest producer in the world by far -- from 2002 to 2004. Though less of an issue today, it remains important to establish the absence of such contamination
- Other issues: bees should ideally be fed with pollen and honey during the inactive season, rather that high-fructose syrups or similar concoctions; royal jelly is sometimes mixed with other substances, from honey to egg-white
Royal jelly, a rare and difficult substance to harvest and handle, is our specialty product.
Pollen
While out gathering nectar, bees also collect pollen, balled up into their hind legs' pollen sacs. When entering the narrow hive entrance, part of this pollen can be recuperated in an ad hoc trap placed by the beekeeper.
Pollen (a foodstuff) has great nutritional value. It can be used in medicine, cosmetics and food. Some high performance athletes are said to be using pollen in their diet. According to the Swiss Federation Agroscope, in human diet "it is an exquisite, functional food, and many therapeutic effects can be attributed to it."
Pollen (a foodstuff) has great nutritional value. It can be used in medicine, cosmetics and food. Some high performance athletes are said to be using pollen in their diet. According to the Swiss Federation Agroscope, in human diet "it is an exquisite, functional food, and many therapeutic effects can be attributed to it."
Propolis
Propolis (sometimes called "bee glue") is a natural substance, a very sticky mixture of beeswax and resins collected from trees and plants. It is used to line nest cavities and brood combs, seal cracks and reduce the size of the hive entrance. Propolis is quite odorous and is responsible for the smell of beeswax.
Propolis is a complex entity, containing about 55% resinous compounds and balsam, 30% beeswax, 10% ethereal and aromatic oils, and 5% bee pollen. It also contains some flavonoids and acids (ferulic, caffeic, cinnamic).
According to the Swiss Federation's Agroscope, propolis is a medicinal product and "the most powerful natural antibiotic." Its medicinal properties include antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. Thus, propolis has a degree of antimicrobial action against fungi such as C. albicans and some bacteria (including a range of oral micro-organisms and viruses), and may be as effective as aciclovir against the herpes simplex virus. More generally, propolis has been used for treating anaemia, fighting infections, and helping with tissue regeneration. Propolis is also used in cosmetics.
As a natural product, propolis has a composition which varies considerably depending on its origin, without definite quality criteria. Other uses include special varnishes for stringed instruments, car wax, and occasionally chewing gum.
Propolis is a complex entity, containing about 55% resinous compounds and balsam, 30% beeswax, 10% ethereal and aromatic oils, and 5% bee pollen. It also contains some flavonoids and acids (ferulic, caffeic, cinnamic).
According to the Swiss Federation's Agroscope, propolis is a medicinal product and "the most powerful natural antibiotic." Its medicinal properties include antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. Thus, propolis has a degree of antimicrobial action against fungi such as C. albicans and some bacteria (including a range of oral micro-organisms and viruses), and may be as effective as aciclovir against the herpes simplex virus. More generally, propolis has been used for treating anaemia, fighting infections, and helping with tissue regeneration. Propolis is also used in cosmetics.
As a natural product, propolis has a composition which varies considerably depending on its origin, without definite quality criteria. Other uses include special varnishes for stringed instruments, car wax, and occasionally chewing gum.
Bee venom
Bee venom (apitoxin) is the liquid that is injected into your skin when a honey bee stings you. After extracting the bee from the hive using a tube, the bee is isolated and then specific points on the body are stung with the bee’s stinger, a process sometimes known as "api-acupuncture."
The venom can also be extracted by an ad hoc device. When a bee lands on a specially designed plate, wires deliver a mild electric current that agitates the bee just enough to make it sting, causing the venom to drop onto the plate. Since the fabric on the plate is very thin, it doesn’t trap the stinger, leaving the bee free to fly away unharmed. Beekeepers tend to agree that such stimulation does not hurt bees.
Bee venom can then be applied to the patient using ointments, inhalations and tablets. Venom used in the bee sting is made up of a complex mixture of proteins, the most prominent being the protein melittin. Recent research suggests that venom may have benefits to humans due to its anti-inflammatory effects; it is used in the treatment of arthritis and rheumatism.
Bee venom also helps to make the skin more supple and is considered to have anti-aging effects. The venom causes the body to direct blood toward the treated area, stimulating the production of collagen (a tissue strengthener) and elastin (which helps the skin to remain taut and bounce back into shape).
The venom can also be extracted by an ad hoc device. When a bee lands on a specially designed plate, wires deliver a mild electric current that agitates the bee just enough to make it sting, causing the venom to drop onto the plate. Since the fabric on the plate is very thin, it doesn’t trap the stinger, leaving the bee free to fly away unharmed. Beekeepers tend to agree that such stimulation does not hurt bees.
Bee venom can then be applied to the patient using ointments, inhalations and tablets. Venom used in the bee sting is made up of a complex mixture of proteins, the most prominent being the protein melittin. Recent research suggests that venom may have benefits to humans due to its anti-inflammatory effects; it is used in the treatment of arthritis and rheumatism.
Bee venom also helps to make the skin more supple and is considered to have anti-aging effects. The venom causes the body to direct blood toward the treated area, stimulating the production of collagen (a tissue strengthener) and elastin (which helps the skin to remain taut and bounce back into shape).
Beeswax
The wax producing process works as follows: youngest bees cluster in large numbers to raise their body temperature. Wax producing glands under their abdomen slowly secrete slivers of wax about the size of a pinhead. Other worker bees ‘harvest’ these wax scales and take them to the part of the hive requiring the new wax to build new honeycomb cells. Wax can be gathered from cutting combs, through a heating process and then hardened.
The ancient Egyptians used it in making mummies while in ancient Colombia it helped to cast metals. In the Middle Ages, one of the most important jobs in an Abbey was that of the beekeeper, as a huge quantity of wax was constantly required for ceremonial candles.
The demand for beeswax spans industries. Today, about a third of beeswax produced is used for cosmetics, a third in pharmaceutical uses, and a fifth for candles. Other uses include textile manufacturing, wood polish, and food treatment (the glossy sheen on supermarket apples and jelly beans comes from beeswax).
The ancient Egyptians used it in making mummies while in ancient Colombia it helped to cast metals. In the Middle Ages, one of the most important jobs in an Abbey was that of the beekeeper, as a huge quantity of wax was constantly required for ceremonial candles.
The demand for beeswax spans industries. Today, about a third of beeswax produced is used for cosmetics, a third in pharmaceutical uses, and a fifth for candles. Other uses include textile manufacturing, wood polish, and food treatment (the glossy sheen on supermarket apples and jelly beans comes from beeswax).
