You’ll Bee Feeling Better After Reading This – Our Favorite Bee By-Products
Movement Affirmation:
“As I flow I move like I’m swimming through honey.”
I’m sure you have seen that $60 manuka honey on the top shelf of your local Whole Foods and I’m also sure you were thinking what makes it worth that kind of money. Well, this is where I fell into a rabbit hole of unraveling all of the amazing things bees create. In this blog, I’m going to tell you my favorite facts about the by-products of bees!
Bee Propolis
Starting off strong with bee propolis. Honey is the food for the bees, while propolis is the medicine. With 300+ beneficial compounds, propolis is the bodyguard of the beehive. Bees use it to line the walls of their hives to keep the germs out. Luckily we can use it in the same way, except it’s to support our immune systems, soothe scratchy throats, and combat free radical damage in the body. This isn’t new news though, humans have been using bee propolis since 300 BC.
We are loving this B.Soothed Honey Lozenges from Bee Keeper’s Naturals
Manuka Honey
This is my miracle worker. When I traveled to New Zealand I swear you see this stuff EVERYWHERE! I knew they must have been on to something. Manuka Honey is actually super interesting, it all starts with the manuka tree, which is a plant species indigenous to New Zealand. Manuka honey comes from the nectar of those flowering manuka trees—and compounds in manuka honey, in particular methylglyoxal (MGO), has been shown in cell studies to possess antimicrobial and antibacterial activity.
What’s even more interesting is you would think you could just collect the nectar from the tree no problem, just leave the bees out of it, but it’s actually really difficult and labor-intensive to extract the nectar. But the primary reason we covet the honey and not the nectar comes down to the marvel of bees doing what bees do. “The way the bees make honey, it’s not just a matter of transferring nectar from the flower into a honeycomb,” Jackie Evans, Ph.D. says to Goop. “They actually take the nectar into their separate honey stomach, and they mix it with enzymes from their mouth as part of the process of turning it into honey.”
I started using this Manuka Honey Cleansing Balm from Naturopathica when I was struggling with hormonal, cystic acne and I know it played a huge role in healing my skin.
Royal Jelly
Royal jelly is a protein-rich excretion from the glands of worker bees – I think of it like a honey bee’s version of mother’s milk. While all larvae are fed royal jelly for the first three days, of life, larvae chosen by the worker bees to become queens are bathed in royal jelly in special, elongated ‘queen cells’ throughout their development. After the larval stage is complete and the queen bee emerges, she is fed royal jelly throughout her life. Royal jelly offers nutrients and antioxidants that may support hormonal balance and brain health. Thanks to rare beneficial compounds, like 10-HDA, this substance may help improve cognition and fend of brain fog.
In cultures around the world, royal jelly has been used to promote a healthy and long life. Because it’s such a precious substance (so little is made, and it’s not easy to harvest), historical use was mostly for royalty, just like in the honey beehive. In traditional Chinese medicine, royal jelly is called “food of the emperors”, and has long been prescribed to lengthen life, promote energy and vitality, and prevent illness.
This stuff is like natural Adderal… With royal jelly as the main ingredient, I swear by it to help me focus
B.Smart Brain Fuel by Beekeepers Naturals
Bee Pollen
Bee pollen is a mixture of flower pollen, nectar, enzymes, honey, wax, and bee secretions and it delivers B vitamins, minerals, free-forming amino acids, and antioxidants. Sprinkle it on anything to nourish your body and support your busy schedule. Bee pollen boasts an impressive nutritional profile. It contains over 250 biologically active substances, including proteins, carbs, lipids, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and antioxidants.
We love sprinkling bee pollen on smoothies, yogurt, salads, and even desserts. You can probably find local bee pollen at your neighborhood farmers market, but if not this one from Been Keepers Naturals is a huge favorite!
