What is Beeswax?
Beeswax is a natural wax produced by worker bees in the hive.  There are three main beeswax products: yellow beeswax (the crude product made from honeycomb), white beeswax (made by bleaching yellow beeswax), and beeswax absolute (made by treating yellow beeswax with alcohol).  It is produced by abdominal glands which secrete wax.  Honeycomb wax is initially nearly white in colour but becomes more yellow and brown over time as pollen and propolis become incorporated.  Beeswax is used in the hive to make the incredible hexagonal honeycombs in which the young larvae are raised as well as for the storage of honey and pollen.  Once cells are are full of honey they are sealed which effectively closes the cell and allows the honey to be preserved.  Additionally as larvae develop the brood are eventually sealed to enable them to complete their development prior to emerging as a mature bee.

What are the health benefits?
Beeswax is used for a range of medical conditions.  For example, it has been used for high cholesterol, as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic (for pain relief), for diarrhoea, and even hiccups.  It is also used widely in skin care products and lip balms.

How is it taken?
The route of administration and dose depends on the indication and individual. When used topically, it has a moisturising effect.  It can also be applied to skin in areas of skin damage or minor burns (seek medical advice before use).  It may also act as a thickening agent when applied to hair.  For most people, beeswax is very safe.  However, not enough is known about it’s use in pregnancy and breastfeeding so it should be avoided in this situation.

How is it made?
Beeswax is usually harvested during the process of honey extraction.  This involves firstly cutting off the wax caps from the honeycomb cells with an uncapping knife.  The honey is then extracted using a centrifuge honey extractor typically which empties the cells of their honey contents leaving just beeswax behind.  The beeswax is then cut off the frame and heated in boiling water from which it is eventually skimmed off and made into a wax cake.  The wax cake undergoes further purification until the final beeswax is formed.

 Where’s the evidence?

Unfortunately, there is currently not enough evidence to scientifically prove the effectiveness of beeswax for the medical conditions described above.

Disclaimer: Always seek medical advice before trying any new health or medicinal product. 

What is Pollen?
Bee pollen is the flower pollen that is collected on the legs and body of worker bees.  The pollen itself is collected from a range of flowers.  It is made in the ‘microsporangium’ which is the male part of the flower (anther in flowers or male cone of other plants).  Each pollen grain contains two types of cells: vegetative (non-reproductive) and generative (reproductive) cells.  It comes in a fascinating variety of different shapes and sizes which characterises the different species from which it arises.  They vary in size from as small as 6µm (0.000006m) to 100µm (0.0001m).   It consists mainly of carbohydrate with varying proportions of protein (from 7 to 35%).

The incredible variety of pollens as seen under a microscope

What are the health benefits?
There are a wide range of uses for beepollen.  It is used nutritionally as an appetite stimulant as well as for premenstrual symptoms, rhinitis, mouth sores, joint pains, and prostate disorders.  Additionally, it is used for a range of gastrointestinal conditions including diarrhoea, constipation and colitis.  Some people use it as a skin cream for eczema and nappy rash.

How is it taken?
The route of administration and frequency varies according to use.  It is often sold as tablets combined with other hive products such as royal jelly.  In terms of side effects, as with other products, there is a risk of allergic and potentially anaphylactic reactions to pollen.  An allergy to grass pollen is known as hay fever and can be treated with antihistamines and decongestants.  There is some evidence that pollen may be unsafe in pregnancy as it may stimulate the uterus.   It should also be avoided during breast feeding as there is not enough evidence of the effect on the infant.

How is it made?
To harvest beepollen, you need a beepollen trap which is inserted inside the hive’s front entrance.  The trap contains a collection drawer into whichpollen collects as the bees move through the mesh screen.  The day after the trap is installed it should be checked, when all the bees are in the hive (either very early in the morning or late in the evening), to determine how frequently thepollen should be harvested based on the amount produced after 1 day.  When there is sufficient beepollen for collection, wearing sterile gloves, the beepollen collected is poured into a plastic bag, then air dried (otherwise there is a risk of mould forming) before filtering (to remove impurities).  Finally the beepollen is frozen immediately to prevent breakdown as it is highly perishable.

Where’s the evidence?

Unfortunately there is currently insufficient evidence to show the health benefit of pollen for the range of conditions in which it is used.  Some people claim that bee pollen enzymes have health benefits if ingested.  However, these are likely to be digested in the stomach and therefore unlikely to be available to the body in their active form.

Disclaimer: Always seek medical advice before trying any new health or medicinal product. 

What is Propolis?
Propolis is a resin-like substance which is collected by bees from buds of cone-bearing and poplar trees.  It consists of resins and vegetable balsams (50%), waxes (30%), essential oils (10%) and pollen (5%).  The exact composition however depends on the local climate and geology.  It is usually dark brown in colour but this depends on its natural origin. Above room temperature (20°C) it is sticky in consistency and at lower temperatures it becomes hard and brittle.  Broadly, It is used by bees to seal unwanted open spaces in the hive.  More specifically, it is used to fill gaps 6mm or less whereas larger spaces are filled with beeswax.  For centuries it was thought to be important in protecting the hive from the rain and wind, but research in the 20th century showed that bees do well where ventilation is good during winter months.  It’s now thought propolis has a range of roles including: increasing structural stability of the hive; improving defence by sealing alternative hive entrances; reducing hive vibration; reducing risk of disease (the biological role of tree resin is to seal tree wounds and defend against microorganisms and insects); for use in emergencies to seal the carcass of dead rodents or other hive invaders thereby maintaining cleanliness in the hive.

What are the health benefits?
Propolis has been used as early as 350BC when the Greeks used it for the treatment of abscesses and Assyrians used it for wounds and tumours.  It is used for a wide range of medical conditions including cold sores, genital herpes, tuberculosis, certain cancers, ulcers and burns.

 

How is it taken?
In terms of side effects, in some people it can cause an allergic reaction particularly in those who are known to be allergic to bee products.  It should be avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding as not enough is known about it’s safety during these periods.  The route of administration and frequency varies according to use: for cold sores, 3% propolis ointment is applied 5 times a day; for herpes infections, 3% propolis ointment is applied to blisters 4 times a day; following mouth surgery, propolis is given as a mouth rinse also containing water and alcohol.


How is it made?
Propolis extract is made by dissolving propolis harvested from the hive into alcohol and removing the precipitate by straining.  Practically, the propolis is broken down into small marble sized pieces, to which a specific concentration of alcohol is added in a container.  The container is then sealed and stored in a warm dark place and shaken a few times a day over a 2 week period.  The liquid is then filtered and ready for use.

 

 
Where’s the evidence?

Research shows that some types of propolis have antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi.  It is difficult to research the specific health effects of propolis generally as it’s composition can vary widely from one region to another.  However, there is some evidence of possible effectiveness of propolis for cold sores (3% propolis ointment may reduce pain and improve healing time); genital herpes (some research suggests it may heal lesions more rapidly and completely than the standard Aciclovir treatment); post-mouth surgery (to improve healing and reduce pain).  In terms of cancer, there is some evidence that propolis can affect cell division and the expression of growth factors but there are no clinical trials to support any significant clinical effect.  There is also insufficient evidence for all other uses of propolis as this time.

Disclaimer: Always seek medical advice before trying any new health or medicinal product. 

What is Royal Jelly?
Royal Jelly is a milky secretion produced by glands of the worker bees and used to feed all larvae in the colony regardless of sex.  After the first three days of life, the male larvae (drones) and female larvae (worker bees) stop being fed royal jelly. However, fascinatingly, when a colony decides to make a new queen, the worker bees continue to feed a few larvae excessively with royal jelly in specially constructed queen cells (hence the name royal jelly).  This results in a change in the morphology of the developing queen bee even though, genetically, queen bees are identical to worker bees.  Royal jelly contains ~67% water, 12.5% protein, 11% simple sugars, and 5% fatty acids.  Additionally it contains a number of vitamins and minerals including Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin C.

What are the health benefits?
Royal jelly is used for a wide range of medical conditions.  It has been used to reduce cholesterol, for relief of menopausal symptoms and premenstrual syndrome, asthma, hayfever, pancreatitis, liver disease, insomnia, kidney disease, bone fractures, skin disorders, and hair loss amongst an array of other conditions.

How is it taken?
There is very little evidence about how royal jelly should be taken.  It is often collected and sold as a dietary supplement or used in skin care and beauty products.  In terms of side effects, in some people it can cause allergic reactions such as throat swelling, asthma, skin rash, and in extreme cases anaphylaxis.  If applied to skin, it may make dermatitis worse.   However, for most people, when used in the short term it is thought to be safe.  It should be avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding as not enough is known about it’s safety during these periods.  In terms of interactions with drugs, people taking the blood thinner Warfarin (Coumadin) need to speak to their doctor as royal jelly can increase the effect of Warfarin and therefore increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.

How is it made?
Royal Jelly is collected from queen cells as these are the only cells where it is deposited in large enough amount to be harvested.  In contrast, worker bees feeding worker larvae produce it and feed it directly to them.  In a good colony it is possible to make up to 500g of royal jelly over a 6 month period.  Once harvested, royal jelly needs to be immediately stored in a cool place such as a refrigerator or freezer.  It’s shelf life can be prolonged by combining with other hive products such as honey or beeswax.

 
Where’s the evidence?

Unfortunately there is very little scientific evidence about the effectiveness of royal jelly for the treatment of health conditions.  Hopefully, further research into royal jelly will help improve our understanding of this incredible substance and support the evidence-base for it’s therapeutic use.

Disclaimer: Always seek medical advice before trying any new health or medicinal product. 

Have you ever wondered if so-called superfoods like honey are actually as good as people make them out to be? This brand new series examines the health benefits of different product of the hive.  We’ll start with bee venom a surprisingly useful and interesting product.  Then we’ll look at royal jelly, propolis and more common products from the hive such as pollen and wax.  Finally we’ll examine honey and discover if it really is a superfood.

 Superfoods: Bee Venom 

What is Bee Venom?
Bee venom is the colourless, bitter poison made by bees to make bee stings painful.  When you get stung, 0.1mg of venom is injected via the bee’s stinger.  Bee venom is a mixture of proteins including mellitin (accounting for 52% of venom peptides), apamin and histamine.  These proteins cause inflammation (and therefore pain) and act as an anticoagulant (stops blood clots from forming).

What are the health benefits?
It is ironic that the very thing that people are scared of – the bee sting – can be a powerful source of healing.  For centuries the belief that bee venom is beneficial in inflammatory conditions has been known.  It has been used for the relief of inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.  It has also been used to desensitize people that are allergic to bee venom – so called bee venom immunotherapy.  Repeated injections of bee venom under the skin results in an immune response which helps to reduce the reaction on future exposure.

How is it taken?
Purified bee venom is given as a subcutaneous (under the skin) injection.  In terms of side effects, some people may experience redness or swelling at the injection site.  There are other less common side effects such as dizziness and itching.  In some studies, bee venom has been safely administered in doses as high as 20 bee stings, three times a week for 24 weeks.  As bee venom stimulates the immune system, there is a risk that people with autoimmune conditions may experience a flare.  It should be avoided during pregnancy and should certainly not be given in high doses as it causes the uterus to contract.

How is it made?
Bee venom is extracted from bees by placing a plate of glass along the hive with a small electrical current running through it.  As the bees pass this plate, a small electric shock is delivered encouraging the bees to sting the glass surface.  The venom is deposited on the glass surface leaving the bee’s stinger intact.  It’s said that this process doesn’t kill or harm the bees themselves.

Where’s the evidence?

Bee venom has been shown to be effective in reducing the severity of allergic reactions to bee stings.  In fact, studies show up to 98-99% protection from reactions to bee stings.  However, once immunotherapy has been stopped the risk of a reaction is around 5-15% over the next 5-10 years.  The anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of bee venom have been tested and shown to be effective in animal models of arthritis (http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ecam/neh070).  However, research hasn’t supported the use of bee venom for arthritis in human studies.Disclaimer: Always seek medical advice before trying any new health or medicinal product. 

DrBeekeeper’s Superfoods

Bee venom – Royal Jelly – Propolis – Pollen – Beeswax – Honey