The honey bee. These little buzzing insects are a big deal. They provide pollination to flowering plants and to many of the nutritious foods we eat.
The creations of the honey bee (pollen, propolis, honey, royal jelly) include all the substances necessary to sustain life including enzymes, vitamins and minerals.
They are super packed with goodness and these creations end up as food for us. A true gift.
The Healing Power of “B’s”
The biggest benefit to all bee products is that they contain “B” vitamins. Bees = B’s 🙂
Check out the healing power of B vitamins:
- support antioxidant activity
- demonstrate anti-inflammatory effects
- provide energy
- stimulate proper brain function
- assist your liver enzymes with the removal of bad estrogens
- support immune function and nervous system health
- balance blood sugar
- support your adrenal glands
- enrich the lining of your uterus
- promote healthy fertility
B6 is necessary for the formulation of progesterone and serotonin. When either get too low then your mood likely gets low too.
Healing Gifts from the Honey Bee
There are four different edible creations from the honey bee, all of which provide many healing benefits to those of us with endometriosis.
To note: You want to make sure you choose high quality products from a reputable source. Buy local. And of course, avoid any bee products if you have an allergy to bees.
1.) Bee Pollen
Bee pollen is considered to be one of nature’s most completely nourishing foods. It contains all the essential components of life.
Bee pollen is richer in proteins than any animal source. It is approximately 40% protein and about half of that is in the form of free amino acids that are ready to be used directly by your body.
Bee pollen stimulates ovarian function, so it’s a great choice if you are trying to conceive. Bee pollen is also said to improve the egg’s chances for implantation.
2.) Bee Propolis
Bees make propolis by gathering resin from pine and evergreen trees. They blend this resin with other components and take it back to the hive. This propolis is then used to patch holes, seal cracks and build panels in the hive.
Propolis acts as a barrier providing the hive from contamination from viruses and bacteria and from external threats from mice, snakes, etc.
Because of all of this, propolis provides us with a wide range of antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral powers.
Research has indicated that propolis may inhibit Candida from growing and has the potential for stimulating a healthy response to Candida overgrowth.
Candida is a common yeast that’s present most dominantly in your gut. Candida becomes a problem when it overgrows and escapes your gut via leaky gut.
Women with endometriosis are at a higher risk for Candida overgrowth.
Studies have also shown that propolis helps to stabilize blood sugar, which is a big deal for hormone balance.
3.) Raw Honey
Bees spend thousands of hours collecting pollen from millions of flowers to make one pound of pure honey. It takes a lot! A gift to us, indeed. Full of energy.
Raw honey promotes the growth of good bacteria in your gut and blocks inflammatory free radicals.
Raw honey also supports restorative sleep, as it slowly releases glycogen, which is needed as energy for your body to repair itself during sleep.
You want to make sure you get local, raw honey. Commercial honey is usually heavily processed, so much of the goodness is refined out. Excessive heat destroys the natural goodness in honey, so it’s best to eat it raw, rather than cooked.
4.) Royal Jelly
Royal Jelly is a substance that’s secreted from the glands of the worker bees and fed to all bee larvae. Royal jelly is collected from each individual honeycomb when the queen larvae are about four days old.
Royal jelly is rich in amino acids, proteins, iron and calcium. Royal jelly has been shown to help balance hormones, but it can mimic estrogen. So it’s good if you have low estrogen (still a possibility with endo, especially if you’ve been on estrogen-suppressing drugs).
Save the Bees!
The world would be a much different place if honey bees didn’t exist. I hope we don’t see that world.
Honey bees are rapidly declining and much of this is because of environmental pollution. In recent years, commercial honey bee hives have suffered from colony collapse disorder.
I watched this first hand in the documentary, Vanishing of the Bees. Have you seen this one? It’s on Netflix. Check it out. I warn you, it’s heartbreaking to watch.
I remember as a kid seeing honey bees all the time and now I hardly ever see them.
What I do see (and smell) are my neighbors pouring chemicals all over their lawns. When spring hits and the dandelions pop up, those around us are quick to douse them with weed killers.
These dandelions are the primary food for the honey bees after winter, and the chemicals kill them off. This makes me sad. I love the pops of yellow 🙂
No chemicals on our lawn. Dandelions? Please leave. Feed the bees.
On the Positive Side?
I hope this post has helped you to see the true gift of the honey bee and how healing their creations are.
Given its golden color and the golden color of its creations, the honey bee is already in line with endo. Hello yellow 🙂
These little insects are commonly thought of to be a pest. I used to associate them with a fear of being stung (even though I never have been), but now I have much more respect for that little honey bee and I hope that they can survive, or we’re all in for a major, dire shift in our food supply.
Have you tried any of the bee products listed? What’s been your experience?
I’d love to hear from you.
Much LOVE,
