When people think of bee products, the first thing that comes to mind is honey. But honey is not all that bees produce! In fact, there are plenty of other bee products that are created when it comes to bees and harvesting honey.
Bee products
The whole process of bee pollination is one which helps to maintain the biological environment of nature by pollinating flowers and aiding new plants to reproduce. This in turn affects all the other plants, animals and even humans, allowing us to thrive.
During the process of pollination, several bee products such as honey, propolis, pollen, royal jelly and beeswax are produced. These products have long been used as a natural food source and also for medicinal purposes for healing. It isn’t a surprise that they have since become popular health supplements and products for those who understand their powerful effects.
Honey
Long known as a sweetener, the health benefits of consuming honey are still being discovered - including its antibacterial and antioxidant properties.
Honey is made from the nectar of flowering plants and regurgitated from bee to bee before being stored in the honeycomb of the hive. The honey is then cooled by the bees’ wings and set aside as a source of food for the bees. It is then harvested from the bee hives by beekeepers and processed and bottled for consumption.
Honey is not only used as a great substitute for white sugar, it is also effective as a health supplement to boost your immunity to colds and viruses, sore throats and coughs. It can also be topically to help with the healing of skin issues, burns and wounds.
Certain honeys like Manuka honey can even be beneficial against a wider range of ailments like gum disease, stomach issues and indigestion.
Propolis
On the other hand, propolis is a type of bee glue or resin that bees produce to seal and protect the hive from intruders and bacteria. It functions to seal holes and cracks and the reconstruction of the beehive. It is also used for maintaining the hive’s internal temperature at 35 degrees Celsius and smoothening the inner surface of the hive. When propolis hardens the cell wall, it creates an aseptic environment that keeps the beehive protected from contamination caused by harmful bacteria, viruses, or other microorganisms.
Propolis is known for its antibiotic properties and can be added into health products such as toothpaste, or consumed on its own through capsules or liquid extracts.
Royal Jelly
Royal jelly is a milky substance that is fed by worker bees to the bee larvae up to until they are three days old. The queen bee is the one who gets to feed on it for her entire life. She grows up to two and a half times larger than ordinary bees, and produces eggs to populate the beehive.
Royal jelly is the food that decides whether a worker or a queen bee will hatch from the larva. It is generally used for beauty support and to maintain general wellness. It can also be effective against asthma, hay fever, insomnia, PMS and menopause symptoms, skin disorders, anti-ageing and boosting the immune system.
Beeswax
Used widely for candles, lip balms, creams and other beauty products, beeswax is produced to form the walls and seal the cells of the honeycomb. Beeswax contains over 300 natural compounds, especially fatty-acid esters. The fresh wax is white, which later turns to a yellowish brown colour.
Pollen
Bees are covered in pollen when they collect nectar from plants and these balls of pollen get deposited into honeycomb cells along with hormones and antibiotic substances from the bees. In the beehive, it is used as a source of food for the young bees.
Pollen tastes powdery, floral and slightly bittersweet, and you can add it to your yoghurt, cereal and oatmeal as a topping. It is a nutrient-packed with eighteen vitamins, essential amino acids, enzymes and is a rich source of protein.
Nature’s Glory Natural Bee Products
At Nature’s Glory, we prize bee products for their nutritional and medicinal value. We offer a range of essential bee products that typically come in the form of honey and propolis.
Manuka Honey
One of our top products includes our organically certified Manuka honey from New Zealand. Although we offer a range of different honeys, we think that our Manuka honey is one of the best. Its natural antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal properties make this unique type of honey especially potent when it comes to benefiting your health.
Moreover, the rich and intense flavour of the honey is so different from most other honeys. Given how little this honey is processed, we also really enjoy how pure and unadulterated organic Manuka honey is.
Propolis
Next to pure liquid honey, propolis is also featured in our Propolis Balls and liquid Propolis Extract. Almost just as potent as our Manuka honey, propolis contains over 300 compounds including flavonoids, amino acids and enzymes to boost your immunity, reduce ageing effects, and promote healing of the skin.
It can also guard against harmful bacteria, fungi and viruses like yeast and fungal infections and oral bacteria.
With these 2 powerful products, you can also enjoy the benefits of natural bee products for your body and health with the click of a button. Just head to our Nature's Glory ecommerce store to start shopping!