Humble Honeybee May Hold a Key to Health

By Kelly Bothum, The News Journal (USA) 12/12/2006

Stuart Swinger starts most mornings the same way -- with a glass of water mixed with lemon and raw honey. He says it cleanses his system and energizes him. Sometimes he follows up with a teaspoon of fresh bee pollen he keeps in the refrigerator. Bolstered by these natural ingredients, he's ready for the day…

The use of bee-related products for health and medicinal purposes is called apitherapy. Although there is little scientific data to back the claims, many people swear by them.

Products made from bees or taken from their hives have long been touted as having healing and anti-inflammatory properties. Scholars have found ancient texts, including works by Greek poet Hesiod and playwright Aristophanes, about cultivating beehives. Hippocrates, considered the father of Western medicine, reportedly used bee venom for pain.

More recently, bee products have garnered notice as people search out natural ways to boost energy, improve memory and even increase fertility. The products include propolis, a glue-like substance that coats the inside of the beehive and has been suggested to have antiseptic qualities; raw honey, noted for its ability to fight off germs and bacteria; and bee-collected pollen, praised for being a nutritional powerhouse and energy source…

Swinger stocks bee products including propolis, royal jelly, beeswax candles and raw honey. Some, such as fresh bee pollen and royal jelly, are kept refrigerated. He said customers look for propolis to improve their immune systems, fight off a sore throat or cold, or even quash their acne. Others want royal jelly because of its purported anti-aging and fertility properties. Still others find bee pollen improves their allergies…

Dr. Michael Gurevich, who describes himself as a holistically minded psychiatrist, has treated about 50 patients with injections of small amounts of bee venom. The patients, who suffered chronic back and knee pain, reported a reduction in the amount of pain they were experiencing…