Thursday, May 02, 2013

Bee Venom, Pollen Healing Properties: From Acne to HIV


By Amanda King
Saludify, 4/24/2013
Without bees, we wouldn’t have apples, broccoli, strawberries, nuts, asparagus, blueberries and cucumbers. And now bee venom seems to be useful in finding an HIV cure. (Shutterstock)
We have all heard about how bees are disappearing, and about how this could mean disaster for our ecosystem.  According to the U.S. Dept of Agriculture, bees pollinate 80 percent of our flowering crops and without them, we wouldn’t have apples, broccoli, strawberries, nuts, asparagus, blueberries and cucumbers, as well as feed grains that sustain our beef and dairy industries.
It is obvious that bees are important to our health on a grand scale, but did you know that bees can also be an integral part of a healthy lifestyle on a much more personal level?
Bee venom and HIV prevention and treatment
bee venom
Bee venom carries melittin, which perforates  the protective covering around HIV. (Shutterstock)
A recent study by a team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, showed that bee venom may be an HIV cure and prevention method.
Results showed that bee venom carries a substance called melittin, which has the ability to perforate the protective covering around certain viruses, including HIV.
Most importantly, melittin kills HIV without harming surrounding healthy cells.
Scientists believe that, in the near future, they will be able to create a vaginal gel containing bee venom, which will act as a preventative measure against the spread of HIV.
Bee pollen and your health
In addition to the virus busting properties of bee venom, people have been using bee pollen for thousands of years to treat everything from gastrointestinal complaints to annoying spring allergy symptoms.
If you suffer from allergies, bee pollen may help clear up your “hay fever” symptoms.  Many natural practitioners recommend bee pollen for the treatment of allergies under the theory that ingesting small amounts of local allergens will help the body develop a resistance to them, much in the same way that vaccinations build a resistance to infectious diseases.
The International Federation of Beekeepers Association reports that bee pollen may contain antibacterial properties and can be helpful in treating infections, especially those caused by staph and salmonella...

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