Wednesday, April 11, 2018

NIGERIA: The Health Benefits of Bee Products



Health benefits

The Nation, April 8, 2018

Exploring the heath benefits of bee products in the recent times has been an area which researchers are beaming their search light on due to the wonders which honey and its ally products are recording. According to FAO, there is a considerable history of bees and bee products having medicinal properties. For instance, honey, pollen, propolis, wax, royal jelly and venom are seen by many to have curative properties even though others suggest the contrary as a result of a lack of critical scientific scrutiny on bee products.

However, majority of the bee farmers that spoke to The Nation are very authoritative about the medicinal potency of bees and its products.

Onyema who had been in the business of bee keeping in the last two decades explained that from experience he had cured a lot of diseases with bee products. “We also have bee pollen, it is used as a food for the young bee, and it is a perfect food because it contains all what the body requires. It is also used for fertility in both man and woman. If it is taking for some days, it can also cure prostate cancer in men.”

The bee bread which the bee itself takes is a good medicinal product. “It is useful because of the enzymes present through the worker bee. Royal jelly is one of the precious gems given to the Queen bee. The Queen bee can live up to six years, but the worker bee, for only a month. By taking royal jelly one will be looking younger than ones actual age. It helps in taking care of women infertility. If a woman can be taking it few days to her ovulation period, it will actually boost it.”

According to him, “The bee venom is the stings; it serves as its defensive mechanism, it comes out of the bee lancets, it carries a liquid that it injects into the body, it is poured into the body through venom sack. That is why when it stings you, you can quickly remove it to reduce the venom pumped into the body. This bee venom is telepathic.  I used it to treat a diabetic and arthritics patients.”

Speaking in the same vein, Adegun who had a long romance with bee explained that the healing prowess of the wonderful insect cannot be quantified.  “There are different types of honey. The bitter honey is highly medicinal and there is no disease it cannot treat, blood pressure, diabetes even cancer and skin rashes.

“With honey it can assist against ageing, it can also   be used for preservatives. That is why the old Egyptians usually used honey to embalm their dead bodies.   It is rich in propolis that is good for preservation. It also contains a royal jelly which can be combined with other things and used for fertility drug and impotence.”

He explained that “Through articulated and methodological approach to honey product, a lot of sickness can be cured. Honey can cure some diseases that cannot be emphatically or scientifically proved.”

Given credence to the medicinal efficacy of bee products Prof. Siyanbola said that beeswax is used in food processing industries as an additive and a common ingredient in chewing gum adding that skin care and cosmetic industry are using it in making lips and gloss balm.

The researcher said bee glue is used as antibiotic and anti -fungal agent in the pharmaceutical industries while in natural medicine it is used to treat inflammations, viral disease, ulcers skin burns and scalds...

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