Content
- 1 What is bee bread
- 2 What does beebread look like?
- 3 Composition of bee bread
- 4 What are the benefits of bee bread?
- 5 What does beebread treat?
- 6 How to get beebread from honeycombs
- 7 How to take bee bread
- 7.1 How to take bee bread for immunity
- 7.2 Bee bread for the liver
- 7.3 Bee bread for anemia
- 7.4 How to use bee bread for gastrointestinal diseases
- 7.5 The use of bee bread for the cardiovascular system
- 7.6 How to use bee bread for diabetes
- 7.7 How to take bee bread correctly for colds and ARVI
- 7.8 How to take bee bread for prevention
- 8 How much bee bread can you eat per day?
- 9 Allergy to bee bread
- 10 Contraindications to bee bread
- 11 Terms and conditions of storage
- 12 Conclusion
Beekeeping products have been popular since the times when primitive man first discovered a hollow with honey. At first, only sweet honey was used. Gradually, civilization developed, and well-burning beeswax came into use. Candles made from it were the most expensive. Later, propolis began to be in demand as a medicinal product. Today bee bread is gaining popularity. In terms of medicinal properties, it is not inferior to propolis and royal jelly, and surpasses them in taste.
What is bee bread
Those who observed the collection of nectar by bees noticed that on the hind legs of the insect there were sometimes strange yellow tubercles.Bees collect more than just nectar, which they later turn into honey. They also take pollen from flowers. They fold it onto their hind legs, creating small yellow balls. If you catch a bee, take away the collected pollen and taste it, you will hardly be able to smell anything. This lump collected by one worker is too small.
But bees collect pollen the same way they collect honey: little by little. And by the end of summer, a significant amount of this material accumulates in the hive. Having brought pollen to the hives, the bees compact it into honeycombs and fill it with honey. They compact the pollen with their jaws, simultaneously flavoring it with the secretion of a special gland.
Filled with honey on top, without air access and under a special humidity regime, the pollen is fermented, turning into bee bread - “bee bread”. In winter, honey and beebread collected in combs serves as the bees’ main food, helping them survive until spring.
Some of their reserves are taken from the bees. Like any honey product, beebread has an antibacterial effect and can be used as a natural antibiotic. Fermented pollen tastes like rye bread soaked in honey.
What does beebread look like?
Natural bee bread from a beehive does not look very presentable. Its color depends on the pollen that the bees collected for their “bread”. The pollen in the flowers can be dark or light, and the color of the finished product changes accordingly. The color variation of “bee bread” ranges from light yellow to dark brown.
Honeycombs with beebread look dark. The smell should be normal honey, without foreign impurities. The easiest way to extract a valuable product is to cut out honeycombs. But this type contains a large percentage of wax. However, this is not always a disadvantage. This product will have to be chewed until the pollen and honey dissolve in saliva.The wax can then be spat out. But the product will be stored in honeycombs sealed by bees for a very long time.
The purified fermented pollen in paste form has already been extracted from the honeycomb and ground. But the use of such bee bread is not suitable for everyone due to the large amount of honey. Allergies to honey are quite common.
And the third option is bee bread, cleared of wax and excess honey, in granules. For marketing purposes and to emphasize that this is a beekeeping product, the granules are made hexagonal, like a honeycomb. It is impossible to produce such “bread” at home, so those who prefer natural products are forced to buy the first option.
Composition of bee bread
Pollen in flowers is the equivalent of male seed in mammals. For this reason, the finished product contains a significant amount of protein: 21.7%.
Since bees infuse pollen with honey, the sugar content in the finished product is 35%. This means that this product is not suitable for weight loss. Fat in the finished product is 1.6%. In addition, the chemical composition of bee bread includes:
- lactic acid;
- potassium;
- magnesium;
- calcium;
- manganese;
- phosphorus;
- iron;
- copper;
- iodine;
- zinc;
- chromium;
- vitamins A, K, C, E, P;
- amino acids;
- carotenoids;
- fatty acid;
- phytohormones;
- organic acids;
- enzymes.
Bee bread, along with honey, is used in the treatment of diseases.
What are the benefits of bee bread?
Official medicine says nothing about bee bread. In folklore, as always, this is another panacea for all diseases, including prostate adenoma.But treating everything with beebread, from facial acne to benign tumors, will ultimately lead to an irreversible stage of the disease. If you are not allergic to bee products, fermented pollen can be used to stimulate the immune system. Due to a set of vitamins.
Thanks to the large amount of potassium, it is beneficial for the cardiovascular system. But bananas are cheaper and more accessible.
Traditional medicine also believes that “bee bread” can stimulate metabolism and improve the absorption of food. But no one has conducted research on this topic. And taking bee bread, according to the instructions for use, usually occurs in such homeopathic doses that the main effect on the body is self-hypnosis.
Beneficial properties of bee bread for women
As a beekeeping product, bee bread has found application in cosmetology. Honey masks have long been used in beauty salons. Beebreads have a similar purpose.
Magnesium has a calming effect on the nervous system and reduces pain during menstruation. Vitamin E not only improves skin quality, but also helps normalize reproductive processes.
The benefits of bee bread for men
In this case, apitherapists use the medieval postulates of “like for like,” that is, milk for fractures should be drunk not to obtain calcium, but because both the bone and milk are white. “Bee bread” is made from flower seeds, which means it is simply bound to improve the quality of sperm in men.
Fermented pollen is even recommended for the treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia (adenoma), promising miraculous healing.Although with adenoma it is necessary to regulate the hormonal balance, and official proctologists, apparently, not everyone knows about the miraculous bee bread. Otherwise, the disease would have long ago become forgotten.
But “bee bread” can really work wonders, provided that impotence is a consequence of neurosis or increased suggestibility. In this case, the drug will help if the man believes in the beneficial properties of pollen extracted from the hive.
Medicinal properties of bee bread during pregnancy and lactation
Apitherapists claim that fermented pollen has a very positive effect on the female body during pregnancy. Due to the large amount of iron, bee bread prevents anemia, which often occurs during pregnancy.
If a woman is not allergic to bee products, the drug will help her strengthen her immune system and maintain good health.
“I became ugly during pregnancy” is not a fiction. This actually happens to some women due to hormonal changes in the body. The high content of vitamin E helps improve skin and hair during this period. Some women, on the contrary, thrive without the use of external medications.
During lactation, bee bread improves the quality of breast milk. It can be consumed if the child is not allergic to bee products.
But you need to take “bee bread” carefully during lactation. It's better to start with 1-2 g per day. If the child does not have an allergic reaction, the dose can be increased to 10 g per day.
Benefits for children
Children usually do not have diseases that require treatment. But immunity is acquired and strengthened with age. This is the reason why young children often get sick.Having the ability to strengthen the immune system, bee bread will be useful for a child as a preventive measure in the autumn.
The daily dose for children is less than for adults. For preventive purposes, a child from 3 to 12 years old is given no more than 5 g of bee bread per day. If the child is younger, the dose is reduced to a maximum of 2 g per day.
What does beebread treat?
Like any traditional medicine, bee winter food cures a lot of unrelated diseases:
- ischemic disease;
- atherosclerosis;
- anemia;
- stomach ulcer, including exacerbation with bleeding;
- gastritis;
- hepatitis;
- liver diseases;
- pneumonia;
- bronchitis;
- asthenia;
- depression;
- menopause;
- infertility.
It’s only strange that before the invention of antibiotics and IVF, infertility and high mortality were so widespread in the world. After all, bees have been producing bee bread for many millions of years.
How to get beebread from honeycombs
There are several ways to get beebread from honeycombs at home:
- using water;
- drying;
- freezing;
- using a vacuum.
All methods have their advantages and disadvantages. When extracting beebread using a vacuum, all the beneficial properties of the product are preserved as much as possible. But this method requires special equipment, and this method is not profitable for a small beekeeper.
When collecting bee bread with water, the honeycombs are soaked and then shaken several times so that the soggy “bee bread” falls out. After this, the bee bread is collected and dried again. The disadvantage of this method is that the usefulness of bee bread is significantly reduced. A large number of useful substances dissolve in water.
In the other two methods, the method of obtaining beebread is the same, but when preparing the raw material, in one case they use drying of honeycombs, in the other - freezing.After passing the preliminary stage, the honeycombs are crushed and sifted through two sieves. Commercial bee bread remains in the first sieve; a paste can be made from the contents of the second.
Under natural conditions, bee bread is exposed to fairly severe frosts and must retain all its beneficial qualities and nutrients so that the bees can survive. For this reason, fermented pollen can be refrigerated without fear.
How to take bee bread
The method of application and dose of bee bread depend on the age and disease for which it is taken. In addition, prophylactic and therapeutic doses are different. You can take the product before or after meals, depending on the indications. Sometimes it is necessary to first dissolve the “bee bread” in water. Or, conversely, dissolve without drinking.
How to take bee bread for immunity
To increase immunity, bee bread is taken in the fall during outbreaks of acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections, and in winter and spring to replenish microelements and vitamins in the diet. It is advisable to use in combination with royal jelly and honey:
- 250 g honey;
- 20 g bee bread;
- 2 g milk.
All ingredients are mixed and stored in the refrigerator. Take 1 tsp for a month. in a day.
Bee bread for the liver
Liver diseases for which bee bread is used:
- cirrhosis;
- cholecystitis;
- fatty degeneration;
- hepatitis.
Take the product for 1-1.5 months, a teaspoon 2-3 times a day. Then take a break for 2 weeks and repeat the course if necessary. Should be taken after meals and not washed down with water. You can make a mixture of honey + bee bread. The ingredients are taken in equal parts.
Bee bread for anemia
Bee bread contains a lot of iron and vitamin K, which promote blood clotting.To prevent anemia, fermented pollen is taken up to 16 g twice a day. The first time before breakfast, the second time before lunch. It is not recommended to use the product before bedtime, as insomnia may occur.
The course lasts 1 month, after a 2 month break. If you have anemia, go to the doctor.
How to use bee bread for gastrointestinal diseases
For gastritis, bee products are often consumed in a complex composition. Most often, fermented pollen is consumed with honey in a 1:1 mixture. In this case, eat 1 dessert spoon 3 times a day. Clean bee bread – 1 tsp. 3 times a day.
The product eliminates pain, helps restore the intestinal mucosa, and improves the effectiveness of medications.
For low acidity, “bee bread” is dissolved in cold water along with honey and taken before meals. If it is elevated, dilute it in warm water.
For colitis, fermented pollen is taken in a course of 1-1.5 months, half a teaspoon 3 times a day.
The use of bee bread for the cardiovascular system
The use of bee bread to maintain CVS in folk medicine is justified. If at the same time they do not neglect officially recognized means. “Bee bread” can be used in a complex of auxiliary products. The drug is beneficial for the cardiovascular system due to its high potassium content. But if the price is too high or bee bread is unavailable, bananas or dried apricots can replace it.
When recovering from a heart attack or stroke, “bee bread” will also be useful. But you shouldn’t delude yourself that potassium is better absorbed from bee products than from pharmaceutical preparations. No one conducted research.
Likewise, you should be careful when dosing this product. A drug that simultaneously lowers and increases blood pressure depending on the patient’s expectations should not inspire confidence. Most likely, it only acts as a placebo. Self-hypnosis will do the rest.
But self-hypnosis is also a great thing, often working miracles. The main thing is to observe the ritual. To normalize blood pressure, it is recommended to take no more than 6 g of bee bread per day, dividing this dose into 2-3 doses.
How to use bee bread for diabetes
If you have diabetes, it is advisable to avoid bee products, but fermented pollen, free of honey as much as possible, is allowed. Take it 2-3 times a day, a teaspoon. You should not drink it. For better absorption, the bee bread is sucked. Take it half an hour before meals.
How to take bee bread correctly for colds and ARVI
To prevent colds, “bee bread” has been taken once a day since the fall. The dose for adults is 2 g, for children 0.5 g. When treating acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections and influenza, the drug is taken 2-4 g 3-4 times a day. In total, the course of treatment will require from 60 to 100 g of “bee bread”.
How to take bee bread for prevention
The amount of product that can be taken per day for prevention varies depending on the source of information and the type of disease:
- just for prevention – 10 g;
- for tuberculosis and viral infections – 30 g;
- for diabetes – 2 tsp. 3 times a day.
For exacerbations of viral diseases, the dose is increased to 70 g per day.
How much bee bread can you eat per day?
When consuming honey, no one ever calculates the dose in grams.In Rus', even the most popular intoxicating drink was mead. The reverent attitude towards other bee products is based on their cost. In theory, you can eat fermented bee pollen as much as you want. Practically, its cost is from 400 rubles. per 100 g. This price is 4 times higher than the most expensive honey. One will inevitably have to measure its consumption in grams. But it will be easier to switch to other, cheaper products.
Allergy to bee bread
In addition to its benefits, beebread can also cause harm. If you are allergic to bee products, you should not take bee bread. It is believed that once the top layer of honey is removed, fermented pollen becomes safe. But that's not true. Honey penetrates deep and cannot be removed. Otherwise, “bee bread” would not be sweet.
It is also necessary to take into account that this is pollen. If you are allergic to this component, then completely removing honey will not help. Sometimes an allergy can occur to a certain type of plant, but you can’t ask bees which flower they collected their supplies from.
Contraindications to bee bread
Although bee bread has many beneficial properties, it also has contraindications. But the latter is more related to the individual intolerance of the body. To check whether there is an allergy to beekeeping products, just dissolve part of the bee bread in water and apply it to the skin of the wrist. If there is no irritation after 3-4 hours, you can safely consume “bee bread”.
The second option is unpredictable: it is never known how a pregnant woman’s body may react to a particular product or smell at a given moment.
Terms and conditions of storage
In a hermetically sealed container, honey can be stored for thousands of years.There is no water in it, it has high acidity. Organisms that decompose sugars are not able to survive in pure honey. Bee honey has a shorter shelf life because it contains less sugar and more water. It is not intended for long-term storage and is eaten by bees within a year.
But if stored in a cool place without access to moisture, bee bread can also last a year without spoiling. You need to make sure that water and sunlight do not come into contact with it. Otherwise, the conditions for storing “bee bread” are the same as for honey.
Conclusion
Bee bread is an actively advertised product for all diseases today. But fermented pollen in the doses in which it is proposed to be consumed can have a significant effect on the body only in one case: it was collected from Indian hemp. But even in this case, it would be better to smoke the bee bread rather than eat it.