The name bee bread may sound like it refers to a bread that is shaped like bees, where in fact it almost has no resemblances to bread at all. Bee bread is actually a form of benefits of bee pollen that is fermented naturally by bees.
Bee bread itself has its other names such as ambrosia or perga, while it can also be alternatively written as “bee bread”, “beebread” or even “bee-bread” since there is currently no standard form on how it should be spelt. What are bee breads? And then, what are the health benefits of bee bread?
About the Bee Bread and Bee Pollen
Like what is mentioned above, bee bread is the naturally fermented form of bee pollens, however you can also alternatively make one by your own. Bee breads also refers to the pellets used by honeybees to pack bee pollens into. The storage of bee pollen is complete with honey bee saliva sealed with one or few drops of honey.
The bee pollens are often regarded to be much more potent than flower pollens, and herbalists have founded its application into a wide range of medical conditions, particularly dermatological conditions such as eczema, diaper rashes as well as acne.
On the other hand, the other health benefits of bee bread and bee pollen apart from being nutritional sources are still yet to be discovered. Bee pollens are safe for short-term use, and prolonged consumption may pose you to the allergic reactions or other side effects caused by bee pollens, such as contamination by toxic metals or fungal mycotoxins. Allergic reactions caused by bee pollens such as shortness of breath, suffocation, hives as well as swelling. Bee pollens should also be avoided by pregnant or breastfeeding women.
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How are Bee Breads Made?
Bee bread has a composition of 25% honey or nectar, 70% pollen and the remaining being bee saliva. The compositions above infuse the pollen with an expansive range of natural probiotic bacteria plus yeast, which are important to launch the fermentation process.
The bees who remain inside the hives pack the pollen into the comb-cells tightly and securely and combine it with other ingredients later on. It takes a few weeks for a remarkable transformation to take place, which is no other than the creation of bee bread. And after a few weeks, the bee bread is finally ready, which gives sign that the whole process is complete.
What are its Health Benefits?
Here’s the health benefits of Bee Bread:
- It is a Notable Source of Antioxidant
Antioxidants are basically what you need to maintain your health at its peak condition. Without it, your immune system weakens and you end up being prone to diseases. The good news is that bee bread is notably known to be a wealthy source of antioxidant.
A recent 2017 study “Functional Properties of Honey Supplemented with Bee Bread and Propolis” by Kowalski from Poland confirmed that bee bread has its largest influence when it comes to antioxidant properties. The research was also supplemented by honey enriched with propolis and bee bread. The outcome was honey had their antimicrobial and antioxidant abilities proved if enriched with the two substances.
- It can be Used for Treating Hepatitis
Hepatitis is a highly contagious liver infection and inflammation caused by the hepatitis viruses themselves. It infects the liver causing flu-like symptoms and are caused by autoimmune, viruses, contaminated food or water. There are three types of hepatitis; hepatitis A, hepatitis B as well as hepatitis C.
Hepatitis may either be acute (temporary) or chronic (long term) should it exceed 6 months of disease duration. This highly contagious illness causes death to 1 out of 500 patients annually and can be prevented by vaccination.
A 1976 research that involved 110 critically chronic hepatitis patients had some of the patients tested on 30 grams of bee bread over a course of 30 days while the remaining subjects were given fresh pollen every day constantly or 90 days to normalize the albumin/globulin blood ratio. The patients that took bee bread and fresh pollen had their ratio increased from 0.96 to 1.27 and 0.85 to 1.26 respectively.
- It Provides a Holistic Care of the Heart and Blood System
Just like the benefits of honey for heart disease, bee bread can also provide a wholesome heart and blood system care by maintaining a healthy blood circulation and prevent diseases such as hypertension and anemia. Hypertension is a synonym of high blood pressure while anemia is the condition where the blood lacks enough red blood cell deposits.
Hypertension can be cured by taking 15 grams of bee bread at a dose of twice a day for 45 days. Cholesterol can be reduced by up to 24%, LDL or bad cholesterol decreased up to 36% while HDL or good cholesterol are increased at a ratio of 2:1.
Meanwhile, anemia can also be treated with the help of bee bread by taking it alongside honey at a ratio of 1:1, three times a day for a month. Over the duration of medication, appetite increases, and so are energy and weight. Hemoglobin and erythrocyte levels also inclined and likewise common anemic symptoms such as fatigue, headaches and vertigo are significantly decreased.
- It has Antitumoral Effect
Antitumoral means that it has the potential to restrict the growth and development of tumors. A recent 2017 study titled “Flavonoid Composition and Antitumor Activity of Bee Bread Collected in Northeast Portugal” confirmed the claim that bee breads are indeed antitumoral.
- It is Antimicrobial as Well
Antimicrobials are agents that destroys microorganisms or puts a halt into their growth. The antimicrobial traits of bee bread are largely dependent on the formation of hydrogen peroxide and the floral source of the honey itself. Two multi-floral honey types, which are the polifloral summer honey and polifloral spring honey blocked off the growth of S. epidermidis and the S. aureus bacteria.
The observations written are based on a Lithuanian study titled “Antibacterial Activity of Honey and Beebread of Different Origin Against S. aureus and S. epidermidis”, and it actually involved 10 different types of multi-floral honeys.
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