The rosemary season has ended, but sage is in full bloom. In the fragrant hills of the Peloponnese in southern Greece, after a few sharp turns along a path, Nikos Reppas' old car arrives at bee heaven: a field full of violet hyacinths, close to the prehistoric ruins of Mycenae. Since antiquity, when…
We shall examine the facts about allergies caused by
bee pollen. It is a fascinating area especially when we look at allergic
reactions and how sometimes, local is
possible when taking certain precautions. Later, we shall look at the alternatives
to local bee pollen.
Allergic reactions
People who would like to
take bee pollen products are sometimes wary or even alarmed over allergic
reactions. Bee pollen allergies are
true medical conditions and should be treated as such. Fortunately, those who
will have severe allergic reactions to bee pollen are very few. Experts
estimate that only about 2% of those who have allergies will have a severe
allergic reaction, such as anaphylactic shock. Symptoms that a person is
having anaphylactic shock are convulsions, breathing problems, and
unconsciousness. Untreated, it can even lead to death.
People who are allergic to bee stings are advised to
stay away from bee pollen formulas. The most popular bee products on the market
are mainly bee pollen.
Other products are royal jelly, which may contain bee
saliva that is fed to queen bees, and propolis, a resin-like substance that
bees collect from seeds, flowers, and trees and is used as a sealant for cracks
in their hives.
Those who are allergic to bee stings should always
carry emergency medication, such as adrenaline or EpiPen injectors in case of
anaphylactic shocks.
Most of the time the allergic reaction one obtains is
mild. It can range from itchy throat, wheezing, coughing, rash, and skin
flushing. If any of these signs or symptoms occurs, stop taking all bee pollen
products and see your doctor.
Watch the video to see how
local bee pollen may sometimes not be such a good idea after all. It all
depends on how much heavy industry and intensive farming is going on in the
area. That could mean that insecticides and even GM microbes are in the air and
these are damaging to the bees themselves and also affect the purity of the bee
pollen that they produce.
It is worthy to note,
however, that bee pollen is sometimes used to treat seasonal allergic symptoms
such as sneezing, runny nose and watery eyes. The concept is similar to that of
immunization. A controlled miniscule
amount is introduced to the body for the body to react to it and build up
resistance. Once the body recognizes the bee pollen as something that it can
deal with, once the familiar substance enters the body, no allergic reaction
occurs, and the body is now desensitized to that substance.
There is also the factor about the quality of the bee
pollen product. Sometimes, negative reactions occur in people who are taking
bee pollen products not because they are allergic to bee pollen, but that the
product they are taking is contaminated.
Bees collect pollen from flowers that are exposed to
the surrounding air. If the area where the beehive or the flowers are located
is near any industrialized center, it is most likely that the air is polluted.
Pollutants in the air can contaminate the flowers and
the pollen. In some products, traces of heavy metals and toxins were found. It
was also discovered that the sources of these bee pollen formulas usually come
from the USA or China, which are industrial countries.
A quality source of bee pollen products is from New Zealand, particularly The South Island. Here, there are no
nearby industrial areas. Plant life and flora thrive in a pristine environment.
Now, you will not be able to import local bee pollen
from New Zealand. A much safer alternative to organic local bee pollen
is to opt for the capsules.
Basically the bee pollen composition has just about every mineral, vitamin and mineral known to man so it is
no exaggeration to say that it is nature’s complete food.
The complete range of
vitamins has the usual vitamins A, B, C and D but more importantly it contains
biotin, folic acid and rutin. Actually there are sixteen vitamins altogether.
Why rutin is so
important Just let me tell you about
rutin. It is an important part of the whole bee pollen composition. Why? It can
play a vital role in making our capillaries stronger and that can help to
minimize bleeding in emergency situations. It can also help with
coagulation. Actually, we can see when we have weak capillaries if we
bruise very easily. If we increase our intake of rutin, this can help solve
that particular problem.
The work of the scientists
at the Institute of Apiculture in Taranov in Russia have documented the beneficial
effects of an increased intake of rutin which also include a definite improvement
in overall heart health and blood pressure.
The enzymes and
co-enzymes As if the fantastic mix of bee pollen nutrients and all the other good things was not enough, it
also contains the whole gamut of enzymes and co-enzymes. It has all the main
eleven enzymes and these include amylase, lactic acids, pectase and catalase.
Enzymes speed up every
chemical reaction we have in the body which include such basic functions, as
eating, digesting and sleeping. For example amylase is essential in
producing the saliva we need to start the whole digestive process.
It has been shown that a
lack of enzymes can leads to all sorts of health problems and these can range
form birth defects, Alzheimer’s and some of the degenerative diseases.
Bee pollen can also enhance
mood and help with mental clarity. You could save a lot of money by
avoiding some psychotherapy!
Life is sweet for beekeepers in Greece, but for how long? (via AFP)