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Honey

What is the difference between raw and pasteurized honey?

Why is my liquid honey crystallizing?

I heard that honey in stores are not real honey. Is this true?

I would not go so far as to make such a generalization, but I did find this article on FoodSafetyNews.com very interesting and helpful when faced with this question:

Tests Show Most Store Honey Isn’t Honey
Ultra-filtering Removes Pollen, Hides Honey OriginsBY ANDREW SCHNEIDER | NOVEMBER 7, 2011More than three-fourths of the honey sold in U.S. grocery stores isn’t exactly what the bees produce, according to testing done exclusively for Food Safety News.
The results show that the pollen frequently has been filtered out of products labeled “honey.”
The removal of these microscopic particles from deep within a flower would make the nectar flunk the quality standards set by most of the world’s food safety agencies.
The food safety divisions of the World Health Organization, the European Commission and dozens of others also have ruled that without pollen there is no way to determine whether the honey came from legitimate and safe sources.In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration says that any product that’s been ultra-filtered and no longer contains pollen isn’t honey. However, the FDA isn’t checking honey sold here to see if it contains pollen.
Ultra filtering is a high-tech procedure where honey is heated, sometimes watered down and then forced at high pressure through extremely small filters to remove pollen, which is the only foolproof sign identifying the source of the honey. It is a spin-off of a technique refined by the Chinese, who have illegally dumped tons of their honey – some containing illegal antibiotics – on the U.S. market for years.
Food Safety News decided to test honey sold in various outlets after its earlier investigation found U.S. groceries flooded with Indian honey banned in Europe as unsafe because of contamination with antibiotics, heavy metal and a total lack of pollen which prevented tracking its origin.
Food Safety News purchased more than 60 jars, jugs and plastic bears of honey in 10 states and the District of Columbia.
The contents were analyzed for pollen by Vaughn Bryant, a professor at Texas A&M University and one of the nation’s premier melissopalynologists, or investigators of pollen in honey.
Bryant, who is director of the Palynology Research Laboratory, found that among the containers of honey provided by Food Safety News:
•76 percent of samples bought at groceries had all the pollen removed, These were stores like TOP Food, Safeway, Giant Eagle, QFC, Kroger, Metro Market, Harris Teeter, A&P, Stop & Shop and King Soopers.
•100 percent of the honey sampled from drugstores like Walgreens, Rite-Aid and CVS Pharmacy had no pollen.
•77 percent of the honey sampled from big box stores like Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart, Target and H-E-B had the pollen filtered out.
•100 percent of the honey packaged in the small individual service portions from Smucker, McDonald’s and KFC had the pollen removed.
•Bryant found that every one of the samples Food Safety News bought at farmers markets, co-ops and “natural” stores like PCC and Trader Joe’s had the full, anticipated, amount of pollen.
And if you have to buy at major grocery chains, the analysis found that your odds are somewhat better of getting honey that wasn’t ultra-filtered if you buy brands labeled as organic. Out of seven samples tested, five (71 percent) were heavy with pollen. All of the organic honey was produced in Brazil, according to the labels.
The National Honey Board, a federal research and promotion organization under USDA oversight, says the bulk of foreign honey (at least 60 percent or more) is sold to the food industry for use in baked goods, beverages, sauces and processed foods. Food Safety News did not examine these products for this story.
Some U.S. honey packers didn’t want to talk about how they process their merchandise.
One who did was Bob Olney, of Honey Tree Inc., in Michigan, who sells its Winnie the Pooh honey in Walmart stores. Bryant’s analysis of the contents of the container made in Winnie’s image found that the pollen had been removed.
Olney says that his honey came from suppliers in Montana, North Dakota and Alberta. “It was filtered in processing because North American shoppers want their honey crystal clear,” he said.
The packers of Silverbow Honey added: “The grocery stores want processed honey as it lasts longer on the shelves.”
However, most beekeepers say traditional filtering used by most will catch bee parts, wax, debris from the hives and other visible contaminants but will leave the pollen in place.
Ernie Groeb, the president and CEO of Groeb Farms Inc., which calls itself “the world’s largest packer of honey,” says he makes no specific requirement to the pollen content of the 85 million pounds of honey his company buys.
Groeb sells retail under the Miller’s brand and says he buys 100 percent pure honey, but does not “specify nor do we require that the pollen be left in or be removed.”
He says that there are many different filtering methods used by beekeepers and honey packers.
“We buy basically what’s considered raw honey. We trust good suppliers. That’s what we rely on,” said Groeb, whose headquarters is in Onsted, Mich.
Why Remove the Pollen?
Removal of all pollen from honey “makes no sense” and is completely contrary to marketing the highest quality product possible, Mark Jensen, president of the American Honey Producers Association, told Food Safety News.“I don’t know of any U.S. producer that would want to do that. Elimination of all pollen can only be achieved by ultra-filtering and this filtration process does nothing but cost money and diminish the quality of the honey,” Jensen said.
“In my judgment, it is pretty safe to assume that any ultra-filtered honey on store shelves is Chinese honey and it’s even safer to assume that it entered the country uninspected and in violation of federal law,” he added.
Richard Adee, whose 80,000 hives in multiple states produce 7 million pounds of honey each year, told Food Safety News that “honey has been valued by millions for centuries for its flavor and nutritional value and that is precisely what is completely removed by the ultra-filtration process.”
“There is only one reason to ultra-filter honey and there’s nothing good about it,” he says.
“It’s no secret to anyone in the business that the only reason all the pollen is filtered out is to hide where it initially came from and the fact is that in almost all cases, that is China,” Adee added.
The Sioux Honey Association, who says it’s America’s largest supplier, declined repeated requests for comments on ultra-filtration, what Sue Bee does with its foreign honey and whether it’s u
ltra-filtered when they buy it. The co-op markets retail under Sue Bee, Clover Maid, Aunt Sue, Natural Pure and many store brands.
Eric Wenger, director of quality services for Golden Heritage Foods, the nation’s third largest packer, said his company takes every precaution not to buy laundered Chinese honey.
“We are well aware of the tricks being used by some brokers to sell honey that originated in China and laundering it in a second country by filtering out the pollen and other adulterants,” said Wenger, whose firm markets 55 million pounds of honey annually under its Busy Bee brand, store brands, club stores and food service.
“The brokers know that if there’s an absence of all pollen in the raw honey we won’t buy it, we won’t touch it, because without pollen we have no way to verify its origin.”
He said his company uses “extreme care” including pollen analysis when purchasing foreign honey, especially from countries like India, Vietnam and others that have or have had “business arrangements” with Chinese honey producers.
Golden Heritage, Wenger said, then carefully removes all pollen from the raw honey when it’s processed to extend shelf life, but says, “as we see it, that is not ultra-filtration.
“There is a significant difference between filtration, which is a standard industry practice intended to create a shelf-stable honey, and ultra-filtration, which is a deceptive, illegal, unethical practice.”
Some of the foreign and state standards that are being instituted can be read to mean different things, Wenger said “but the confusion can be eliminated and we can all be held to the same appropriate standards for quality if FDA finally establishes the standards we’ve all wanted for so long.”
Groeb says he has urged FDA to take action as he also “totally supports a standard of Identity for honey. It will help everyone have common ground as to what pure honey truly is!”
What’s Wrong With Chinese Honey?
Chinese honey has long had a poor reputation in the U.S., where – in 2001 – the Federal Trade Commission imposed stiff import tariffs or taxes to stop the Chinese from flooding the marketplace with dirt-cheap, heavily subsidized honey, which was forcing American beekeepers out of business.
To avoid the dumping tariffs, the Chinese quickly began transshipping honey to several other countries, then laundering it by switching the color of the shipping drums, the documents and labels to indicate a bogus but tariff-free country of origin for the honey.
Most U.S. honey buyers knew about the Chinese actions because of the sudden availability of lower cost honey, and little was said.
The FDA — either because of lack of interest or resources — devoted little effort to inspecting imported honey. Nevertheless, the agency had occasionally either been told of, or had stumbled upon, Chinese honey contaminated with chloramphenicol and other illegal animal antibiotics which are dangerous, even fatal, to a very small percentage of the population.
Mostly, the adulteration went undetected. Sometimes FDA caught it.
In one instance 10 years ago, contaminated Chinese honey was shipped to Canada and then on to a warehouse in Houston where it was sold to jelly maker J.M. Smuckers and the national baker Sara Lee.
By the time the FDA said it realized the Chinese honey was tainted, Smuckers had sold 12,040 cases of individually packed honey to Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Sara Lee said it may have been used in a half-million loaves of bread that were on store shelves.
Eventually, some honey packers became worried about what they were pumping into the plastic bears and jars they were selling. They began using in-house or private labs to test for honey diluted with inexpensive high fructose corn syrup or 13 other illegal sweeteners or for the presence of illegal antibiotics. But even the most sophisticated of these tests would not pinpoint the geographic source of the honey.Food scientists and honey specialists say pollen is the only foolproof fingerprint to a honey’s source.
Federal investigators working on criminal indictments and a very few conscientious packers were willing to pay stiff fees to have the pollen in their honey analyzed for country of origin. That complex, multi-step analysis is done by fewer than five commercial laboratories in the world.
But, Customs and Justice Department investigators told Food Safety News that whenever U.S. food safety or criminal experts verify a method to identify potentially illegal honey – such as analyzing the pollen – the laundering operators find a way to thwart it, such as ultra-filtration.
The U.S. imported 208 million pounds of honey over the past 18 months. Almost 60 percent came from Asian countries – traditional laundering points for Chinese honey. This included 45 million pounds from India alone.
And websites still openly offer brokers who will illegally transship honey and scores of other tariff-protected goods from China to the U.S.
FDA’s Lack of Action
The Food and Drug Administration weighed into the filtration issue years ago.
“The FDA has sent a letter to industry stating that the FDA does not consider ‘ultra-filtered’ honey to be honey,” agency press officer Tamara Ward told Food Safety News.
She went on to explain: “We have not halted any importation of honey because we have yet to detect ‘ultra-filtered’ honey. If we do detect ‘ultra-filtered’ honey we will refuse entry.”
Many in the honey industry and some in FDA’s import office say they doubt that FDA checks more than 5 percent of all foreign honey shipments.
For three months, the FDA promised Food Safety News to make its “honey expert” available to explain what that statement meant. It never happened. Further, the federal food safety authorities refused offers to examine Bryant’s analysis and explain what it plans to do about the selling of honey it says is adulterated because of the removal of pollen, a key ingredient.
Major food safety standard-setting organizations such as the United Nations’ Codex Alimentarius, the European Union and the European Food Safety Authority say the intentional removal of pollen is dangerous because it eliminates the ability of consumers and law enforcement to determine the actual origin of the honey.
“The removal of pollen will make the determination of botanical and geographic origin of honey impossible and circumvents the ability to trace and identify the actual source of the honey,” says the European Union Directive on Honey.
The Codex commission’s Standard for Honey, which sets principles for the international trade in food, has ruled that “No pollen or constituent particular to honey may be removed except where this is unavoidable in the removal of foreign matter. . .” It even suggested what size mesh to use (not smaller than 0.2mm or 200 micron) to filter out unwanted debris — bits of wax and wood from the frames, and parts of bees — but retain 95 percent of all the pollen.
Food Safety News asked Bryant to analyze foreign honey packaged in Italy, Hungary, Greece, Tasmania and New Zealand to try to get a feeling for whether the Codex standards for pollen were being heeded overseas. The samples from every country but Greece were loaded with various types and amounts of pollen. Honey from Greece had none.
You’ll Never Know
In many cases, consumers would have an easier time deciphering state secrets than pinning down where the honey they’re buying in groceries actually came from.
The majority of the honey that Bryant’s analysis found to have no pollen was packaged as store brands by outside companies but carried a label unique to the food chain. For example, Giant Eagle has a ValuTime label on some of its honey. In Target it’s called Market Pantry, Naturally Preferred and others. Walmart uses Great Value and Safeway just says Safeway. Wegmans also uses its own name.
Who actually bottled these store brands is often a mystery.
A noteworthy exception is Golden Heritage of Hillsboro, Kan. The company either puts its name or decipherable initials on the back of store brands it fills.
“We’re never bashful about discussing the products we put out” said Wenger, the company’s quality director. “We want people to know who to contact if they have questions.”
The big grocery chains were no help in identifying the sources of the honey they package in their store brands.
For example, when Food Safety News was hunting the source of nine samples that came back as ultra-filtered from QFC, Fred Myer and King Sooper, the various customer service numbers all led to representatives of Kroger, which owns them all. The replies were identical: “We can’t release that information. It is proprietary.”One of the customer service representatives said the contact address on two of the honeys being questioned was in Sioux City, Iowa, which is where Sioux Bee’s corporate office is located.
Jessica Carlson, a public relations person for Target, waved the proprietary banner and also refused to say whether it was Target management or the honey suppliers that wanted the source of the honey kept from the public.
Similar non-answers came from representatives of Safeway, Walmart and Giant Eagle.
The drugstores weren’t any more open with the sources of their house brands of honey. A Rite Aid representative said “if it’s not marked made in China, than it’s made in the United States.” She didn’t know who made it but said “I’ll ask someone.”
Rite Aid, Walgreen and CVS have yet to supply the information.
Only two smaller Pacific Northwest grocery chains – Haggen and Metropolitan Market – both selling honey without pollen, weren’t bashful about the source of their honey. Haggen said right off that its brand comes from Golden Heritage. Metropolitan Market said its honey – Western Family – is packed by Bee Maid Honey, a co-op of beekeepers from the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
Pollen? Who Cares?
Why should consumers care if their honey has had its pollen removed?
“Raw honey is thought to have many medicinal properties,” says Kathy Egan, dietitian at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. “Stomach ailments, anemia and allergies are just a few of the conditions that may be improved by consumption of unprocessed honey.”
But beyond pollen’s reported enzymes, antioxidants and well documented anti-allergenic benefits, a growing population of natural food advocates just don’t want their honey messed with.
There is enormous variety among honeys. They range in color from glass-clear to a dark mahogany and in consistency from watery to chunky to a crystallized solid. It’s the plants and flowers where the bees forage for nectar that will determine the significant difference in the taste, aroma and color of what the bees produce. It is the processing that controls the texture.
Food historians say that in the 1950s the typical grocery might have offered three or four different brands of honey. Today, a fair-sized store will offer 40 to 50 different types, flavors and sources of honey out of the estimated 300 different honeys made in the U.S.. And with the attractiveness of natural food and the locavore movement, honey’s popularity is burgeoning. Unfortunately, with it comes the potential for fraud.
Concocting a sweet-tasting syrup out of cane, corn or beet sugar, rice syrup or any of more than a dozen sweetening agents is a great deal easier, quicker and far less expensive than dealing with the natural brew of bees.
However, even the most dedicated beekeeper can unknowingly put incorrect information on a honey jar’s label.
Bryant has examined nearly 2,000 samples of honey sent in by beekeepers, honey importers, and ag officials checking commercial brands off store shelves. Types include premium honey such as “buckwheat, tupelo, sage, orange blossom, and sourwood” produced in Florida, North Carolina, California, New York and Virginia and “fireweed” from Alaska.
“Almost all were incorrectly labeled based on their pollen and nectar contents,” he said.
Out of the 60 plus samples that Bryant tested for Food Safety News, the absolute most flavorful said “blackberry” on the label. When Bryant concluded his examination of the pollen in this sample he found clover and wildflowers clearly outnumbering a smattering of grains of blackberry pollen.
For the most part we are not talking about intentional fraud here. Contrary to their most fervent wishes, beekeepers can’t control where their bees actually forage any more than they can keep the tides from changing. They offer their best guess on the predominant foliage within flying distance of the hives.
“I think we need a truth in labeling law in the U.S. as they have in other countries,” Bryant added.
FDA Ignores Pleas
No one can say for sure why the FDA has ignored repeated pleas from Congress, beekeepers and the honey industry to develop a U.S. standard for identification for honey.
Nancy Gentry owns the small Cross Creek Honey Company in Interlachen, Fla., and she isn’t worried about the quality of the honey she sells.
“I harvest my own honey. We put the frames in an extractor, spin it out, strain it, and it goes into a jar. It’s honey the way bees intended,” Gentry said.
But the negative stories on the discovery of tainted and bogus honey raised her fears for the public’s perception of honey.She spent months of studying what the rest of the world was doing to protect consumers from tainted honey and questioning beekeepers and industry on what was needed here. Gentry became the leading force in crafting language for Florida to develop the nation’s first standard for identification for honey.
In July 2009, Florida adopted the standard and placed its Division of Food Safety in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in charge of enforcing it. It’s since been followed by California, Wisconsin and North Carolina and is somewhere in the state legislative or regulatory maze in Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, New York, Texas, Kansas, Oregon, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and others.
John Ambrose’s battle for a national definition goes back 36 years. He said the issue is of great importance to North Carolina because it has more beekeepers than any other state in the country.
He and others tried to convince FDA that a single national standard for honey to help prevent adulterated honey from being sold was needed. The agency promised him it would be on the books within two years.
“But that never happened,” said Ambrose, a professor and entomologist at North Carolina State University and apiculturist, or bee expert. North Carolina followed Florida’s lead and passed its own identification standards last year.
Ambrose, who was co-chair of the team that drafted the state beekeeper association’s honey standards says the language is very simple, “Our standard says that nothing can be added or removed from the honey. So in other words, if somebody removes the pollen, or adds moisture or corn syrup or table sugar, that’s adulteration,” Ambrose told Food Safety News.
But still, he says he’s asked all the time how to ensure that you’re buying quality honey. “The fact is, unless you’re buying from a beekeeper, you’re at risk,” was his uncomfortably blunt reply.
Eric Silva, counsel for the American Honey Producers Association said the standard is a simple but essential tool in ensuring the quality and safety of honey consumed by millions of Americans each year.
“Without it, the FDA and their trade enforcement counterparts are severely limited in their ability to combat the flow of illicit and potentially dangerous honey into this country,” Silva told Food Safety News.
It’s not just beekeepers, consumers and the industry that FDA officials either ignore or slough off with comments that they’re too busy.
New York Sen. Charles Schumer is one of more than 20 U.S. senators and members of Congress of both parties who have asked the FDA repeatedly to create a federal “pure honey” standard, similar to what the rest of the world has established.
They get the same answer that Ambrose got in 1975: “Any day now.”
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store-honey-isnt-honey/#.Vp_o0K0Viko

What do you use to flavour your honey?

What are the benefits of raw honey?

Benefits of Honey:

Honey contains antioxidants, a wide array of vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
Heals wounds, burns, cataracts, skin ulcers, sores and scrapes.
Provides a protective barrier for wounds.
Kills bacteria and germs.
Reduces inflammation.
It's amino acids and vitamin C speed the growth of healthy tissue.
It's a natural source of energy. It enlivens the body, makes muscles stronger, refreshes nerves, cheers up, sharpens the mind, and gives sound sleep.
Soothes sore throats.

DISCLAIMER

Information within this site is for educational purposes only. Statements about any product efficacy have not been evaluated by Health Canada and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. The owners of this website and Forever Bee are not responsible for any adverse effects arising from the use, misuse, or nonuse of any product sold on this website, nor are they held responsibility for any advice given on any message board, forum, or newsletter, or any information given in any books, media, or events sold on this website. All information provided by and all products sold on this website are not recommended as a cure for any disease or condition. Forever Bee representatives are not medical doctors and cannot give medical advice. Contact your physician or qualified health professional for advice about any products or information on this website. Because there is always some risk involved when changing diet and/or lifestyle, the owners of this website and Forever Bee are not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences that might result from such change. Please do not apply the techniques or the information on this website or consume any products provided by this website if you are not willing to assume all associated risk in so doing. If you do use the information contained on this web site without the approval of a physician or qualified health professional, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but the owners of this website and Forever Bee assume no responsibility whatsoever. The information presented through this website is not medical advice, and is not given as medical advice, nor is it intended to propose or offer to propose a cure for any disease or condition. Before starting any medical treatment, please consult your physician. People who post messages on any message board or forum of this website are not considered authors of this website, and are considered private individuals representing their personal views and are in no way associated with the owners of this website and Forever Bee The owners of this website and Forever Bee SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER FOR DIRECT OR INDIRECT, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RELATING IN ANY WAY DUE TO THE USE, MISUSE, OR NONUSE OF INFORMATION OR PRODUCTS PROVIDED BY www.foreverbee.ca OR ANY OF ITS AUTHORS, SPONSORS, OR VENDORS, OR RESULTING FROM ANY DEFECTS OR FAILURE OF ANY INFORMATION OR PRODUCT PROVIDED BY www.foreverbee.ca. This website (www.foreverbee.ca) contains links to other websites. These links are not endorsements of any information, product or service on such websites, and no information, product or service on such websites has been endorsed or approved by these websites or Forever Bee.

I heard that Cinnamon and Honey is a really healthy combination. What are the benefits?

Honey and Cinnamon:

Nature's Magical Combination for Health and Well-Being

Honey has been used for millennia as a natural super-food and giver of health. Packed with minerals, vitamins, and amino acids, honey contains nearly all of the nutritional essentials for life, mixed in a pure, natural and tasty form. Cinnamon too has a long history in natural medicine, being used to treat maladies as varied as stomach bugs and toothache. It should be no surprise that combining the two can have huge beneficial effects on your health, almost too many to count, but here are just seven of the ways honey and cinnamon can improve your well-being.

Allergy Prevention and Immune System Boost

Both raw honey and cinnamon have long been used to help alleviate allergies. Honey in particular works as a natural preventative for hay fever, as the traces of local pollen it contains gives the immune system chance to adapt before the air is filled with it in summer. Cinnamon is rich in antioxidants which help clear the body of harmful free radicals, and the two ingredients work exceptionally well together to give your immune system a vital boost.

Heart Disease

A regular breakfast ofhoney and cinnamon on bread is believed to help keep blood vessels clear of blockages, promote healthy circulation, and reduce the strain on your heart. Not only is this combination a much healthier alternative to sugar-laden jams or fatty butter, it's delicious too!

Blood Sugar Control

Sadly, few of the sweet treats that we enjoy so much are good for us. A high consumption of processed sugars has been shown to increase the risks of diabetes, as well as causing weight gain. Honey and cinnamon is a double-barrelled solution to this problem: pure honey gives a natural, unprocessed hit of sweetness to our foods, while cinnamon has been found to increase hemoglobin A1C levels in the blood, leading to more effective control of blood sugars and thus a reduction in fatigue.

Weight Control

Following on from this, another benefit of regularly eating honey and cinnamon is easier weight control. While there is no "magic bullet" solution to losing weight, both honey and cinnamon help you shed the pounds by keeping your sugar levels steady. This means that your cravings for sweet foods are reduced, and your body is less prone to stockpiling supplies of excess sugar in the form of fats.

A Cold Cure

On a winter's evening when you're beset by sniffles, nothing beats a mug of hot water mixed with honey, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Not only does this powerful combination help to clear your sinuses, but the strong antibacterial properties of both honey and cinnamon come to the aid of your immune system to fight off the bug.

Relief from Joint Pain

Both honey and cinnamon have strong anti-inflammatory qualities, and when taken together they can be a powerful reliever of joint pain. Studies have suggested that in the long term, a daily dose of honey and cinnamon is effective even against the pain of chronic arthritis.

Easing of Digestive Problems

Honey and cinnamon's anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory aspects can also have great benefits for your digestive system. Regular consumption can ease stomach aches and pains, reduce gas, and calm the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

The fact that the combination of honey and cinnamon has been so highly valued for thousands of years shows how beneficial it can be for your body, so why not see for yourself how this age-old natural remedy could boost your health and improve your well-being?

DISCLAIMER

Information within this site is for educational purposes only. Statements about any product efficacy have not been evaluated by Health Canada and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. The owners of this website and Forever Bee are not responsible for any adverse effects arising from the use, misuse, or nonuse of any product sold on this website, nor are they held responsibility for any advice given on any message board, forum, or newsletter, or any information given in any books, media, or events sold on this website. All information provided by and all products sold on this website are not recommended as a cure for any disease or condition. Forever Bee representatives are not medical doctors and cannot give medical advice. Contact your physician or qualified health professional for advice about any products or information on this website. Because there is always some risk involved when changing diet and/or lifestyle, the owners of this website and Forever Bee are not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences that might result from such change. Please do not apply the techniques or the information on this website or consume any products provided by this website if you are not willing to assume all associated risk in so doing. If you do use the information contained on this web site without the approval of a physician or qualified health professional, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but the owners of this website and Forever Bee assume no responsibility whatsoever. The information presented through this website is not medical advice, and is not given as medical advice, nor is it intended to propose or offer to propose a cure for any disease or condition. Before starting any medical treatment, please consult your physician. People who post messages on any message board or forum of this website are not considered authors of this website, and are considered private individuals representing their personal views and are in no way associated with the owners of this website and Forever Bee The owners of this website and Forever Bee SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER FOR DIRECT OR INDIRECT, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RELATING IN ANY WAY DUE TO THE USE, MISUSE, OR NONUSE OF INFORMATION OR PRODUCTS PROVIDED BY www.foreverbee.ca OR ANY OF ITS AUTHORS, SPONSORS, OR VENDORS, OR RESULTING FROM ANY DEFECTS OR FAILURE OF ANY INFORMATION OR PRODUCT PROVIDED BY www.foreverbee.ca. This website (www.foreverbee.ca) contains links to other websites. These links are not endorsements of any information, product or service on such websites, and no information, product or service on such websites has been endorsed or approved by these websites or Forever Bee.

The difference between Cassia Cinnamon and Ceylon Cinnamon

Cinnamon is separated into two main categories: cassia cinnamon and Ceylon cinnamon. While both are harvested in sheets found beneath the bark of trees belonging to the same scientific family, they produce distinctly different products. The two types of cinnamon are differentiated by the way they are harvested, their taste, their smell, and the chemical compounds found within them. Let’s start with the most commonly available version: cassia cinnamon.

Cassia cinnamon is what you probably know as cinnamon, the ground red-brown powder that’s found in spice cabinets and suburban grocery stores across the country and the world. Before it's ground, when it's in bark-like form, cassia cinnamon is rougher in texture, darker in color, and rolled in thicker sheets than Ceylon cinnamon. Cassia cinnamon’s potency is what made it the go-to for home cooks and industrial producers—it has a more intense flavor, so a little bit of that special powder goes a long way.There are three specific types of cassia cinnamon—Indonesian, Chinese, and Saigon—all with different levels of flavor and situations that they are best suited for. Indonesian cassia is the sweetest and most mild of the cassia cinnamons, and is the most common in America. Chinese cassia, on the other hand has a strong, bitter flavor. Chinese cassia isn’t as common in the States, and is mainly used medicinally in China. And then there’s Saigon cassia, which is intensely fragrant and flavorful, almost spicy, and generally our preferred cassia variety.

Now, let’s talk about Ceylon cinnamon, a variety sometimes referred to "true" cinnamon" and native to Sri Lanka. If you ask us, this is the good stuff, and like most good things, it’s a little more expensive and a little harder to find at your standard-issue grocery store. When Ceylon cinnamon is harvested, the sheets that are taken from the tree are usually processed by hand and rolled into flat layers that are much thinner and finer in texture than those rolled from cassia cinnamon.And then there’s the taste.

Ceylon cinnamon’s flavor and aroma are extremely mild and delicate—it definitely reads as "cinnamon," but with subtle, almost floral notes in there. Tasting Ceylon cinnamon is like listening to your favorite vinyl record on a $4,000 stereo system, from the comfort of a leather Eames lounge chair, while cassia cinnamon is like listening to an mp3 version of the same album on the stereo in your friend Steve’s 1993 Honda Civic. You can still appreciate the music in the car, but...the chair. That’s where you want to be.Some people will tell you that that cassia cinnamon is "fake" cinnamon and Ceylon cinnamon is real cinnamon. This is not true. They are both real types of cinnamon, but we're inclined to think that Ceylon is a higher quality spice across the board. Using cassia cinnamon is totally fine, but Ceylon cinnamon is definitely worth seeking out, especially if you're a cinnamon-flavored dessert enthusiast. For the sake of your taste buds, your food, and the speakers in your friend Steve’s Honda Civic. Everyone wins.

Special Thanks to Bon Appetit for sharing their wisdom

Bee Pollen

What is Bee Pollen?

Pollen is the male seed of flowers. It is required for the fertilization of the plant. The tiny particles consist of 50/1,000-millimeter corpuscles, formed at the free end of the stamen in the heart of the blossom. Every variety of flower in the universe puts forth a dusting of pollen. Many orchard fruits and agricultural food crops do, too.

Bee pollen is the food of the young bee and it is approximately 40% protein. It is considered one of nature's most completely nourishing foods. It contains nearly all nutrients required by humans. About half of its protein is in the form of free amino acids that are ready to be used directly by the body. Such highly assimilable protein can contribute significantly to one's protein needs.

Gathering pollen is not as easy as it sounds. Once a honeybee arrives at a flower, she settles herself in and nimbly scrapes off the powdery loose pollen from the stamen with her jaws and front legs, moistening it with a dab of the honey she brought with her from the hive. The enlarged and broadened tarsal segments of her legs have a thick trimming of bristles, called pollen combs. The bee uses these combs to brush the gold powder from her coat and legs in mid-flight. With a skillful pressing movement of her auricle, which is used as a hammer, she pushes the gathered gold into her baskets. Her pollen baskets, surrounded by a fringe of long hairs, are simply concave areas located on the outside of her tibias. When the bee's baskets are fully loaded, the microscopic golden dust has been tamped down into a single golden grain, or granule.

One of the most interesting facts about bee pollen is that it cannot be synthesized in a laboratory. When researchers take away a bee's pollen-filled comb and feed her manmade pollen, the bee dies even though all the known nutrients are present in the lab-produced synthesized food. Many thousands of chemical analyses of bee pollen have been made with the very latest diagnostic equipment, but there are still some elements present in bee pollen that science cannot identify. The bees add some mysterious "extra" of their own. These unidentifiable elements may very well be the reason bee pollen works so spectacularly against so many diverse conditions of ill health.

Honeybees do double duty. They are programmed to gather pollen and carry it back to the hive as food for the colony. However, even more important as far as humans are concerned, they are also responsible for the pollination of more than 80 percent of green growing things. As bees buzz from blossom to blossom, microscopic pollen particles coat their stubby little bodies so densely that they sometimes look like little yellow fuzz balls. When they arrive at the next flower, a portion of the live golden dust is transferred to that blossom and pollination is accomplished.

It is important to recognize that a one teaspoon dose of pollen takes one bee working eight hours a day for one month to gather. Each bee pollen pellet, contains over two million flower pollen grains and one teaspoonful contains over 2.5 billion grains of flower pollen.

What are the benefits of Bee Pollen?

Complete Nutrition

Bee pollen contains all the essential components of life. The percentage of rejuvenating elements in bee pollen remarkably exceeds those present in brewer's yeast and wheat germ. Bee pollen corrects the deficient or unbalanced nutrition, common in the customs of our present-day civilization of consuming incomplete foods, often with added chemical ingredients, which expose us to physiological problems as various as they are numerous.

Pollen is considered an energy and nutritive tonic in Chinese medicine. Cultures throughout the world use it in a surprising number of applications: for improving endurance and vitality, extending longevity, aiding recovery from chronic illness, adding weight during convalescence, reducing cravings and addictions, regulating the intestines, building new blood, preventing infectious diseases such as the cold and flue (it has antibiotic type properties), and helping overcome retardation and other developmental problems in children. It is thought to protect against radiation and to have anti-cancer qualities.

Nutrient deficiencies and all the health problems they cause are recognized worldwide as a growing problem. Because bee pollen contains all the nutrients needed to sustain life, it is being used on an ever larger scale for human nourishment and health. Science teaches that bee pollen contains many substances that combine to make it a healthy, nutritious, complete food. There are numerous reports from medical experience that conclusively show the benefits of bee pollen exceed that of a simple food item. And the bees do most of the work.

Bee-gathered pollens are rich in proteins, free amino acids, vitamins, including B-complex, and folic acid.

According to researchers at the Institute of Apiculture, Taranov, Russia, "Honeybee pollen is the richest source of vitamins found in Nature in a single food. Even if bee pollen had none of its other vital ingredients, its content of rutin alone would justify taking at least a teaspoon daily, if for no other reason than strengthening the capillaries. Pollen is extremely rich in rutin and may have the highest content of any source, plus it provides a high content of the nucleics RNA [ribonucleic acid] and DNA [deoxyribonucleic acid]."

Bee pollen is a complete food and contains many elements that products of animal origin do not possess. Bee pollen is more rich in proteins than any animal source. It contains more amino acids than beef, eggs, or cheese of equal weight. Bee pollen is particularly concentrated in all elements necessary for life

Medical Miracles

Researchers have demonstrated that there is a substance in bee pollen that inhibits the development of numerous harmful bacteria. Experiments have shown bee pollen contains an antibiotic factor effective against salmonella and some strains of bacteria. On the clinical level, studies have shown that a regulatory effect on intestinal function can be attributed to bee pollen. The presence of a high proportion of cellulose and fiber in pollen, as well as the existence of antibiotic factors, all contribute to an explanation for this efficacious effect.

Working with lab animals has demonstrated that the ingestion of bee pollen has a good effect on the composition of blood. A considerable and simultaneous increase of both white and red blood cells is observed. When bee pollen is given to anemic patients, their levels of hemoglobin [oxygen-carrying red blood cells] increase considerably.

It is reported that bee pollen in the diet acts to normalize cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood: Upon the regular ingestion of bee pollen, a reduction of cholesterol and triglycerides was observed. High-density lipoproteins (HDL) increased, while low-density lipoproteins (LDL) decreased. A normalization of blood serum cholesterol levels is also seen.

One of the most important articles ever published on bee pollen comes from our own United States Department of Agriculture. This article, entitled "Delay in the Appearance of Palpable Mammary Tumors in C3H Mice Following the Ingestion of PolIenized Food," is the work of William Robinson of the Bureau of Entomology, Agriculture Research Administration. It was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute way back in October 1948, five decades ago. According to the article, Dr. Robinson started with mice that had been specially bred to develop and subsequently die from tumors. He explains, "The age at which mice of this strain developed tumors ranged from 18 to 57 weeks, with an average appearance at 33 weeks. Tumor incidence was 100 percent."

The pollen used in this study was supplied by the Division of Bee Culture and, according to the report, "was the bee-gathered type." One group of mice was fed mice chow only; another group was fed mice chow with the addition of bee pollen at a ratio of 1 part bee pollen to 10,000 parts food. Dr. Robinson's article states, "Particular attention was given to the weight of the treated animals, since underweight can in itself bring about a delay in tumor development. No decrease in weight occurred in the animals receiving the pollenized food. Instead, a slight but fairly uniform increase was noted, possibly due to a nutritional factor in pollen."

In his summary, Dr. Robinson reveals the dramatic results: "In the untreated mice [the mice not given bee pollen], mammary tumors appeared as expected at an average of 31.3 weeks. Tumor incidence was 100 percent. In the postponement series, [the mice given bee pollen], the average [onset of tumors] was 41.1 weeks, a delay of 9.8 weeks being obtained. Seven mice in this series were still tumor-free at 56 to 62 weeks of age, when the tests were terminated. I would like to emphasize that these mice were especially bred to die from cancerous tumors. Without the protection of bee pollen in their food, the mice developed tumors and died right on schedule.

Given the fact that cancer is the number-two killer in the United States (heart disease is number one), we can all certainly agree that this is an electrifying article. What happened from it? Nothing. Even the National Cancer Institute, which published it, failed to follow up on this very promising line of research. It was dropped with no explanation.

More good news comes from the University of Vienna, where Dr. Peter Hernuss and colleagues conducted a study of twenty-five women suffering from inoperable uterine cancer. Because surgery was impossible, the women were treated with chemotherapy. The lucky women given bee pollen with their food quickly exhibited a higher concentration of cancer-fighting immune-system cells, increased antibody production, and a markedly improved level of infection-fighting and oxygen carrying red blood cells (hemoglobin). These women suffered less from the awful side effects of chemotherapy as well. Bee pollen lessened the terrible nausea that commonly accompanies the treatment and helped keep hair loss to a minimum. The women also slept better at night. The control group receiving a placebo did not experience comparable relief.

A report from the Agronomic Institute, Faculty of Zootechnics, Romania, showed the immune-strengthening effects of bee pollen. According to the report, "Comparative Studies Concerning Biochemical Characteristics of Beebread as Related to the Pollen Preserved in Honey" by Drs. E. Palos, Z. Voiculescu, and C. Andrei, "An increase has been recorded in the level of blood lymphocytes, gamma globulins, and proteins in those subjects given pollen in comparison with control groups. The most significant difference occurred in lymphocytes. These results thus signify a strengthening in the resistance of the organic system."

Lymphocytes are the white blood cells that are the "soldiers" of the immune system. They are responsible for ridding the body of injurious and harmful substances, including infected or diseased cells, mutant and cancerous cells, viruses, metabolic trash, and so on. Gamma globulin is a protein formed in the blood, and our ability to resist infection is closely related to this protein's activity.

Infertility Problems

Pollen stimulates ovarian function. The best results were obtained with a pollen supplementation of 2 parts per 100 in the ration, and with the substitution of animal proteins with pollen in a proportion of 5 parts per 100. The intensity of ovulation increased. Parallel to this increase in ovulation, pollen also improves the ability of eggs to withstand the incubation period. The best results were obtained with a quantity of 4 parts per 100 of pollen added to the ration, resulting in an increase in the percentage of eggs in respect to the control group. The application of pollen is recommended whenever the end result is obtaining eggs for reproduction.

Bee Products Also Treats Allergies!

Pollen is also a remedy for hay fever and allergies. However it must be taken at least six weeks before the season begins and then continued throughout the season if it going to work.

Bee pollen has been effectively used down through the ages to rid allergy sufferers of their afflictions. This technique, called desensitization, was developed at St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London soon after the turn of the century. The treatment consists of administering small amounts of the allergen to stimulate the patient's own immune system to produce antibodies that will eliminate the allergic reaction. It works rather like a vaccination does against childhood diseases. Desensitization is based on the premise that the administration of the allergen will cause the body to produce antibodies that will cancel out the effects of the offending substance when the patient is again exposed to it.

Leo Conway, M.D., of Denver Colorado, treated his patients with pollen. Dr. Conway reported: "All patients who had taken the antigen [pollen] for three years remained free from all allergy symptoms, no matter where they lived and regardless of diet. Control has been achieved in 100 percent of my earlier cases and the field is ever-expanding. Since oral feeding of pollen for this use was first perfected in his laboratory, astounding results were obtained. No ill consequences have resulted. Ninety-four percent of all his patients were completely free from allergy symptoms. Of the other six percent, not one followed directions, but even this small percentage were nonetheless partially relieved".

Relief of hay fever, pollen-induced asthma, with ever increasing control of bronchitis, ulcers of the digestive tract, colitis, migraine headaches, and urinary disorders were all totally successful. Unfortunately, Dr. Conway, an early pioneer in the field of allergies, is now deceased. What we did not know was just how lightning-fast it could bring relief. It actually eliminated long-standing symptoms in minutes. Everything from asthma to allergies to sinus problems cleared. These trials confirmed that bee pollen is wonderfully effective against a very wide range of respiratory distress.

Bee Products and Physical Activity

The British Sports Council recorded increases in strength of as high as 40 to 50 percent in those taking bee pollen regularly. Even more astounding, the British Royal Society has reported height increases in adults who take pollen. Antii Lananaki, coach of the Finnish track team that swept the Olympics in 1972, revealed, "Most of our athletes take pollen food supplements. Our studies show it significantly improves their performance. There have been no negative results since we have been supplying pollen to our athletes."

Alex Woodly, then executive director of the prestigious Education Athletic Club in Philadelphia, said, "Bee pollen works, and it works perfectly. Pollen allows super-stars to increase their strength and stamina up to 25 percent. This increase in strength and endurance may be the key to the secret regenerative power of bee pollen. Bee pollen causes a definite decrease in pulse rate. The whole beauty of bee pollen is that it's as natural as you can get. No chemicals. No steroids." Renowned German naturalist Francis Huber was a great proponent of this miraculous food from the hive. Huber called bee pollen "the greatest body builder on Earth."

Bee Pollen and Weight Control

Bee pollen works wonders in a weight-control or weight-stabilization regimen by correcting a possible chemical imbalance in body metabolism that may be involved in either abnormal weight gain or loss. The normalizing and stabilizing effects of this perfect food from the bees are phenomenal.

In weight-loss programs, bee pollen stimulates the metabolic processes. It speeds caloric burn by lighting and stoking the metabolic fires. Honeybee pollen is coming to be recognized as Nature's true weight-loss food. Bee pollen is a low-calorie food. It contains only ninety calories per ounce. (An ounce is about two heaping tablespoons.) It offers 15 percent lecithin by volume. Lecithin is a substance that helps dissolve and flush fat from the body. This is one reason why bee pollen lowers low-density lipoproteins (LDL) surer and faster than any other food while helping increase the helpful high-density lipoproteins (HDL), which science says protect against cholesterol and heart disease.

By boosting the value of each nutrient present in the food you eat, bee pollen also eliminates cravings. Its natural phenylalanine content acts as an appetite suppressant. Phenylalanine is a natural amino acid that the body requires. It acts on your appestat, the control center that signals fullness and hunger. Mother Nature knows what she's about. You just plain won't want to eat as much when you take bee pollen regularly. When you are overweight, phenylalanine exerts a natural appetite suppressant effect. When you need to gain weight, the phenylalanine in bee pollen works in reverse.

The chemical drug in over-the-counter weight-loss products is a manmade cousin of phenylalanine called phenylpropanolamine, which chemically depresses the appetite whether you are fat, thin, or just right. It can also give you the jitters and leave you with a drug-induced "hangover" and can be addictive. Phenylpropanolamine is a common ingredient in many decongestants, explaining why one of the side effects of these products is loss of appetite. Products that include phenylpropanolamine as an ingredient must by law carry a warning that they should not be taken by persons with certain conditions, including thyroid problems and high blood pressure.

Health and Beauty

Basic beauty begins with the glow of good health, which shines from within. A scrubbed and radiant complexion transforms any woman (or man) into a singularly attractive person. On the other hand, dull, muddy skin, often caused by poor nutrition or personal hygiene, can detract from even the most attractive. Studies have shown that unhealthy or aging skin can be dramatically improved by the consumption of honeybee pollen.

When bee pollen is included daily in the diet, it not only gives you the glow of health and aids in safe, permanent weight loss, but it can also be blended into seemingly "magic potions" to smooth, soothe, and rejuvenate every inch of the outside of your body. Several relatively inexpensive mixtures of hive products, used externally, can revitalize and rejuvenate the complexion and may even eliminate acne.

Dr. Lars-Erik Essen, a dermatologist in Halsinborg, Sweden, pioneered the use of bee products for skin conditions. He treated many of his patients successfully for acne. Dr. Essen says, "Through transcutaneous nutrition, bee pollen exerts a profound biological effect. It seems to prevent premature aging of the cells and stimulates growth of new skin tissue. It offers effective protection against dehydration and injects new life into dry cells. It smooths away wrinkles and stimulates a life-giving blood supply to all skin cells.

The skin becomes younger looking, less vulnerable to wrinkles, smoother, and healthier with the use of honeybee pollen," Dr. Essen says. "Taken internally or used externally, bee pollen exercises a suppressive effect on facial acne. It is also an important skin rejuvenator, primarily because it contains a high concentration of the nucleic acids RNA and DNA as well as a natural antibiotic factor."

The French, long noted for their preoccupation with all things beautiful, have done a great deal of research on the use of bee pollen and other hive products in cosmetic preparations. Dr. M. Esperrois of the French Institute of Chemistry notes that honeybee pollen contains potent antibiotics that can act to reverse the effects normal aging exerts on skin, correcting darkening, wrinkles, and blemishes.

Professors N. Mankovsky and D. G. Chebotarev, two Russian scientists, confirm honeybee pollen stimulates cell renewal. They say, "The rejuvenation of skin and body cells can be encouraged by the administration of the poly-vitamins, microelements, enzymes, hormones, and amino acids present m bee pollen. These nutrients are needed by the body to form new tissue." These professors go on to praise the properties of bee pollen, calling them "vital to a form of internal and external rejuvenation at the cellular level.

Longevity and the Aging Process

According to G. Liebold, a holistic physician and psychologist of Karlsruhe, Germany, "Bee pollen is an excellent prophylaxis and therapeutic treatment against all the precocious symptoms of old age. It should be considered a universal geriatric treatment in the form of a natural remedy.

"Bee pollen causes an increase in physical and mental abilities, especially of concentration and memory ability, activates sluggish metabolic functions, and strengthens the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. This natural nutriment from the bees removes the causes of cardiovascular symptoms, such as arteriosclerosis, cerebral insufficiency, and other sequelae. It prevents nutrient deficiency during old age, gravidity [pregnancy], and the lactation [nursing] period. Bee pollen accelerates convalescence after serious illness and/or an operation, increases the body's physical defensive powers of the immune system stimulates mental and psychological resistance to stress, and creates a harmonizing of vegetative and hormonal disorders."

Dr. Nicolai Vasilievich Tsitsin, the USSR's chief biologist (and botanist) and an acknowledged expert on geriatrics, spent quite a few years pursuing the secrets of the many in what was the Soviet Union who live extraordinarily long lives. He visited the numerous small villages that dot the landscape high up in the Caucasus mountains, where the air is always clear and sweet. In summer, the breezes there are perfumed with the scent of thousands of wild flowers. The villagers work their small farms and tend their kitchen gardens without the dubious "benefits" of the space-age technologies employed by agribiz conglomerates. This is one of the few areas left in the world where the old ways still prevail.

The stalwart families who make their homes in the mountainous regions of the former Soviet Union are some of the most long-lived people in the world. On examination, many exhibit signs of "silent" heart disease, scars of "silent" heart attacks that would have almost certainly been lethal to a modern man or woman. The hard physical work they do every day well into what some of us in the so-called civilized world consider old age plays a part in their remarkably healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Tsitsin was amazed to find more than 200 individuals over 125 years of age, all still working every day and participating actively in village life. The hard facts of their daily existence partially explained the extended life span they achieved, but Dr. Tsitsin remained puzzled. He knew there had to be some other factor entering into the equation. He set himself the task of finding the common denominator. Then he stumbled upon it.

These people kept bees. Beekeeping is a profession that in itself a historically confers some sort of "magical" life protection on its members, a fact validated by today's scientific research. Still, only very well informed, modern beekeepers are knowledgeable about the many health-promoting benefits of bee pollen and regularly serve it at table. The villagers didn't fit the profile. Dr. Tsitsin dug deeper.

He found the answer. These beekeepers, happy and fulfilled though they were with their almost idyllic pastoral existence, were very poor. Bartering among themselves to exchange homegrown or handmade products for services was the accepted way of life. They had little cash available to them, so they regularly harvested-and either sold or bartered away the pure, clear honey from the combs of their beehives. What they kept for themselves and ate regularly was the thick residue that accumulated on the bottoms of their hives.

When he was served some of the sweet, sticky stuff in the home of one of the villagers, Dr. Tsitsin realized that this was the magic elixir that contributed to the remarkable longevity. The tasty but unattractive glob was rich with golden granules of bee pollen. Dr. Tsitsin attributed the remarkable health and extended life spans of these particular Russians to the scientifically documented action of bee pollen. He concluded his report by saying, "Taken regularly and in sufficient amounts, bee pollen will prolong the life span of man for many years."

Another Russian scientist, Naum Petrovich Ioyrish, chief of the Academy of July 26, 1997Vladivostok and author of Bees and People, agrees. In 1975, Dr. Ioyrish reported without any qualification, "Long lives are attained by bee pollen users. It is one of the original treasure houses of nutrition and medicine. Each grain contains every important substance necessary to life."

Chemical Analysis of Bee Pollen - Nutritional Info

Honeybee pollen and raw honey are the only food on earth containing all 22 nutrients needed by mankind for complete and perfect health.

Vitamins: Provitamin A (carotenoids) 5-9 mg % Vitamin B1 (thiamine) 9.2 micrograms % Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) Vitamin B3 (Niacin) Vitamin B5 (panothenic acid) Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 5 micrograms % Vitamin B12 (cyamoco balamin) Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) Vitamin D - Vitamin E Vitamin H (biotin) Vitamin K. Choline. Inositol Folic Acid, 5 micrograms % Pantothenic acid 20-50 micrograms/gram Rutin. 16 milligrams % Rutin in beehive pollen 13% Vitamin PP (nicotinicamide)	Minerals: Calcium. 1 - 15% of ash Phosphorus 1-20% of ash Iron, 1-12% of ash 0.01-1.3% of fresh pollen 0.6-7.1 mg % of air dried Copper 05-08% of ash 1.1-2.1 mg % of fresh Potassium, 20-45% of ash Magnesium, 1-12% of ash Manganese, 1.4% of ash, 0.75 mg % Silica, 2-10% of ash Sulphur, 1% of ash Sodium - Titanium-Zinc Iodine - Chlorine Boron-Molydbenum
Fatty Acids (Conifer Pollen) Total list identified are: Caproic (C-6) - Caprylic (C-8) Capric (C-10) - Lauric (C-12) Myristic (C-14) - Palmitic (C-16) Palmitoleic (C-15) one double bond Uncowa - Stearic (C-18) Oleic (C-18) one double bond Linoleic (C-18) two double bonds Arachidic (C-20) - Stearic (C-22) Limolenic (C-18 three double bonds) Eicosanoic (C-20 one double bond) Brucic (C-22 one double bond) Pseudotduga dry pollen contains 0.76-0.89 % fatty acid. Major are: Oleic, Palmitic, Linoleic, Pinus dry pollen contains: 125-1.33% fatty acid based on dry weight of pollen, major are: Linolenic, Oleic - Stearic.	Enzymes & Co-enzymes: Disstase Phosphatase Amylase Cataiase Saccharase Diaphorase Pectase Cozymase Cytochrome systems Lactic dehydrogenase Succinic dehydrogenase Note: The cozymase in mixed fresh pollen runs about 0.5-1 .0 milligram per gram. comparable to the amounts in yeast. (Bee pollen contains all known enzymes & co-enzymes and probably all that will be known in the future.) Pigments: Xarmmepayll, (20-150 micrograms per gram.) Carotates (50-150% micrograms per gram.) Alpha & Beta Carotene
Fats & Oils: - 5% Fatty acid (may be 5.8%) Hexadecanol may be 0. 14% of pollen by weight. Alpha-amino butyric acid is present in pollen fat. Unsaponifiable fraction of pollen may be 2.6% by weight. Water: 3-20% of fresh pollen	Miscellaneous: Waxes, Resins, Steroids, Growth Factors, Growth Isorhanetin, Vernine, Guanine, Xanthine, Hypoxanthine, Nuclein, Amines, Lecithin, Glucoside of Isorhanstin, Glycosides of Quercetir, Selenium, Nucleic acids flavonoids, phenolic acids, tarpenes & many other yet undefined nutrients.
Proteins, Globulins, Peptones, and Amino Acids: 7-35%. average 20%: 40-50% may be free amino acids: 10-13% consists of amino acids in dry pollen. 35 grams of pollen per day can satisfy the protein requirements of man. 25 grams of pollen per day can sustain man because it contains 6.35 grams as indicated by Rose. Plus other amino acids.	Pollen contains the same number of amino acids, but vary greatly in quantity of each: Tryptophan 1.6% - Leucine 5.6% Lysine 5.7% - Isoleucine 4.7% Methionine 1.7% - Cystine 0.6% Thresonine 4.6% - Arginine 4.7% Phenylalanine 3.5% - Histidine 1.5% Valine 6.0% - Glutamic acid 2.1% Tyrosine - Glycine - Serine - Proline - Alanine - Aspartic acid Hydroxyproline - Butyric Acid.
Carbohydrates: Gums - Pentosans - Cellulose Sporonine (7-57% of pollen of various species: 29% in bee collected.) Starch (0-22% of pollen) Total sugars (30-40%) Sucrose or cane sugar Levulose or fruit sugar / fructose Glucose or grape sugar Reducing sugars (0.1-19%) Bee-collected: Non-reducing sugar 2.71%. Reducing: 18.82-41.21% Mean. 25.71% A nutrient is a molecule you must have, but the body cannot manufacture. You have to ingest (eat) it. If you don't have it, at first you will not feel well. It you don't get it for a longer time, you will begin to feel sick. If you don't get it for too long a time you are probably going to die. Each ounce of honeybee pollen contains just 28 calories. Only 7 grams are carbohydrate, plus 15% Lecithin, the substance that burns away fat and 25% is pure protein.	Twenty-eight minerals are found in the human body. Fourteen are vital, essential elements present in such small amounts that they are called - "micro- nutrients." Honeybee pollen contains all 28 minerals: Nucleosides Guanine Hexodecanol Auxins Xanthine Alpha-Amino-Butyric Acid Brassins Hypoxalthine Monoglycerides Gibberellins Crocetin Diglycerides Kinins Zeaxanthin Triglycerides Vernine Lycopene Peutosaus

How do I use Bee Pollen?

How to Use Bee Pollen

Each golden granule is densely packed with active enzymes, just about every nutrient that has a name, and some elements that science has not yet identified or labelled. Your digestive system may not be accustomed to such intensely rich food. If you are a beginner, introduce bee pollen into your diet slowly, a granule or two at a time. Don't cook with the granules or add powdered granules to anything that requires heat. Heat destroys the active enzymes and reduces the nutrient value. Otherwise, the sky's the limit.

You can: Powder an ounce or two of granules and add cinnamon to taste. Cinnamon adds a delightful spiciness and aroma to the sweetness of pollen. Stir powdered granules into vegetable juices, or even into water sweetened with raw honey. Whirl the powder into salad dressings. Sprinkle whole or powdered granules on toast topped with peanut butter. Also try it sprinkled over yoghurt, mixed with your oatmeal, smoothies or cereal, or add it to your own date bars :)

Before taking a full dose of pollen it is very important to test for a possible extreme allergic reaction by ingesting just one pellet. Then gradually build up over a week or so to the correct dose.

The optimal dose of pollen varies with individual needs. For allergy prevention all that is required is about one teaspoon per day. You should gradually increase your dose to one tablespoon. It will give about five grams of protein which is a good addition if you already have some proteins in your meal, such as a legume dish.

How do I store bee pollen?

Interesting Facts about Bee Pollen!

Bee pollen enhances the metabolism by creating endless chain reactions throughout the entire system. The essential minerals and other natural elements in bee pollen act as catalysts, and are responsible for the assimilation of that portion of foods which would normally have been eliminated without yielding the energy, essential nutrients and other benefits (which usually occurs on a regular basis with most adulterated foods).
Bee Pollen is one of the richest natural foods ever discovered, and the incredible nutritional and medicinal value of pollen has been known for thousands of years.
Bee pollen grains contain the male germ cells that are produced by all flowering plant species. It plays an essential role in the fertilization and propagation of these plants.
One teaspoonful of bee pollen contains approximately 1,200 pellets or 2.5 billion grains, each of which has the capacity to supply those factors that are necessary in order to fertilize and reproduce the particular plant species that it represents (such as a fruit, grain, flower, or tree). Pollen is composed of myriads of microspores that are produced in the anthers of flowers and in the cones of conifers. Each grain measures approximately .002 inches in diameter and each bee-collected pellet contains approximately two million grains of pollen.
Bees are extremely discriminate about selecting the best pollen from the millions of grains that are present. Of these, only two types are found, namely, anemophile pollen grains (which are not collected by bees, and produce allergic reactions) and entomophile pollen grains (which are collected by bees, and possess greater nutrient content). It is apparent that the bees only select those grains of pollen that are rich in all the nutrients, especially nitrogenous materials. The bees mix the pollen grains with a sticky substance that is secreted from their stomachs, which allows the pollen to adhere to their rear legs in "pollen baskets" in order to safely transport it to their hives.
Bee pollen contains the richest known source of vitamins, minerals, proteins, amino acids, hormones, enzymes and fats, as well as significant quantities of natural antibiotics. Most of the known vitamins in pollen exist in perfect proportion, which further enhances their value.
The protein content of bee pollen (including certain peptones and gloculins) ranges from 10 to 35 percent (according to its plant origin). Forty to fifty percent of this may be in the form of free amino acids. All pollens contain the exact same number of 22 amino acids, yet different species produce varying amounts. The amino acids found in whole dry pollen fluctuate between 10 and 13 percent (26.88% protein or albuminous substances). This equals from 5 to 7 times the amino acid content found in equal weights of beef, milk, eggs or cheese.
Bee pollen contains from 10 to 15 percent natural sugars, including fructose, glucose, pentose, raffinose, stachyose and sucrose. These are essentially the same simple natural sugars that are found in honey, and which exist in easily-digested chains and bonds. Many are converted to a predigested form by the enzymatic action of the bee's salivary glands.
The highly-resistant exterior wall membranes of bee pollen are composed of sporonine and cellulose. Until recently, this complex carbohydrate was unextractable from pollen and was the major cause of low bioavailability and rare allergic reactions to bee pollen which some people experienced.
Bee pollen also contains lecithin, amines, nuclein, guanine, xanthine, hypoxanthine, vernine, waxes, gums, resins, hydrocarbons (0.57%), sterols (0.6%), polypeptides, DNA, ribose, desoxyribose, hexuronic acid, vegetable oils (5% average) and various growth factors.
Certain enzymes are also present in bee pollen, and are the essential biological catalysts during the digestive process (bee pollen also aids in the proper digestion of other foods). The enzymes found in bee pollen include amylase, catalase, cozymase, cytochrome, dehydrogenase, diaphorase, diastase, lactic acids, pectase and phosphatase.
The water content of fresh bee pollen ranges from 3 to 20 percent. This water content must be carefully removed by proper dehydration methods (desiccation) in order to retain its fragile elements, as well as to preserve the total integrity of its properties.
Bee pollen also contains active antibiotic substances that immediately destroy harmful pathogenic bacteria upon contact.
Bee pollen usually contains nectar and saliva. When mixed with honey, this pollen may be stored in comb cells where it undergoes a lactic acid fermentation process in order to produce "bee bread" (which contains high levels of vitamin E and K).
Bee pollen is superior to both honey and royal jelly, and possesses a similar (but more stable) composition to that of royal jelly. The overall stability of bee pollen is more advantageous when used in dietetics, as well as an effective form of skin care during corrective dermatology. Since pollen contains fatty acids, this may account for its favourable effect upon the skin and dermal tissues. The anti-fungal action in human perspiration is due to the presence of certain fatty acids such as caprylic, propionic and undecyclenic acids.
Many of the active ingredients in bee pollen consist of substances (such as hormones) that accelerate plant growth.
Experiments by French doctors have revealed that pollen contains both natural antibiotic properties and significant growth factors.
Bee pollen provides those chemical substances from which are used to create glands, muscles, hair and vital organs. In addition, it also furnishes those essential materials that are necessary for the repair of any worn-out cells or tissues.

Beeswax and Candles

What are the benefits of burning Beeswax Candles?

What can I do with beeswax?

21 Uses for Beeswax

Thanks to:
http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2013/12/21-brilliant-benefits-of-beeswax.html

Batik - Batiking is a method of fabric dyeing in which the fabric not intended to be dyed is covered with removable wax. The ideal mixture for batik preparation is 30 percent beeswax and 70 percent paraffin, creating the perfect batik wax mixture.

Ukrainian Egg Decorating - A pysanka is a Ukrainian Easter egg, decorated with traditional Ukrainian folk designs using a wax-resist (batik) method. The word pysanka comes from the verb pysaty, “to write”, as the designs are not painted on, but written with beeswax.

Prevent Rust - Coat things like hand tools, cast iron pieces and shovels to prevent them from rusting out. You can even rub beeswax on the wooden handle of your shovel to help protect against wear and tear.

Cheese Waxing - If you produce your own cheese, beeswax is the best natural cover for cheeses. If the cheese is wet, you will need to let it dry before applying the hot wax. This is to ensure a proper seal because wax will not adhere to wet surfaces. Beeswax works well for sealing the because it has a low melting point.

Waxed Thread - Waxed thread is often used in handmade crafts such as hand-sewn leather goods and making jewelry. The wax on the thread provides lubrication that can make sewing easier. Plain thread can be rubbed against a cube of bee’s wax, coating the thread in the wax.

Coating Nails & Screws - Once you coat your nails and screws with beeswax, they do not splinter the wood while you hammer them in.

Wood Lubricant - Rub beeswax on sliding glass doors, windows or drawers that tend to stick to restore smooth movement. Beeswax is also a fantastic lubricant for oiling very old furniture joints.

Beeswax Crayons - There are many different variations for beeswax crayons, but most use equal weight amounts of beeswax and white bar soap. Beeswax crayons tend to be harder than the soy, giving the ability to add more details to pictures.

Envelope Seal - You can make a beeswax seal and apply it to an envelope that you are sending out. This would be great for an invitation to a wedding or baby shower.

Waterproof Shoes and Boots - Rub the beeswax over the entire shoe. Next, use a blow dryer to melt the wax all over the shoe then let set for about 5 minutes before wearing!

DIY Shoe Polish - Restore leather boots, shoes, pocketbooks, and more with this basic shoe polish formula. Combine and heat 2 oz of oil and 1/2 oz beeswax until the beeswax is melted. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 to 1 tsp pigment, adding more for a darker color. Makes ½ cup, just about what you’d buy in the store. Store in a small jar.

Beeswax For Hair - Beeswax is used as a remedy for dry hair, to help start and maintain dreadlocks and as a wax for a man’s beard or mustache. Combine & heat equal parts beeswax and coconut oil. Allow to cool and set. Using small portions at a time, work it into the mustache. Comb to style.

Grease Cookie Sheets - If you have a block of wax, you can simply rub it over your pans and use it in place of butter or oil. (Beeswax is edible so this is perfectly safe.) It works best if you warm the sheet a bit first. You can also melt the wax and apply it that way. Over time the pan will take on a permanent coat of wax, eliminating the need to grease every time.

Make Canelés - Beeswax is also traditionally used in making canelés, a small French pastry with a custard center and a caramelized crust, giving them their crispness and a slight honey flavor. A coating of beeswax and butter, frozen to the molds before baking, helps create a protective outer skin that will help protect the shape of the canelés as they bake.

Candles & Luminaries - Beeswax candles burn brighter, remove toxins from the air and give off a sweet, warming honey aroma which gets accentuated when mixed with other essential oils. Making them is pretty simple, too. Learn how to make beeswax candles HERE. Learn how to make beeswax luminaries HERE.

Furniture Polish - To make beeswax furniture polish melt 1 T. of grated beeswax, stir in 3 T. of coconut oil until melted. When this cools and hardens, use a clean cloth to rub it onto your wood furniture. Then using another cloth, buff the furniture until all residue is removed.

Granite Countertop Polish - Keep your granite countertops shiny with beeswax. Rub warmed beeswax in, allow it to dry, and then wipe down to remove any excess. The polish will also help prevent staining.

Reusable Food Wrap - An alternative to plastic wrap…..make your own beeswax coated cotton material. The warmth of your hands allows you to mould the beeswax to whatever shape you want and it stays there. When refrigerated it forms a firm cover to protect your leftovers.

DIY Beeswax Modeling Clay - Modeling clay made from beeswax and plant dyes make a natural and non-toxic craft. When warmed in your hands to a soft consistency, beeswax modeling clay easily forms into shapes. To preserve your sculpted creations, let the beeswax cool and keep it away from heat.

Care For Wooden Utensils - Make spoon (or board) butter out of mineral oil and natural beeswax. Smooth it into your spoons, spatulas, boards and bowls. Let them sit for a couple of hours, then rub down with a clean cloth and return them to normal use.

Corrosion Control - Beeswax actually prevents bronze items from getting tarnished. To guard against oxidation caused by moist air, brush on a solution of ⅓ pound beeswax melted in 1 quart turpentine. Buff it with a towel to create a thin, hard coat. Similarly, you can seal a copper sink by rubbing it with softened beeswax and polishing off the excess with a lint-free rag.

What are the ingredients in your body products and why did you choose these ingredients?

Shea Butter

Cacao Butter

Anti-Aging: One of the reasons that cocoa butter is so valuable is its high concentration of antioxidant compounds, including oleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid. Although these are technically fatty acids, they are beneficial for the body, and help to neutralize free radicals throughout the body, particularly in the skin. By reducing the occurrence of oxidative stress, cocoa butter can help reduce the signs of aging, including wrinkles and age marks. Research has also shown cocoa butter to reduce the appearance of scars on the skin and help to boost overall skin health.

Increase Hair Quality: Aside from the delicious aroma of cocoa, cocoa butter can also help to moisturise your hair helping to improve its general appearance and strength. Cacao butter has also been linked to a lower incidence of dandruff and healthier hair follicle beds, thereby reducing hair loss and preventing the onset of male pattern baldness.

Skin Health: The antioxidant qualities of cocoa butter certainly take care of most signs of ageing, but cocoa butter also provides a barrier for the skin that will protect it from outside agents as well. The antioxidants and beneficial organic molecules protect the skin from environmental, internal, and external forces that can cause irritation or damage to the skin.

Reduce Inflammation: The rich blend of fatty acids and antioxidants in cocoa butter make it an ideal choice for people who want to reduce inflammation of the skin. Whether you apply cocoa butter to psoriasis, eczema, rashes, or other types on inflammation on the body, you can find quick, soothing relief, combined with a delicious aroma. This can also be achieved through the consumption of cocoa butter in the form of chocolate, which is how most people choose to access these health benefits. Despite the negative impact that excess fat can have on the cardiovascular system, some early research is showing an improvement in inflammatory condition in the heart when treated with moderate amounts of cocoa butter.

Apricot Kernel Oil

There are many beneficial forms of oil for culinary and therapeutic purposes, but apricot kernel oil is one that many people don’t even know exists. Before adding this unique oil to your health regimen, however, it is critical that you understand where it comes from and what potential benefits it holds for your health, as well as any side effects you may experience.

What is Apricot Kernel Oil?

As the name clearly suggests, apricot kernel oil is derived from the kernel (e.g. seed, pit) of an apricot, the fruit of the apricot tree, scientifically known as Prunus armeniaca. While there are a number of different species called apricot, they have very similar nutrient profiles, as does the oil contained within their kernels. Using a cold-pressing method, apricot kernel oil can be removed from the hard pit in the center of the fruit.

This oil is quite light and has a nutty, aromatic flavor, making it a popular addition to many culinary efforts in certain parts of the world. In some cases, people replace almond oil with apricot kernel oil for cooking and medicinal purposes. There is a high concentration of oil in each kernel and has likely been in use for thousands of years, given its multiple applications in Chinese traditional medicine. There are two different varieties of apricot kernel oil – one used for cosmetic purposes and the other for culinary consumption. This oil has high levels of vitamin E, vitamin K, and a number of powerful antioxidants, such as caffeic acid and various catechins, all of which leads to the many health benefits of this oil.

What the Hunzas Knew About Apricot Kernels

In the 1930s, Major Sir Robert McCarrison wrote about a tribe called the Hunzas who lived in the remote countryside of the Himalayas near Northern Pakistan.

He encountered this hardy community while he was working with the Indian Medical Service. According McCarrison’s written observations, the Hunzas seemed to enjoyed near-perfect health. Some lived to be over 135 years old and no one in their clan had any of the conditions so common in the modern world, such as diabetes, obesity, heart attack, and cancer.

Then, twenty years later, Dr. Ernest Krebs, a biochemist with a desire to understand what makes cancer cells work, discovered McCarrison’s writing about apricot kernels. Krebs also began studying the lifestyle habits of the Hunzas.

What became clear to Krebs was that the Hunzas’ vitality had a lot to do with their overall lifestyle and diet. Their diet consisted of raw milk, the occasional meat and bone broth, fresh grains and veggies. They ate little sugar and, as nomads and herders, they naturally got plenty of exercise. The other characteristic that was unique about the Hunzas is that they ate massive quantities of apricot seed kernels.

Intrigued, Krebs continued his research until he found what he thought was the secret weapon inside the humble apricot kernel when it came to tumor eradication – the glycoside amygdalin.

What is Amygdalin?

Amygdalin is a powerful phytonutrient that is found in apricot kernels, along with many other seed-bearing natural foods (estimates range from 1,200 to 1,500 foods). It is found in the highest concentrations and with the most effective accompanying enzymes in apricot seed kernels. Amygdalin is a nitriloside and its structure most resembles that of a B complex vitamin, so Krebs named it “B17.” The substance laetrile was created by Dr. Krebs as a concentrate of amygdalin and is created by extracting it from apricot kernels.

Health Benefits of Apricot Kernel Oil

There are quite a few notable health benefits of apricot kernel oil, including its ability to moisturize the skin, protect the hair, reduce symptoms of acne, and prevent certain types of cancer, among others.

Moisturizes the Skin

When topically applied, the emollient properties of apricot kernel oil can help to exfoliate and moisturize the skin, helping it retain moisture, eliminating patches of dry skin, and relieving inflammatory conditions, such as rosacea, psoriasis, and eczema.

Improves Hair Health

Many people use this oil on their hair and scalp, as it can help to strengthen weak hair strands and promote the health of hair follicles.It can reduce the levels of certain chemicals that accumulate in the scalp in response to testosterone, which can slow hair growth and even lead to hair loss. Rubbing this oil into the scalp will also reduce inflammatory conditions on the scalp, such as dandruff.

Prevents Cancer

Packed with antioxidants, apricot kernel oil is able to reduce oxidative stress in the skin, which is good news for people who are suffering from premature aging or have wrinkles. These antioxidants can help to tighten and tone the skin, reducing the appearance of age spots and preventing cellular mutation, which can lead to skin cancer.

Treats Acne

It can be difficult to eliminate acne, but suppressing the symptoms is often the first step. Applying apricot kernel oil to the site of an acne flare-up can reduce inflammation and prevent the buildup of sebum in the glands, treating both the symptoms and the underlying problem.

Improves Respiratory Health

In very small amounts, some natural healers recommend the use of apricot kernel oil to relieve respiratory distress. Small amounts can be consumed to treat this area of the body, or you can add some of this oil to aromatic diffusers to help relieve inflammation in the respiratory tracts.

Reduces Inflammation

If you are suffering from chronic pain and inflammation from a condition like arthritis or gout, topically applying this oil to the area of discomfort can quickly soothe pain and reduce swelling and redness.

Apricot Kernel Oil Uses

This specialized oil has become quite popular in recent years and has gained a lot of attention due to its many applications, including topical use, cosmetic products, biodiesel production, and as a hair mask, among others.

Cosmetics

You will often find this oil blended into natural cosmetics, including moisturizers, exfoliators and face masks, as this can directly impact the health and appearance of your facial skin.

Hair Mask

When this oil is blended with other carrier oils, it can be made into a hair mask and applied directly to your scalp and locks. This should only be allowed to sit on the scalp for 15-20 minutes before gently washing out with warm water.

Topical Use

There are many topical uses of apricot kernel oil, on the temples for headaches, sore joints and muscles for inflammation, and the improvement of skin conditions on various parts of the body.

The therapeutic benefits of the apricot Kernel Oil for skin, wrinkle and acne treatments

Apricot kernel oil is good for your skin and body – it works doubly as well when combined with almond oil. Apricot oil contains strong antioxidant properties that, when applied topically, penetrate the surface of your skin and removes harmful bacteria and free-radicals that can lead to infection or cause general skin irritation and dryness.

By penetrating beneath the surface skin layer, the oil also nourishes and replenishes moisture and vitamins that are lost over the course of the day. This will restore your skin’s natural lustre and keep it looking healthy.

When applying apricot kernel oil to your skin, it’s important to note that it does have a mild comedogenic quality (a rating of 2). This means that it can block up pores and lead to blemishes and blackheads – so it’s important to rinse your face with water and dry pat with a clean towel after applying the oil. I do however, still recommend that you use the oil for treating your face – so long as you do so in small amounts.

The healthy nutrient and vitamin content of the oil helps to nourish your skin, and the antioxidants will remove and germs that could lead to infection or worsen the symptoms of acne. The high Vitamin K, E and Omega 6 content found in apricot oil also helps to relieve the signs of dark circles that occur under the eyes.

The oil allows the nutrients to penetrate the surface of your skin and nourish your blood cells. In order to have a stronger effect on relieving the dark circles and fight the signs of aging on your skin, I recommend adding lemongrass, bergamot or orange essential oil to the apricot oil in order to stimulate blood circulation.

Some of the leading causes of dark circles is a lack of nutrients in the blood cells and a stagnation of the flow of the capillaries. The skin layer is thinner in that area and patchiness will show through – hence the darkening of the skin. Treat regularly as a means of speeding up the recovery process and prolonging the effects.

Why is cold pressed Apricot Kernel Oil best?

Cold pressed apricot oil is generally considered the best option for regular use and consumption because it contains the highest amount of pure nutrient extracts and vitamin content. Organically sourced apricot oil is even better as some commercially cultivated apricots are treated with harmful pesticides that can penetrate the flesh of the fruit and in some cases even enter into the kernel. Any chemicals that make it into the kernel will show up in the oil – so be sure to source naturally grown apricot oils for the best results.

Thanks so much to Rebecca Cosmetics for letting us know the fantastic benefits of Apricot Kernel Oil and sharing that with our customers.

Beeswax

Protective: When applied to the skin, beeswax forms a protective barrier that helps protect it from environmental assaults, while also holding in moisture and reducing dryness. This is one of the reasons beeswax is often used in lip balms. Unlike ingredients made from petroleum, however, beeswax doesn’t “suffocate” the skin, and won’t clog pores.
Antibacterial: Like honey, beeswax has antibacterial properties, helping keep skin clean and reducing the risks of contamination in the formula itself. In fact, a 2005 study found that a honey/beeswax mixture inhibited the growth of bacteria and fungus, making it a potential treatment for diaper rash and other bacterial skin conditions.
Humectant: Some ingredients “attract” water, and beeswax is one of them. When you put it on, you attract water molecules, helping to keep skin hydrated over time.
Vitamin A: A good source of this vitamin, beeswax helps support cell turnover and reconstruction.
Fragrance: We always say there’s no reason to use harsh chemicals to make products smell good. Natural ingredients work so much better! Beeswax has a natural honey fragrance, and is a favourite in soaps and perfumes because of its pleasant, light aroma.
Wound healing: Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, beeswax has been found to help encourage the healing of wounds. Studies have even found that it may be effective against hemorrhoids.
Itching: If you suffer from dry skin itching, dermatitis, eczema, or any type of itching related to a skin condition, beeswax is for you. A study published in 2012 found that those patients who suffered serious burns, and later went through “post-burn itch” when the burns were healing, experienced relief with an herbal oil cream and beeswax combination, so much so that they were able to cut back on their use of medications for the itch. Because beeswax is anti-allergenic, it is also easily tolerated by even those with reactive skin

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