The Remarkable Medicine of Bee Venom
BEE VENOM:
Antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, immune-activating, immunosuppressive, analgesic, radio-protective, anti-carcinogenic.
Bee venom is a powerful elixir utilized in ancient healing practices since time immemorial. The Egyptians understood the health-promoting effects of bee venom and attached great religious and spiritual significance to the honey bee; bees were even associated with royalty in Egypt. Whilst the Greek physician, Hippocrates, used bee venom to treat joint pain and arthritis.
The potency of bee venom is so remarkable, its scent alone radiates a calming perfume that strengthens when crushed between the fingers. At BeeLife we have experienced its grounding, uplifting quality, and its ability to open yet anchor the physical body.
Bee venom is mostly water; 88% to be exact. Due to this water solubility, bees sting in moist tissue for the venom to disperse effectively, that’s why the venom works effectively on humans; we are made of moist tissues.
Been venom is a mixture of histamine, pheromones enzymes, peptides, amino acids, and other acids with 63 components in total. The main enzymes present are phospholipase A, hyaluronidase, and lecithinase; while the main peptides (chains of amino acids) are melittin, apamin, and peptide 401. It remains to be seen how these individual components have an effect but the body’s immune reaction to the venom certainly proves beneficial. Once a bee stings, your body chemistry changes to combat the toxins. The immune system considers the unknown proteins of bee venom to be invaders, thus, it produces antibodies. The job of these antibodies is to strengthen the immune system against future attacks.
There is a rising interest in this natural medicine due to its therapeutic value and the list of conditions it can treat is numerous. Here are some ailments bee venom has been proposed to treat:
- Hayfever
- Rheumatoid issues
- Tendonitis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Gout
- shingles
- HIV
- Scar tissue
- Psoriasis
- Autoimmune conditions eg. Lupus
- Arthritis
The medicinal miracle of bee venom is still in the early stages of its research but what we know for sure these pollinators are not only essential to the health of our ecosystem and food production but also our wellbeing.
Bee venom’s peptides and enzymes contribute to the incredible health benefits of properly applied bee venom therapy. Here is some information on how bee venom works medicinally:
- Bee venom contains a peptide Melittin that induces hemolytic activity against bacteria and viruses by disrupting their plasma membrane. It creates microscopic pores in the lipid (fat) layers of pathogens whereby leaking out the contents inside pathogenic cells, destroying the pathogen.
- Bee venom exhibits powerful antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and chemotherapeutic benefits. It also contains a mast cell degranulating peptide which is anti-inflammatory and balances the histamine response. This is what supports those with inflammatory autoimmune issues and helps heal mast cell dysregulation syndrome.
- Bee venom contains apamin which is powerfully neuroprotective, protecting dopaminergic neutrons which benefit those healing Parkinson’s and other neuron-affected disorders.
- Been venom has phospholipase A2 which is proven immune-modulating and anti-inflammatory benefits whilst also disrupting pathogenic cell layers showing great potential to help those with Alzheimer’s.
How The Sting Works
Only female bees can sting; the sting evolved from the insect’s egg-laying organ-the ovipositor. The structure of this modified ovipositor allows the sting to act like a self-guided missile. Therefore, no force is needed to embed the sting into its victim since the sting’s barbs are positioned to push deeper into the wound. Attached to the sting is the bee’s venom sac, containing the bee’s chemical cocktail of melittin, histamine, and other proteins. When a bee stings, venom is released into a space on the sting between the barbs and the stylet. Honey bees won’t sting unless they sense a threat, because they can’t withdraw their stings. Once they sting, they die; the venom sac and sting of the bee are torn from the abdomen and left behind. That’s why we only work with dying bees at BeeLife. Amazingly, even when the sting is no longer part of the bee, it can keep pumping venom. Thus, we must work consciously with how long we leave the sting in the flesh when working therapeutically. A micro-sting compared to a full sting has a very different medicinal impact on the receiver of the medicine.