The Honey Bee

Last month, we read about the honey bee and how without bees, there would be no flowers and therefore, ultimately, no food. Pollination is a vital part of the life cycle and our world would not be the same without it.

Bees need to be nurtured and we need to learn more about how to keep them alive and busy! In Growing Nicely last month, the author suggested a variety of ways on how we can help to encourage the life of the bee, so we can continue to enjoy the flowers and fruits for longer.

The honey bee is such a true wonder of nature, providing food for insects, animals and man. It also provides medication. But what is honey? The illustrated encyclopaedia of bee-keeping describes honey as: “an extremely variable mixture of many substances”.

Basically honey consists of sugars and traces of the following: Iron, copper, silica, manganese, chlorine, proteins, calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, sulphur, aluminium and magnesium.

Only the bees themselves have the secret of producing honey with just the right ingredients in the right amounts.

There are almost 200 ingredients that have been identified in honey.

Honey contains fructose, which is an important simple sugar and is also found in most fruits. Sucrose, dextrose and other sugars are also present, but then there are traces of amino acids and minerals, too.

Scientists are still baffled by certain properties of honey and even today, are at a loss to explain the undoubted benefits gained by humans eating nature´s golden wonder.

One of the oldest European uses of honey is the manufacture of an intoxicating drink known as mead. Honey is fermented and mixed with water and sometimes fruit and spices are added as flavouring.

The earliest recorded use of honey is from the cave dwelling days of man. In Spain, a cave drawing depicts a man reaching for a beehive on a cliff. It is believe to be 20,000 years old. The only sweet substance known to our ancestors was honey. In time they used it as an aphrodisiac, sweetener, cosmetic and as a health supplement in fermented drink and wines.

Some Historical Snippets:

Alexander The Great was embalmed in honey and wax. Honey was used by the Assyrians in embalming. The Persians preferred beeswax.

Legend has it that Zeus was cared for secretly in a cave by nursemaids, Melissa and Amalthea, who fed him on milk and honey. Mellissa means “she who makes honey”.

In Ancient Egypt, the bee was one of the Pharoahs´ sacred signs. Honey was used extensively in religious rites. It was used in many potent medicines and to dress wounds and burns.

Aristotle was one of the first believers in the powers of honey. It´s outstanding energy value has benefited Greek athletes since ancient times.

The tomb of an Egyptian King was not complete without jars of fragrant honey and boxes of honey cakes.

More on honey next month! How it can help you sleep, diet, boost your energy levels and heal and nourish too.

JENNIE DEE

Short URL: http://www.chroniccat.com/?p=406

Posted by editor on 2010-06-01 Filed under Food, Help and Advice, June 2010. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry