Among beekeeping products known for their healing properties, royal jelly stands out as particularly beneficial (more about it here), which is used for medicinal and preventive purposes for almost all diseases. This unique product strengthens the immune system, has a beneficial effect on the functioning of all body systems, and also improves skin condition.
Bee milk has a consistency similar to sour cream. It has a white-cream or light yellow color, pearlescent luster, sour taste and delicate aroma. It is made by worker bees based on beebread, adding to it a special secretion from their glands.
Only queens, called queens of the hive, feed on milk, due to which, and also because of its high cost, it received another name - “royal jelly”.
Best before date
Despite the enormous benefits of royal jelly, it is not particularly popular, which is explained by the difficulties of extraction, storage and transportation. The shelf life depends on the concentration of the product, temperature and the container used.
In the fresh air, natural bee products very quickly turn yellow and lose their unique properties. After 1-2 hours it loses its biological activity and becomes unsuitable for use for medicinal purposes.
When frozen, “royal jelly” retains its properties much longer:
- at -1⁰С – 2 months;
- at -5⁰С – 6 months;
- at -10⁰С – 9-10 months;
- at -18⁰-20⁰С – a year and a half.
Shelf life in canned form:
- with honey – up to a year (at temperatures from -6⁰С to +15⁰С);
- with alcohol – at 3-6⁰С for up to a year, in the freezer – for up to two years;
- in adsorbed form – at 6⁰С for up to a year, and at temperatures below zero – for a year and a half;
- in lyophilized form – about two years at 18-20⁰С.
Storage in queen cells
The natural shell of bee jelly is the queen cell, created by nature itself for its storage. One bee colony can lay from 10 to 100 queen cells at the same time. Inside the wax cell is a larva covered with royal jelly.
For storage, the queen cells are cut from the frames and deep-frozen. And to use the product, remove it from the freezer and carefully, using a small glass spatula, remove the contents of the queen cell, separating it from the larva.
Preservation with honey
Usually, for preservation purposes, royal jelly is mixed with honey in a ratio of 1:300. In appearance, the resulting product differs from honey only in color. It takes on a pale yellow or cream tint.
Honey for preservation must be fresh. If it begins to crystallize, then it will not be possible to mix milk into it evenly.
Honey is a natural preservative. It not only ensures complete safety of all beneficial substances, but also enhances their effect due to its composition. In addition, this product eliminates the possibility of milk overdose.
Store milk preserved in this way in the same way as regular honey (more on this topic in this article).
How long can royal jelly be stored?
Royal jelly is a perishable product that becomes unusable literally a few hours after being removed from the hive. That is why it is necessary to place the product in a sterile environment as quickly as possible and deliver it to a permanent storage location. If this is not done, then after just two hours of leaving the jelly in the open air, its further use will become useless.
Experienced beekeepers advise consuming royal jelly immediately after it is extracted from the queen cell . However, this is very inconvenient and does not allow you to maintain the required dosage, especially if a course of taking the product is required. You can significantly extend the shelf life of jelly by placing it in the freezer in an airtight container. Moreover, the lower the temperature, the longer the shelf life.
Adsorption
For long-term storage at home, “royal jelly” is adsorbed using lactose or a mixture of lactose (98%) and glucose (2%). The milk is thoroughly ground with the adsorbent in a ratio of 1:4, placing it in a porcelain mortar. The finished product stops sticking to the walls of the container and acquires density, milky color and shine.
Then the mixture is compacted into a darkened container and sealed or granules are formed from it. Bee jelly in granules completely retains its natural basis and all its beneficial qualities. Adsorbed jelly can be prepared independently or purchased at a pharmacy kiosk.
Tara
Store it in an airtight glass container. Since ultraviolet rays can distort the properties, it is advisable to choose an opaque container.
- The optimal method of transportation is to use conventional medical syringes. In them, the milk is hermetically sealed, and the presence of divisions allows you to accurately dose the substance.
- The “royal” delicacy should be transported in special thermal bags or containers.
- Pharmacy glass containers with a volume of 50 to 100 milliliters are convenient for storage. They close tightly and are made of tinted glass. In such containers the substance can be stored for up to two years. The disadvantage of this method is the inability to accurately determine the dosage.
- Queen cells are natural containers from which milk should be used within a maximum of two hours. It is removed from them with special glass spatulas.
Experts recommend treating the inside surface of the container with beeswax. Do not store the substance in plastic or plexiglass containers.
Traditional mining methods
Under natural conditions, bees produce very little valuable product. The queen herself receives the largest amount of it, for which the bees build queen cells. There are three classic ways to get such a valuable secret:
- Quiet change of uterus . Only a couple of cells are laid, from which a small amount of product is collected. In this regard, it is used extremely rarely.
- Swarming . In this case, the bees pull a lot of queen cells, but experienced beekeepers try not to resort to this method, since there is a high probability of losing bees.
- Family orphanhood . This is the most popular and effective traditional method, in which the bees lay a lot of queen cells. The exact amount depends on the breed of bees. Gray mountain Caucasian bees attract them the most - on average 50-60 at a time.
To make a family orphan, experienced beekeepers adhere to the following instructions:
- Divide a strong bee colony into two halves. To do this, place a blind fence (dividing grid) in the hive, and so that the smaller part of the hive comes to the queen. As a result, one half remains with the uterus, and the other - without. It is this orphaned half, following instincts, that strives to “acquire” its own uterus and secretes royal jelly.
- Into the orphaned part, insert several frames with food and one frame with one-day sowing, on which the bees will pull the cells. Here, leave as much bee seeding as possible, since in the future this will allow you to get a lot of nursing shoulders.
- On the 6th-8th day of the family's orphanhood, take away the frame and install a new one. If you do this earlier, the bees will not have time to give the larvae the required amount of food. If taken later, the developing larva will consume more food, so less valuable product will be obtained.
- Instead of a seeded frame, you can use cut honeycombs, attaching them to the bottom of an empty frame or hanging them in strips in several rows. From these, the bees will form cells in which the extracted product will accumulate. There is another option - buy artificial bowls and transfer the larvae into them (Jenter comb), and then put them in the care of a family and receive queen cells. So, you can use a bee colony several times.
- Reunite the used family with the detached part of the family and breed a new “queen” (uterus) in it.
It is recommended to obtain royal jelly from the orphaned part of the family for a month. During this time, you can supply the family with new larvae 4 times and obtain queen cells.
An experienced beekeeper shares his experience in organizing the orphanage of a family by creating a small layer:
What it is?
“Royal jelly” or natural milk is a product that bee larvae feed on. The secretion is produced from the hypopharyngeal and maxillary glands of young bees and is a substance resembling a cream or white jelly.
Compound
The value of milk is due to its unique composition. In total, nectar contains about 400 active substances. 70% of the substance consists of water, but the remaining 30% are super-healthy dry substances:
- proteins that are similar in properties to blood serum proteins;
- carbohydrates (fructose, sucrose, glucose);
- fats (phospholipids, sterols, glycerides, decenoic acids);
- vitamins of group B, A, C, D, E;
- enzymes;
- hormones (estradiol, progesterone, testosterone);
- amino acids;
- minerals;
- phytoncides;
- essential fatty acids;
- immunoglobulins;
- neurotransmitter acetylcholine;
- 57-kDa protein (royalactin);
- 10-hydroxy-2-decanoic acid.
100 g of product contains 139 kcal.
Beneficial features
The product has a positive effect on the body:
- increases the overall resistance of the body, strengthening the immune system;
- improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, as it affects the enzyme composition of gastric juice, intestinal motility and bile secretion;
- normalizes blood sugar levels;
- has an antiviral effect;
- reduces cholesterol levels;
- normalizes blood pressure;
- has a regenerating effect on tissues;
- increases the level of endurance, maintains activity, promotes muscle building, therefore it is used by athletes and lovers of physical activity;
- enhances libido, normalizes hormonal levels;
- increases lactation and activates the functioning of the mammary glands;
- strengthens nails and hair;
- smoothes wrinkles;
- normalizes the functioning of the central nervous system, improves attention, concentration, and memory.
General recommendations
The release of adsorbed royal jelly in a convenient form - granules allows you to take it not only in pure form, but in solutions: they interact perfectly with any liquid and quickly dissolve without residue. Of course, the granules can be dissolved, they can be taken like tablets - with water.
It is recommended to take any remedy on an empty stomach, especially something as delicate as royal jelly. The general scheme involves continuous use from two weeks to a month, three times a day, each time up to 10 granules.
The specific dosage is prescribed by the apitherapist, depending on the diagnosis and condition of the patient. Preventive doses start with 5 granules.
Regardless of the diagnosis and recommendations of the apitherapist, the treatment regimen must be agreed upon with the supervising physician. This is especially true for the use of bee stimulant by children and pregnant women.
Children's health
It is believed that of all beekeeping products, royal jelly is most suitable for children due to its medicinal characteristics and properties. Moreover, it is recommended to take it from a very early age. Of course, the effectiveness of a natural immunomodulator cannot be denied, but there must be moderation in everything.
The following facts speak in favor of its use by children:
- A water-alcohol solution of royal jelly perfectly solves the problem of diaper rash; for this, about 10 granules must be crushed and dissolved in a weak solution of alcohol with distilled water. Apply to the skin in several steps, allowing the previous layer to dry. Diaper rash along with inflammation will go away after the second or third procedure.
- To regulate appetite, sleep, digestion, adjust metabolic processes and immunity, children from 6 months can use 1 granule per day after consultation with a pediatrician. If this dosage does not cause side effects, then gradually increase the dose to 3 granules per day.
Royal jelly for children
Man's health
Despite the fact that the target audience for royal jelly is intended by nature to be children and women, it is also recommended for men to take it for specific delicate problems.
Stress and poor lifestyle have a negative impact on the genitourinary system. Of course, the adsorbed bee stimulator will not solve all problems on its own, but it will be a good help for:
- adenoma;
- sexual weakness;
- prostatitis.
You can take granules according to the general scheme, but to achieve the greatest effect, their local use is often recommended: by injection into the rectum.
Women Health
Most often, royal jelly is prescribed to women by analogy with its natural functions. The scope of application is very wide: from infertility and restoration of reproductive function to eliminating all the problems of a pregnant or nursing mother:
- improvement of lactation;
- reduction of anxiety;
- elimination of toxicosis;
- reduction of muscle spasms;
- light anesthetic.
The use does not cause aggravation of chronic diseases, as is often the case with other traditional medicine, and no side effects.
Royal jelly
How to use bee bread correctly
To get the maximum benefit from taking a valuable bee product, you must carefully follow the recommended doses, and also study possible contraindications. Bee bread has very few of them, since it is the lowest allergenic among all beekeeping products. And it is even used to treat allergies.
The main contraindication is individual intolerance. Therefore, they begin taking it with a minimum dose, carefully monitoring the body’s reaction. For some pathologies (oncology, uterine fibroids, increased anxiety, Graves' disease), it is recommended to take bee bread only after consulting a doctor. Standard dosage regimen:
- Average doses for treatment – 1 tsp. shortly before or after (depending on indications) a meal. The course of treatment is 1 month, then a month break and repeat if necessary. If you are not sure about the correctness of your actions, visit an apitherapist;
- For the purpose of prevention, administration is carried out in half doses, and its duration is 15 days in the spring and autumn periods. Some additionally carry out prevention in winter;
- Children are given bee bread in greatly reduced doses - 0.25 of the adult norm, and a mandatory medical consultation is carried out regarding the age limits;
- A portion of bee bread is dissolved in the mouth without drinking anything, and after taking it, do not drink or eat anything for another 30 minutes.
If all conditions are met, the shelf life of bee bread does not exceed 12 months. And although it can be stored longer, the medicinal properties of such a product are questioned, and the effect of taking it is minimal.
