3 superfoods made by bees (other than honey)

I’m going to start by admitting that I have a slight obsession with bees. Not only do they keep our entire ecosystem running, but they also have such an interesting way of life. It's basically a little female-run bee government where the drones (male bees) exist solely to fertilize the queen's eggs and die immediately after. How does that even work? What an interesting society to live in.Female hierarchy aside, bees really are the backbone to life on our planet. They’re responsible for spreading pollination and can increase crop yields as much as 300%. To remove the bees from the environment would mean the demise of many species of flowers and plants which feed insects and animals further up the food chain!And of course they make our beloved honey, filled with natural antibacterial and antihistamine properties that has a shelf life of over 1000 years. I can't get enough raw honey in my life. However, bees do more than keep our ecosystem afloat and make delicious medicinal honey. They also make a few superfoods that are sure to boost your health and keep you feeling vibrant.Here are some superfoods made by our BEEloved friends.Bee Pollen: Bee Pollen is considered to be the richest source of vitamins of any single food found in nature. It’s extremely high in protein and free amino acids making it a booster food for mental health. It has high amounts of rutin, a flavonoid shown to strengthen blood vessels preventing everything from varicose veins, to stroke.Like honey, consuming local bee pollen is a great way to combat seasonal allergies as your body quickly develops an immunity to local pollen. Just a tablespoon a day is enough to get some serious amino acid and antioxidant benefits. Sprinkle it on yogurt, add it to a smoothie or eat it plain (actually don't eat it plain. It sort of tastes like chalk).Royal Jelly (Propolis) : Royal jelly is a source of food for the queen and the baby bees. It’s actually excreted from the top of a bee’s head and is collected in a special honeycomb supplying them with nutrient-dense food so they survive their first few days of life. It’s essentially the bees version of breast milk, which is coincidentally one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet.Royal jelly has been known to extend the life span of a queen more than 20 times longer than that of a normal bee and is shown to have a powerful effect on humans as it lowers insulin levels (preventing diabetes) and triglycerides.It’s high in amino acids, minerals vitamins and antioxidants. However, one of the most unique qualities of royal jelly is its ability to inhibit the effects of BPA. Bisphenol A is a estrogen like compound found in plastic and other chemicals that has shown to proliferate breast cancer cells, yet royal jelly somehow counteracts the harm.Bee venom- Although no one loves getting stung by bees, the venom is actually quite therapeutic. Bee venom’s healing properties have been used for the treatment of many autoimmune and chronic conditions such as multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis.The powerful component of venom called melittin has been showed to destroy HIV cells, leaving neighboring healthy cells alone in the process. It’s being studied as a potential cure for cancers and other diseases!Of course I'm not suggesting you intentionally get stung by bees (although some people do that) but knowing the healing effects of venom is a reason to love bees all the more.Are you obsessed with bees yet? A female run soceity where their food protects against breast cancer and kills HIV cells? Sign me right up. I can't wait to become a bee-keeper one day.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18981581http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0015594http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17213647