Queens always receive special treatment, and bees are no different. Royal Jelly is a milky secretion that is secreted by nurse bees from glands on the top of their heads in order to feed young bees. Without it, their survival is threatened. Royal Jelly is just like milk for young babies.
All bees are fed some Royal Jelly for their early development and then they depend on honey for survival. Only the larvae that are selected by worker honey bees to be queens depend solely on it. Due to their different diet, the queens grow to be unique.
Before mating, they are virgin queen bees. After they fully develop, they fight each other until only one bee remains and that is the queen. Its life span, because of the Royal Jelly it depended on, ranges from 5 years to 8 years, while other bees are not that fortunate.
From its selection as queen bee, it is protected by other bees in the hive because it is the only reproducer, and thus it is their mother. The structure of the larvae is the same; only the diet that makes the difference. Without Royal Jelly, the larva would not have become a queen with the physical appearance and the life span attributed to a queen bee.
What is it that makes Royal Jelly very relevant for the nourishment of queen bees, the ones responsible for laying eggs? Royal Jelly contains a number of minerals and vitamins. Minerals include iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, sulfur and zinc. Vitamins such as Vitamin B1, B2, B6, C and Vitamin E are also present.
Royal Jelly is not only beneficial to bees; its benefits for human beings are marvelous. It boosts metabolism and lowers cholesterol. It also protects the liver. It can be used to treat stomach ulcers, sleep troubles and skin disorders. It also improves the immune system. Beneficiary as it is, Royal Jelly is expensive because collecting it from the hive is difficult.
However, people who are allergic to bees should be careful when consuming or avoid consuming anything that bees produce including Royal Jelly. Consumption of Royal Jelly for people allergic to it can be deadly because it might cause Anaphylaxis, a strong allergic reaction.
As any other product, Royal Jelly has some side effects. These side effects include rash, cough, and increased heart rate especially if people take more than the recommended dose. Fortunately, Royal Jelly’s side effects are rarely reported.
References
www.bee-pollen-buzz.com
www.collective-evolution.com
www.beepharm.com
www.webmd.com
www.draperbee.com
www.honeybeesuite.com
http://en.mr-ginseng.com