The Hidden Benefits of Venom Exposed

When we talk about venom, the first thing that comes to mind is the painful experience of being bitten or stung. The reason for this growing fear is that venomous snakes have access to almost any place. The homes for sale real estate office, however provides the option of trapping the snakes. In your homes, you can install special traps at doorways and other inlets to your house. Whether it is snakes, scorpions or bees, the real fright is their venom. But very few of us know that the venom these loathsome creatures produce has several benefits to humans.

Venom can help us combat a variety of conditions and diseases. It certainly has a lot of medical uses. Venom from certain bees is effective in the treatment of bursitis, tendinitis, and asthma. Surprisingly, it also helps to reduce high blood pressure and hearing loss.

Coming to snake venom, it is capable of killing 10 men from a single bite. Snakes have been some of the most feared reptiles on our planet and for good reason. But recent studies indicate that snake venom can be used to fight cancer. Snake venom contains a number of proteins that can effectively cease the outgrowth of cancerous cells. Venom actually acts as a growth inhibitor for such cells. These proteins from the snake venom can also help in preventing heart attacks and strokes.

When we move on to scorpions, there are chances that you might have never come across one. The reason is that they have a particular habitat and it is quite unlikely that you stumble across their path. As compared to bees and snakes, scorpion stings are encountered by very few people. There is also a possibility that many have not even seen one ever.

Scorpions are nocturnal creatures whose venom has sufficient use in medicine. It has been discovered that protein found in its venom can aid in the treatment of brain cancer, the most disastrous form of tumor.

It is understandable that a layman cannot have actual knowledge on the benefits associated with bees, snakes and scorpions. These were just a few ailments that we can fight off with the aid of these poisonous substances. However, the list does not end here and there are many other diseases and illnesses that can be treated by protein found in the venom of these creatures. The means to extract the useful protein from their venom and the hunt to discover their further benefits remains to be a part of active research. You never know, perhaps the next cancer drug that you hear about is formulated from venom of these creatures. Then these horrific creatures might not be so threatening after all.

These were some of the hidden benefits of venom that most of us seem unfamiliar of. Maybe next time when you come across these wrongly perceived loathsome creatures, you would not be so quick to kill them off. After all, the venom extracted from these creatures can help in saving your life one day. This is just another instance where the cure for a disease has come from Mother Nature herself.

The Buzz About Bee Venom

One of the most familiar - and beloved - insects is the humble honeybee. These busy little critters live in complicated hives with intense social structures, where they buzz around contentedly as they make honey for us to enjoy spreading on bread-and-butter sandwiches and on top of warm toast. Now there's another purported use for that golden food of the (bee) gods: pain relief.

Apitherapy, coming from the Latin word for bee, focuses on the medical use of various bee products to cure a myriad of health problems, raising from fibromyalgia to multiple sclerosis and even sexual dysfunction. It is also widely thought to help alleviate symptoms related to arthritis, as bee venom in particular is used as an anti-inflammatory.

In fact, BVT, or bee venom therapy, which has been used in China for centuries, is now becoming increasingly popular as a controversial form of pain relief in the United States - providing you don't have an allergy to bees. That's because it's though to promote cortisol production in the body through a protein called melitten. Cortisol, released naturally by our adrenal glands, is a natural inflammatory which reduces both inflammation and pain.

At the present time there have been no clinical trials carried out in humans to see if BVT actually works, although there have been limited positive results with rats in trials related to rheumatoid arthritis (imagine a big a honeybee must appear to a rodent!). However, there is some anecdotal evidence - especially among patients with multiple sclerosis - to support its efficacy.

The US medical establishment, however, largely considers BVT to be nothing more than quackery - and many alternative practitioners do as well. "BVT, apart from simple anecdotal evidence, has no research to support its use in osteoarthritis either, especially given the wide variety of clinically proven traditional Western and alternative therapies available," says the Alternative Therapies for Osteoarthritis website.

"Given the serious risks of anaphylaxis, including death, BVT should be avoided." It recommends that people who avoid its advice should have a bee-sting kit and EpiPen (epinephrine auto-injector) close to hand if they try this therapy.

How It Works

BVT is administered in a rather straightforward fashion: the patient gets bee venom injected directly into his or her body by either using a needle, inserting the bee's stinger into their flesh, or letting a live bee sting them. A licensed doctor must administer the injections, but anyone - ranging from a bee venom therapist to your Great Uncle Freddie - can carry out the other treatments.

Usually, the patient receives anywhere from two to five stings each session, although for certain conditions people receive 20 stings at one time or more. The bees will usually be contained in a special jar, box or hive, and will be placed directly on the area that needs to be treated.

Alternatively, you can buy a box of bees yourself from an apitherapist, or bee farmer, and let them sting you. All you need is a pair of special tweezers and the guts to place a bee on your flesh and let it do its duty. Apitherapists compare this type of DIY apitherapy as being akin to diabetics administering their own insulin shots: the more you do it, the better you get at it. It is recommended to wait from three to five minutes before removing the stinger.

Other Apitherapy Products

Many other bee products are readily available, which are used for a variety of medicinal purposes. As always, it is important to check for allergies before trying any of them. People who are allergic to bees, suffer from asthma or have a compromised immune system should avoid bee products altogether...

Honey. Manuka honey in particular is thought to have many health benefits. Claims to help everything from healing leg and stomach ulcers to staving off infections. Gets its name as it is made by bees who feed uniquely off the flowers of the manuka plant. Interestingly, a similar honey is made by honeybees in Australia who feed off the jellybush plant.

Propolis. This is a tree resin which those clever bees make to seal up their hives, together with beeswax. In humans, it's not used to seal anything up - it's used because of its antibiotic properties (the propolis also helps keep infection from invading the hive). It can purportedly help shorten the duration of a cold and boost the immune system in general - and even stave off gum disease and dental cavities!

Beeswax. Glands on the underbelly of worker bees make this wax, used to build their honeycomb. Is used today to make candles and - surprisingly - as a skin softener, dating back to Roman times.

Royal Jelly. Ever wonder how this got its name? Well, probably because it's fit for royalty. Although this gelatinous substance is secreted from the glands of worker bees, it's then fed to the bee larvae. Those that thrive and have the possibility of becoming the Queen continue to get it - thus the conclusion that the jelly has magical qualities. If you ingest it, you'll also have some purported royal health benefits - Queen bees are bigger, live longer and are even more fertile than those boring old drones. So there!

Bee Pollen. High in protein and certain vitamins and minerals which are not found in our everyday diets, bee pollen is said to help improve memory, stamina, athletic and sexual performance and concentration. No scientific evidence can back this up, however. What cannot be disputed is that bee pollen can be expensive and cause contact dermatitis.

Safety First

Even if you have tested negative for allergies, you should always have a bee-sting allergy kit and EpiPen on hand before beginning any bee venom treatment. You should also have the people who will be administering the treatment tested as well, in case a rogue bee gets to work on someone other than the patient. In rare cases bee venom can cause a person to go into anaphylactic shock, which can cause respiratory problems and even death.

Even some people with no bee allergy should avoid any type of BVT whatsoever, such as pregnant women, people with tuberculosis or other infections, diabetics and those with heart conditions. Before beginning BVT, you should always check with your primary health care provider, and be allergy-tested as well. Only use a qualified practitioner, and investigate other options first. Remember, once stung, twice shy.

The Bee Venom Therapy For Positive Health

eople have been using the Bee Venom Therapy for ages and the ancient Egyptians and Chinese have been taking advantage of the different benefits of honey and the bee therapy. This is the reason that they have been using honey, pollen and royal jelly in the treatment of different diseases. There are many benefits of using these products and are known to cure a lot of health related problems.

In traditional treatment methods the bees were allowed to sting at the specific body part that needs to be treated. The medical assistant tries to hold the bee with a pair of tweezers and lets the bee leave its sting at the particular area. Some homeopathic doctors also make a solution that works just like a bee sting and is injected under the skin there are also many cosmetic creams and other products that contain it as well.

The venom in honeybee contains pharmaceutical properties and this has made people realize its importance and because of it more people are adopting this beneficial way of treatment. More and more people have realized the importance of this way of positive treatment. The adrenal glands are activated due to the melittin which helps in increasing the immune system and also boosts up the natural healing process. It sure is more effective then the Hydrocortisone's that are used.

People should be careful before trying out the Bee Venom Therapy as they need to make sure that the patient is not allergic to the substance so that the necessary precautions can be taken. The effect of the bee venom can be desensitized for people who are more sensitive to bee stings and are also allergic to it.

The duration time and the quantity of the bee venom is determined according to the severity of the condition that has to be treated. The venom is injected two or three times a week according to individual requirement .At time's people who are not allergic to bee venom develops a type of allergic reaction and so the patient and therapist should be ready with precautionary measures to resolve the problems.

If the bee sting results in a red swollen bump this shows that the bee venom therapy is effective and the stingy effect is very short lived and can easily be relieved by blowing a fan. The bee venom has qualities to boost your energy level and also create a feeling of well being.

Bee Venom Helps Relieve Shoulder Pain

Needle-Free Acupuncture Benefits Both Patients and Clinicians

Objective: This study examined whether a needle-free acupuncture can be an alternative to conventional needle injection acupuncture.

Methods: Patients (n=101) suffering myofascial shoulder pain were randomly assigned to either needle-free or conventional needle injection acupuncture group. Bee venom was administered into GB21 (Gyeonjeong) acupuncture point for both groups.

Results: Shoulder pain was significantly reduced by the treatment in both groups. Patients treated by needle-free acupuncture reported less anxiety, less discomfort and fewer adverse events. Clinicians reported that needle-free acupuncture was safe but not convenient due to the complexity of the device.

Discussion: With appropriate adjustments of the current device, needle-free acupuncture can become an alternative to the conventional needle injection method.

Bee Venom Improve Brain Function

According to a recent story on Discovery News, scientists have proven that bee venom can improve our brain function. According to the study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, a peptide toxin extracted from the venom called apamin is a neurotoxin that blocks certain central nervous system channels. Apamin can cause hyperexcitable nerves in the brain, which can cause convulsions and respiratory paralysis, but it can also lead to improved learning and memory.

Scientists have been aware for a while that certain bug venoms were effective in treating brain disorders like MS but now scientists have learned how to identify when the apamin binds to particular channels in the brain. This is important in order to develop medications that can mimic what apamin does in the body.

"Drug design depends on knowing the target," Neil Marrion, a professor in the University of Bristol's Physiology and Pharmacology department, told ScienceDaily. "Our findings have provided a new approach to designing a therapeutic agent that could help with the treatment of a number of conditions."

The venom is found in the Western honey bee. This is one more reason to value bees. We already know that without them the world food supply, including fruits, vegetables, flowers, other plants, and trees, could pretty much dry up by a third. They do much more than just produce honey, they pollinate everything.

Though experts are unsure why honeybee colonies are collapsing, pesticides, climate change, and other man-made impact are among the suspected causes. For now, skip the pesticides and chemicals in your garden and on your lawn and choose all organic and local eats for yourself.

Bee Venom Stimulates Human Melanocyte Proliferation, Melanogenesis, Dendricity And Migration

Author:

Songhee Jeon1*, Nan-Hyung Kim2*, Byung-Soo Koo3, Hyun-Joo Lee2 and Ai-Young Lee1,4

Pigmentation may result from melanocyte proliferation, melanogenesis, migration or increases in dendricity. Recently, it has been reported that secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) known as a component of bee venom (BV), stimulates melanocyte dendricity and pigmentation. BV has been used clinically to control rheumatoid arthritis and to ameliorate pain via its anti- inflammatory and antinociceptive properties. Moreover, after treatment with BV, pigmentation around the injection sites was occasionally observed and the pigmentation lasted a few months. However, no study has been done about the effect of BV on melanocytes. Thus, in the present study, we examined the effect of BV on the proliferation, melanogenesis, dendricity and migration in normal human melanocytes and its signal transduction.

BV increased the number of melanocytes dose and time dependently through PKA, ERK, and PI3K/Akt activation. The level of cAMP was also increased by BV treatment. Moreover, BV induced melanogenesis through increased tyrosinase expression. Furthermore, BV induced melanocyte dendricity and migration through PLA2 activation. Overall, in this study, we demonstrated that BV may have an effect on the melanocyte proliferation, melanogenesis, dendricity and migration through complex signaling pathways in vitro, responsible for the pigmentation. Thus, our study suggests a possibility that BV may be developed as a therapeutic drug for inducing repigmentation in vitiligo skin.

Components of Bee Venom / Analysis

Nectar Ease contains only two materials: Honey and Bee Venom. The honey is a creamed blend of Manuka honey and other honey, with Manuka constituting between 60-65% of the raw material before processing.

The bee venom component is considered to be the active compound in the product. The venom composition and strength varies between honeybee species and small variances are even identifiable inter-specifically between races and locations. The bee venom used in the NectarEase product is extracted exclusively from the Apis Melifera species of honeybee.

The following table expresses the composition of venom from a honeybee worker as stated in the findings of two separate studies (Dotimas and Hilder, 1987 (1); Shipolini, 1984 (2)). These components were measured as a percentage of dry venom, with water makes up approximately 88% of venom before drying.

Analysis of Bee Venom Content:

Class of Molecules	Component	% of Dry Venom (1)	% of Dry Venom (2)
Enzymes	Phospolipase A2	10-12	10-12
	Hyaluronidase	1-3	1.5-2.0
	Acid phosphomonoesterase		1.0
	Lysophopholipase		1.0
	a-glucosidase		0.6
Other Proteins and Peptides	Melittin	50	40-50
	Apamine	1-3	3
	Mast Cell Degranulating Peptide (MCD)	1-2	2.0
	Secapin	0.5-2.0	0.5
	Procamine	1-2	1.4
	Adolapin		1.0
	Protease inhibitor		0.8
	Tertiapin*	0.1	0.1
	Small peptides (with less than 5 amino acids)	13-15
Physiologically Active	Histamine	0.5-2.0	0.6-1.6
Amines	Dopamine	0.2-1.0	0.13-1.0
	Noradrenaline	0.1-0.5	0.1-0.7
Amino Acids	t-aminobutyric acid	0.5	0.4
	a-amino acids	1.0
Sugars	Glucose and fructose	2
Phospholipids		5
Volatile compounds		4-8

(nectarease.co.nz)

What is Bee Venom?

Bee venom is a complex composition of enzymes, proteins and amino acids. It is a colourless clear liquid, with a sweet taste and a little bitter. It is soluble in water, insoluble in alcohol and ammonium sulphate. If is comes in contact with air, it forms, opaque or grayish-white crystals.

What does Bee Venom Contain?

Bee venom is hemorrhagic, differing from snake (viper) venom, which is a coagulant. As well as containing: apamine, melittin, phospholipase, hyaluronidase, which have the opposing action of inhibiting the nervous system, and stimulating the heart and the adrenal glands; the venom also contains the mineral substances, volatile organic acids, formic acid, hydrochloric acid, ortho-phosphoric acid. Also present are some antibiotics, an enzyme – phospholipase A, as well as two amino acids rich in sulphur methionine and cystine. Sulphur is the main element in inducing the release of cortisol from the adrenal glands, and in protecting the body against infections.

How does bee venom work?

Bee venom therapists apply bee venom to specific points on the surface of the body. Patients are tested for sensitivity before the first treatment, which involves an injection of a minute dose of the venom.

What type of conditions is Bee venom used to treat?

Bee venom simulates the release of cortisone (cortisol) and is therefore effective in the treatment of rheumatic diseases, especially arthritis and multiple sclerosis (MS). It can be applied directly or by intramuscular injections.

Other treatments, such as electrotherapy, hormone therapy, can help to eliminate periarticular deformations, improve joint movement and raise the general state of the organism. Two products developed in Bucharest, an ointment - Apireven - and a liniment both have been used successfully in several cases of rheumatoid polyarthritis. The results have shown an important reduction in muscular pain, sciatic pain, nerve pain, neuromialgias and intercostal and bronchial nerve pain.

Research and methods of using Bee venom

Several patients suffering from phlebitis and thrombophlebitis noticed an increase in their skin temperature with a change in the blood circulation. However, good results were shown in all the sciatic nerve cases, and those with nerve and articular pains. In chronic inflammatory nerve affections the results were also very good, with ceasing of pains and a partial recuperation of movement.When combined with an oral therapy, such as vitamin therapy, good analgesic effects were obtained in cortisone-dependent patients suffering from rheumatoid polyarthritis. The bee venom is applied for 4 –5 days, followed by a 2 - 3 day break. Treatment is then re-commenced again. Using this method no adverse effects were reported.

Applying the venom topically provided a long-lasting effect and offers significant benefits in arthritic and rheumatic conditions.(beevenom)

Bee Venom Product of the Hive

Honey bee venom is a well-known pharmacologically active product of the hive. It is synthesized by the venom glands of workers and queens, stored in the venom reservoir and injected through the sting apparatus during the stinging process. A mature defender or forager contains about 100 æg-150 æg of venom and a young queen about 700 æg.

Bee venom is a bitter, hydrolytic blend of proteins with basic pH that is used by the bees for defense. The potential production and use of bee venom has been hindered by a general lack of medical research into its use for other than diagnosing and treating venom hypersensitivity and the suspicion of the medical profession for its use. Research has, however, indicated a possible use of bee venom for treatment of arthritis.

Bee venom also serves as a raw material source for enzymes such as phospholipase A2 and highly active peptides. A technique involving simultaneous electrical stimulation of a large portion of the entire population of a bee colony is used in bee venom collection. The procedure works best with large colonies but has the disadvantage of making the bees extremely excitable and defensive, with bees stinging people who are within several hundred meters of the affected colony. Also this method appears to be a viable method mainly for honey bees.

Virtually all commercial honey bee venom is now collected by means of the electrical stimulation technique. Exact production figures are unavailable, but probably small. For example in the U.S., all the venom needed, is produced by essentially one beekeeper. The price of bee venom on the U.S. open market varies greatly with a typical 1990 price of about US$100-200 per g and much higher for smaller quantities. Many European and Asian producers are also in the market and their prices, as well as those direct from beekeepers, can be considerably lower. Unless bee venom finds accepted usage in treatment of arthritis, its market potential is unlikely to increase. (mainebee)

Beeswax The Bee Hive Product

Although the major honey bee product, both in terms of familiarity and profit, is honey, beeswax has long been considered an important hive product and a secondary source of materials and income. Other products of the hive-pollen, propolis, royal jelly, venom and bee brood-have been gained importance. Each of these has its own market and potential value that can be a source of income for beekeepers and related industries.

Beeswax has been historically used in candles, to sculpt figurines, beeswax paintings (batiking) and in casting metal even before the Bronze age. Beeswax figurines have survived from royal Egyptian tombs dating to 3400 BC In the tropics of northern Australia aborigines have used beeswax 30,000 to 50,000 years ago to sculpt waxen figurines. Manufacture Beeswax is manufactured by honey bees themselves. Originally believed to have been collected from flowers or made from pollen, beeswax was discovered in 1744 to be synthesized by four pairs of wax-secreting epidermal glands on the ventral side of worker abdomens.

Beeswax is produced by quiescent bees about 14 days old and worked into intricate complex double-sided hexagonal comb nest architectures. Among the >22,000 described bee species worldwide, wax is synthesized and used as a building material by only a few groups of mostly highly social colonial species. These include the worldwide genus of bumblebees (Bombus spp.) and their neotropical relatives the orchid bees and the extremely diverse and successful pantropical stingless bees (e.g. Melipona and Trigona).

Beeswax when first secreted by the wax glands appears as a translucent white ellipsoidal flake. Freshly constructed beeswax combs, prior to their use for food storage or larval growth, are similarly bright white. With storage or the first brood cycle, they become yellow to tan, and if several years old, can be almost brown-black in color. Fresh beeswax is soft to brittle with a slight balsamic taste. Its density is 0.95-0.96 with a melting range of 62-65oC. It is insoluble in water, but quite soluble in organic solvents such as chloroform, benzene or ether.

Beeswax is a complex mixture of lipids and hydrocarbons. Over 300 individual chemical components have thus far been identified from pure beeswax. One gram of beeswax can be worked into about 20 cm2 two-sided comb surface area. It requires about 55 grams of beeswax built into combs to store every kg of ripened and capped honey. Honey:wax ratios in standard equipment vary from about 17.8-19.8:1. In the U.S. one kg of beeswax is marketed for each 50 kg of honey.

Prior to invention of the centrifugal honey extractor, the wax was separated from the honey by squeezing/straining and washing with water. Today, beekeepers obtain their wax from three primary sources: wax cappings, bits of burr comb scrapings from hive bodies, and frames and old combs which are to be recycled. The best grades of commercial beeswax are light yellow and come from fresh honey cappings. For each metric ton extracted honey, only about 45-55 kg of beeswax results.

Various methods have been used to separate wax from honey, wax cocoons or brood: straining method, submerged brood chamber method, submerged sac method, solar wax melter, heated wax press and heated centrifugal method.

The simplest method with limited equipment or funds is to melt the combs in hot water and let the wax rise to the surface and harden. This material can then be strained and remelted/reformed into rectangular molds for shipment or sale.

Uses and Functions

The single largest consumer of beeswax is the cosmetics and related industries. It is used in various products including facial beauty creams, ointments, lotions, lipsticks, rouge and cold creams. The largest industry using beeswax as a raw material is the candle industry. Pure or mostly pure beeswax candles are demanded by the Roman Catholic church for use during religious services. The third largest user is the beekeeping industry itself for making into milled hexagonal-stamped beeswax foundation. Minor users are the pharmaceutical and dental industries where beeswax is used in salves, ointments, pill coatings, adhesive waxes and for impression and base plate wax.

Other minor uses of beeswax include uses in waterproofing materials, for floor and furniture polishes, for grinding/polishing optical lenses and as a minor ingredient in certain adhesives, children's crayons, candy and chewing gum, inks, nursery grafting, musical instruments, ski and ironing wax and wax for bow strings used in archery.

A lot medicinal literature concerning the use of beeswax for its potential health benefits for humans, has generally been disregarded by the medical profession in Western societies. However, beeswax and products of the bee hive have been used in local, traditional medicine for centuries. In the UK doctors have had success in treating hay fever patients with beeswax. hough U.S. exports of beeswax have increased somewhat, the source of the demand remains elusive.

As mentioned earlier, cosmetics use is increasing, and this undoubtedly explains some of the increase in demand. It must also be noted, that although the U.S. domestic production doesn't satisfy the domestic demand, the U.S. is among the top five exporters to the EU with a market share of 7.8% and 7.5% in 1992 and 1993 respectively. The import totals of beeswax to the U.S. by both quantity and value can be seen in Table 4. The import totals for unbleached beeswax also include a small amount of other insect waxes and spermaceti, which a wax derived from the head of the sperm whale. However, because beeswax is the main (insect) wax used, only a very small percentage of the total imports are other than beeswax and the import totals of beeswax is fairly accurate.