Читать книгу Honey For Dummies - Howland Blackiston - Страница 45

Probably the most mysterious substance produced by honey bees is a milky white liquid called royal jelly. You may have seen royal jelly as an ingredient in power drinks, facial creams, or even supplements at your natural food shop and had no idea what it was. Secreted by the hypopharynx glands of young nurse bees to feed young growing larvae inside their cells, royal jelly is best known as the magical food of the queen. It is what gives her fertility and the supernatural ability to lay up to 2,000 eggs a day. It is also why she lives three to five years longer than any other bees, essentially increasing her longevity.

To gather one ounce of royal jelly, you would have to visit 120 queen cells, and in fact it is not always present in every hive unless the colony is actively rearing a new queen. For this reason royal jelly is extremely rare, labor intensive to harvest, and costly.

Royal jelly is another superfood chock-full of amino acids; vitamins A, C, D, E, and B-complex; and trace minerals, as well as calcium, copper, iron, potassium, phosphorus, silicon, and sulfur, essential fatty acids, sugars, sterols, and acetylcholine, a neuronal transmitter. These elements are necessary for human survival and maintaining a healthy the immune system.

Royal jelly also contains collagen that benefits the skin, hair, and nails, making it a popular ingredient in personal care products. A potent antimicrobial protein called royalisin has also been found in royal jelly. In addition, royal jelly has been touted to aid in mood disorders and insomnia, repair nerve cells, strengthen liver function, and aid in digestive disorders. Considering all the benefits that royal jelly offers, I can tell you from experience that royal jelly is extremely sour and tastes like a seriously stinky cheese, but many things that are good for you do not always taste good.