Magical Meliponine Honey

What makes meliponine honey possess such high medicinal and pharmaceutical properties?

FACT #1

Meliponines store their honey in honey pots made of propolis, a substance the bees produce from resin of selected trees and beeswax. Bee propolis is known to possess a high antioxidant content, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties.

The honey pots wrapped in propolis - a substance made of tree resin and beeswax.

In Islamic medicine, resin from trees is used as very potent medicines; three of the well-known ones being manna, frankincense (luban in Arabic) and myrrh (murr). They are resins from the trees Acacia senegal, Boswellia sacra and genus Commiphora respectively. These resins have been scientifically proven to have anti-cancer properties and a wide range of other medical benefits. Manna is said to be an excellent agent in repairing damaged kidneys.

Traces of propolis is present in raw, unfiltered meliponine honey thus multiplying the efficacy of this wonderful, amazing panacea.

FACT #2 

Meliponines are rather choosy in selecting flowers for their source of nectar, pollen and floral oils. Most of the flowers these bees choose to forage are edible, contain antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients which are so beneficial to our health and well-being. 

Biden pilosa flower

One of their favourites, Biden pilosa is widely used in Western traditional medicine as it is known to have antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Plants, when eaten directly, will take a few hours before it is digested and the benefits ingested into our body. But when we consume honey made by bees which had foraged on these plants, we are able to absorb the benefits within minutes. 

Among the flowers which possess health and medical benefits to us and which are favoured by the meliponines:

Honolulu creeper (Antigonon leptosus)
Biden pilosa
Cosmos sulphureus
Turnera ulmifolia
Billy goat weed (Ageratum conyzoids)
Japanese Rose (Portulaca grandiflora)
Misai Kuching (Orthosiphon stamineus)
Thai Basil (Ocimum basilicumvar thyrsiflora)

FACT #3 
Fructose and glucose content in meliponine honey is almost nil or negligable (see diagram below). This makes this delicious substance very suitable for diabetics not only as a sweetener but as an aid in controlling blood sugar levels in diabetic type 2. Recent studies have shown that meliponine honey effectively stabilises blood sugar.    . 

Credit to Honeygold Laboratory - Stingless Bee Lab for shating this diagram.

 FACT #4

Meliponines, or stingless bees as they are commonly known, are smaller and slimmer, thus enabling them to reach deep into the nectarines to gather more nectar rich in vitamins and minerals. They then process the nectar using their saliva and enzymes in their stomachs to produce the honey which is loaded with goodness. It has been witnessed that the nectar is brought to the hive and is passed on from one bee to another. This action is believed to be part of the complex manufacturing process where all the phytonutrients are broken down thus is easily absorbed into our body.

Meliponines are lesser known than honeybees (apis) but they are actually better pollinators.

FACT #5

Meliponines pick more pollen than normal honeybees, and traces of it is also found in the honey, adding even more vitamins, minerals and amino acids. This is why meliponine honey looks a little turbid compared to normal honey which is very clear. This distinction enables us to differentiate pure honey from normal honey and synthetic meliponine honey to a certain extent.

She collects pollen and puts it on her legs, then flies home fo send the pollen to be processed as food for the worker bees. The processed, fermented pollen is known as beebread and it is also stored in a resinuous pot.