Stingless or dammer bees are much smaller than the other honey bees and build irregular combs of wax and resinous substances in crevices and hollow tree trunks. Stingless bee honey is said to have a range of nutrients and higher nutritional value compared to other types of honey.
Stingless bee store honey in small pods covered with propolis. Stingless bee honey is not clear as claimed, it is slightly sweet sour taste. This honey yield per hive per year is very low compared to the other types of honey . These bees are much smaller than the usual honey bees and each of them is not bigger than 5 mm.
Stingless bee honey is a treasure found in nature. It has long been a solution for various ailments. In Kerala, it is traditionally collected by the tribal communities of Western Ghats. They call this honey as Cheruthen. "Cheru"- meaning small and "then" meaning honey or in other words Small honey. This raw, untreated, pure honey is harvested from the hives of Melipona Bee. It is also called Melipona Honey dew.
The Melipona bee or stingless bee is a small species of bee adept at sucking nectar from the smallest of flowers and their deepest crevices of the flowers. As such, this honey is said to have twice as many nutritious properties compared to the honey produced by other varieties of bees. Stingless bee honey is considered to be the most nutritious honey than other honey varieties.
The flowers of many of those antibacterial and anti-fungal medicinal shrubs and herbs are very small. Normal honey bees are much bigger and are not cut out to take away the nectar and pollen from these flowers. Bigger bees are mostly circulated in flowers which are in bigger size. But the small size of stingless bees enables them to feed on these medicinal flowers, thereby increases the medicinal value of their honey.
Stingless Bee Honey / Melipona Bee Raw Honey is used as a natural medicine since ages, due to its medicinal properties. The almost miraculous healing properties of this honey are perhaps why the locals refer to it as the elixir of gods. Stingless Bee honey is a healing gift from nature.
Stingless Bee Honey is called MOTHER MEDICINE and an increasing number of traditional practitioners and researchers suggest its use. The known benefits, for regular consumption of stingless bee honey are:
. Cures Asthma and allergies
. Cures Arthritis (Arthritis)
. Treat Bladder Infection
. Improve Health of Eye and Eye sight.
. Copes with Heart Disease
. Improve Blood Circulation
. Body Cleansing and detoxification
. Overcome inflammation of the gums or mouth
. Improve Body Immunity System and energy
. Improves Brain Function
. “Super food” and “multivitamins”
The beneficial effects of stingless bee honey in different contexts, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activity. Since it has antibacterial properties, stingless bee honey can be used against various infections.
Medicinal qualities of stingless bee honey or ‘Cheruthen’ is also mentioned in Ayurvedic texts and other medical journals. And these are the reasons why it’s priced high.