Bread. It’s delicious. It comes in a huge variety of forms and flavors. It lets you hold your sandwiches without getting mustard on your fingers. And it’s almost completely nutrition-free poison.
Not only is bread one of the most unhealthy things to have graced your digestive tract, but it also ironically inhabits the biggest piece of real estate on the famous government food pyramid.
Is it surprising that the food which turns to pure sugar in your blood is the one most recommended for our daily consumption?
Why it’s almost like they were hoping to make us weak, bloated, prone to illness, and chronically tired. Oh my, but that would be a conspiracy, wouldn’t it? Well, we suppose we mustn’t think that then. Oh well.
The trouble with bread is that it is seductive. But suppose there was a form of bread that is actually good for you. Could it be true? Yes, it could. Introducing; Bee Bread, the bread that has been shown to enhance the performance of runners and boost antioxidant levels in the blood.
Researchers from the University Sains Malaysia conducted a study in which they have successfully shown the benefits of bee bread. The study was published in the International Journal of Applied Research in Natural Products. It evaluates the effects of the bread on the performance of endurance athletes.
The study group was composed of 12 male participants, all of whom enjoy running as a recreational activity. In the initial trials, the runners were given 20 grams of bee bread or a placebo each day for a period of eight weeks. Following a four week washout period, the team gave the 12 men the bee bread supplements for an additional eight weeks before beginning another experimental trial.
The subjects ran at 60% of their maximum oxygen usage rates for one and one-half hours. Immediately following that, they went into a twenty-minute long trial. The researchers took blood samples in order to measure the runner’s antioxidant levels. The results showed that those who had daily bee bread supplementation were able to run longer and harder than those who did not. It also showed that the runner’s antioxidant levels were higher right after completing a run. Those who were given placebos did not enjoy these effects.
So this is all well and good for people who are crazy for running. But what about the rest of us? Do the health benefits translate to those of us who would rather tiptoe through the tulips then stomp down a trail? The short answer is, yes.
Another study published in Trends in Food Science & Technology describes the medicinal properties and high nutritional value of bee bread. Yet another Polish study by researchers from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences also indicates that bee bread provides energy and has a very high nutritional value.
Bee bread and bee pollen have been found to have apitherapeutic uses in addition to their other benefits, which means it has the ability to help inflammatory issues. The main ingredients in these foods have been found to contain more than 200 compounds like vitamins and free amino acids.
According to Beepharm.com, “Bee bread is a fermented mixture of bee saliva, plant pollen, and nectar that the worker bees use as food for the larvae and for young bees to produce royal jelly. Bee Bread increases its’ nutritional value due to the fermentation process performed by worker bees.”
It is 20% protein, 20 to 34% carbs, and 1 to 5% lipids. It contains a wide variety of nutrient minerals such as iron, phosphorous, cobalt, and calcium. It is also one of the most selenium-rich foods in the world. Bee bread contains high levels of B vitamins and potassium. The amino acids it provides are predigested, which make them all the more easy for the human body to absorb.
Beepharm.com lists it’s nutrient profile as follows;
Vitamins: A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, PP, E, D, K, H
Minerals: P, S, CI, K, Ca, Na, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Co, Mo, Se, Cr, Ni, Si
Amino Acids: phenylalanine, leucine, valine, isoleucine, arginine, histidine, lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan
pH: 4.3
Lactic acid level: 3.1%
Minerals: 2.43%
Proteins: 22%
Sugars: 35%
Fats: 1.6%
There are lots of ways you can cook with bee bread, and there are also bee bread products that you can find online. Amazon is a good place to look. Of course, your local bee keeper will have plenty of this on hand as well. It’s a great way to supercharge your health, enjoy better energy levels, and maybe even take your fitness regimen up a few notches.
