Wonderful healing energy of Cheruthen / Stingless bee / Little Bee Honey

We all heard and read about the benefits of stingless bee honey (cheruthen in malayalam) and the healing properties,medicinal values etc.., very few of us think of using honey to treat diseases. The reason may be that many of us are not aware of the wonderful healing energy of honey, discovered by scientists that honey which is superior to any other substance in the world.

Stingless honey bees (Cheruthen eeacha) – the mother medicine

Cheruthen eeacha or Stingless honey bees are found found in most parts of the world,varies in colour and appearance. The common thing is that they are small not bigger than 5mm and they have no stinger in Kerala it is called cherutheneeacha is 3 mm in size. (species trigona iridipennis)

Stingless bees -meliponiculture

Stingless bees are closely related to the honeybees, bumblebees and orchid bees. Work with stingless bees is called meliponiculture. Meliponiculture being practised on a commercial basis in the homesteads aimed at ensuring a decent income. The ‘cherutheneecha” (stingless bees) seen in the crevices of walls and tree trunks are being bred to produce honey.Stingless bees developed before the continents drifted apart from each other. Therefore, they are present in all tropical parts of the world. It is estimated that 400 to 500 different species of stingless bees are known, but new species are identified every year

All stingless bees build their nest in a closed structure. The Melipona species of stingless bees and most of the species Trigona usually build their nests in hollow tree trunks or branches, and some in cavities in the ground or empty mice or parrot nests. Other species live in ants or termites’ nests. Nests can sometimes be found in cavities in buildings. The various species prefer different cavity dimensions and most species have characteristic nesting sites.

The shapes of the nests of stingless bees are quite different from the nests of honeybees. Honeybees always build vertical hanging wax combs. The typical stingless bee nest is made with horizontal brood combs, often consisting of one type of cell with the openings upward, from which workers, queens and drones emerge. The queen cells being a little larger and situated on the end of the brood nest. Some few species build brood cells in piles in a special brood chamber, and one African stingless bee, Dactylurina staudingeri, builds vertical double-sided combs. The brood chamber is surrounded by a protective wall made with wax and propolis – the involucrum. Outside the involucrum, the bees build soft wax pots for pollen and honey.

Why stingless bees honey mentioned in ayurvedic text and old medical journals?

The main feature of the stingless bees honey is that its good for new born babies and defend many kind of infections…Many known health benefits of eating stingless bee honey regularly include enhanced libido and immune system,anti-ageing,treating bronchial catarrh, sore throat, fighting bacteria ,coughs and colds. Stingless bee honey (cheruthen) certainly has a lot of nutrients because meliponine is smaller than the normal bee and can suck nectar from flowers to the deepest space. As a result, the honey collected contains many vitamins and minerals, among which is propolis, produced from the bee’s saliva mixed with its food such as pollen, bark, tree shoots and flowers.Stingless bee honey is not a normal big honey. Cheruthen is natural sweetener and can be used as substitute of sugar in medicinal and food purposes

Stingless bee honey is twice as nutritious as ordinary honey – Medicinal uses – health benefits

Stingless bee honey is considered medicinal because it collects nectar and pollen from small wild growing plants and trees, it is difficult for bigger bees to get inside smaller flowers. Stingless bees largely feed on coco palm, banana, guava, papaya, mango, tamarind, thumbapoo, touch-me-not plant(thottavadi), jackfruit tree, Tulsi (Holy Basil), Communist pacha,kulir mavu, teak for honey, pollen and resin.

Lack of sleep /anxiety – can be treated by drinking a glass of water that has a spoon of stingless bee honey dissolved in it (honey drink). drinking water with honey has a very calming impact on people.Stingless bees largely feed on coco palm, banana, guava, papaya, mango, tamarind, thumbapoo, touch-me-not plant(thottavadi), jackfruit tree, Tulsi (Holy Basil), Communist pacha,kulir mavu, teak for honey, pollen and resin.

Provides relief against ulcers and bacterial gastroenteritis

Honey from Stingless honey bees are advised for the treatment of ulcers and bacterial gut infections. Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria found in the stomach is known to be the cause of peptic ulcer. Antimicrobial property of honey is useful in eradicating these micro organisms and provides relief for ulcer patients.