There has been a lot of recent buzz about bees within the research community. And for good measure! Bees are fascinating little creatures and the health benefits of the compounds they make are fascinating!
While there's a lot of research about honey, I'm here to talk to you about beeswax. Beeswax is part of the substance that forms the structure of a honeycomb. Upon mastication (chewing), bees secrete this amazing power-packed wax to build their honeycomb.
But it doesn't just end there! When beekeepers go to extract the honey from the hive, they will often cut out a chunk of the beeswax as well. So, in a nutshell, that's how beekeepers extract beeswax and honey.
But, more about beeswax!
Beeswax is hydrophobic, meaning it's "fat loving" or not soluble in water. Because of the rich hydrophobic properties of beeswax, it's often found within a wide range of cosmetic products.
Antimicrobial Effects:
There's been research pouring in about the potential therapeutic properties of beeswax, such as: efficacy in healing bruises, reducing inflammation, and healing burns. There have even been some studies showing the antimicrobial effects of beeswax against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. If that's not thoroughly intriguing, they have also found that beeswax works synergistically with certain other natural products, such as honey and olive oil, to pack an even bigger antimicrobial punch!
While more research needs to be done in this arena, it's a fascinating new development into the research behind some Naturopathic medicine approaches to healing!
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