Manual harvesting is essential to ensure the best sourcing, while environmental sustainability and bee-friendly practices are fundamental to securing societal responsibility and transparency. Not all products on the market offer the same quality and characteristics and an easy way to determine the best product is its production method. ISO 12824:2016 specifies both the production and sanitary requirements for Royal Jelly. It also lays down a series of organoleptic and chemical test methods to control Royal Jelly quality.

10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid, best known as 10-HDA, is the most famous and studied active ingredient of Royal Jelly. According to research, 10-HDA has immunomodulatory activity and antibacterial action. Nevertheless, 10-HDA content may be different across products, influenced by several parameters, especially during production, transport and storage process. Since 2016, ISO 12824 defines a minimum 10-HDA content of 1.4 g for 100 g of fresh Royal Jelly. This minimum content equals the quantity present in natural Royal Jelly. It is important to respect the nutritional balance of the product to benefit from its health properties

Royal jelly is a gelatinous substance produced by honey bees to feed the queen bees and their young.

It’s frequently sold as a dietary supplement to treat a variety of physical ailments and chronic diseases.

While it has long been used in traditional medicine, its applications in Western medicine remain controversial.

Royal jelly is comprised of water, carbs, protein and fat.

A Natural Antioxidant as ‘Nature’s Best Defence’. Propolis has very high levels of bioflavonoids and other bioactive compounds providing immune support

Happy Valley’s NZ Propolis Extract 15% is one of our most popular Propolis products. It is easy to use, water-soluble and ideal for people who want the full health-giving benefits of Propolis without alcohol.

Propolis is a natural resin found in the young buds of trees. Bees collect propolis, mix it with their own enzymes and beeswax, and use it to seal the hive. This creates the most sterile environment known in nature and protects the hive against disease.

Honey bee larva powder (HLP) has traditionally been used as a daily supplement and tonic for health promotion with an uncertain scientific basis. In this study, B16-F10 tumor-bearing mice were established to evaluate the immunomodulatory activity of HLP. The proliferation and apoptosis assays were performed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of honey bee larva extract (HLE) in RAW 264.7 macrophage. The in vivo experimental results demonstrated that the oral administration of freeze-dried HLP (4 and 6 g/kg) significantly enhanced the spleen index, the percentage of CD4+cells, and the ratio of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes (CD4+/CD8+) in the peripheral blood compared with those in the tumor control mice. The in vitro studies demonstrated the potent immunomodulatory activities of HLE through the induction of RAW 264.7 macrophage proliferation and the mitigation of doxorubicin (DOX)-induced toxicity. HLE also exhibits anti-inflammatory activity by decreasing the production of nitric oxide (NO) and the cytokine level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage. The present study provides important scientific evidence for the immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activities of HLP and HLE.

Honey and Vinegar: Are There Health Benefits?

Drinks made of honey and vinegar have existed for thousands of years. Also known as “oxymel,” the combination of honey with some kind of vinegar creates a syrup that’s usually added to water or another liquid and then drunk. Since ancient times people have used the mixture to prevent or improve many conditions:

Honey and vinegar are both rich sources of vitamins and minerals. For instance, vitamin C and vitamin E exist in honey, while vinegar contains vitamin B-12 and vitamin K.

Vitamins help the body function and stay healthy. The vitamins in honey and vinegar boost the immune system, aid in bone and heart health, assist in memory and cell production, and help blood clot.

Research has found a number of potential health benefits to eating or drinking honey and vinegar: