Conservation: Bees build up their honey pharmacy only if the right flowers are available in numbers and diversity

Conservation: Bees build up their honey pharmacy only if the right flowers are available in numbers and diversity

Research has unearthed the effects of additional phytochemicals in honey. Abscisic acid boosts bees’ immune response, improves wound-healing time and tolerance to cold temperatures, studies show. Other phytochemicals blunt the impact of parasites, one of the major causes of honeybee decline: For example, giving fungus-infected honeybees a syrup containing thymol,...

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Why honey is a superfood: It has nutrients that boost tolerance of harsh conditions and fight off infections, heal wounds

Why honey is a superfood: It has nutrients that boost tolerance of harsh conditions and fight off infections, heal wounds

It should come as no surprise that bees know a lot about honey. They aren’t only honey producers, they are also consumers, and pretty sophisticated ones at that. Offer a sick bee different variety of honey, for example, and it will choose the one that best fights off its infection....

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