For over 50 years, bee pollen has been used as a restorative, in the past year, bee pollen has become more popular and can be found in almost all local food stores in the "health food" section. Bee pollen has many therapeutic uses and is found in different forms. It is available in powdered forms, granules, tablets and capsules. Capsules contain other bee products themselves such as royal jelly, propolis and honey. Pollens that come from multiple sources contain more nutrients than single source pollens. But always begin with the lowest dosage and gradually increase throughout time.
Bee pollen is rich in minerals and vitamins, including calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, zinc, riboflavin, thiamin and vitamins A,B6,C,D,E and K, and including 12 different unsaturated fatty acids. It also contains biotin, a vitamin that is important for the skin, hair and nails. Plus, it provides protein, essential oils, essential amino acids, flavonoids and carotenoids, which are important for the synthesis of vitamin A in the body.
How Pollen is Collected:To collect the pollen, beekeepers attach special scrapers to the the hive; the scrapers remove the pollen from pouches located in the bee's hind legs as they enter the hive. The bees collect pollen using their jaws. They separate the pollen sacks of plants and moisten the pollen until it forms clumps that stick to a special third pair of legs. At least 50 trips are needed to bring back one gram of pollen to hive.
Bee pollen has been used to combat stress, enhance the immune system, improve physical and mental performance and evidence suggests it may have anti-aging effects. It also restores appetite, and has been used for acne and for athlete's foot. Bee pollen also has been known to treat anemia, general weakness, atherosclerosis, constipation and liver disorders.
It has been known to be used for those suffering from hay fever, but it is highly recommended to speak to your doctor before using it for this ailment since there is a possibility that those with hay fever may have allergic reactions to the bee pollen.
If a person is under stress, they can use this bee pollen recipe, which is simple and easy to mix. It is rich in vitamins and contains almost all the minerals and trace elements needed for a good tonic. Thoroughly mix 1/2 lb of liquid acacia honey, 2 oz of bee pollen, 2 oz of brewer's yeast and 2/3 oz of royal jelly. Take one tablespoon of this strengthening mixture a day.
Propolis is a resinous substance that bees collect from certain trees to produce a cement-like substance. Bees use it to construct and repair the hive, blocking invasions of fungi, bacteria and viruses. It has a similarly beneficial effect in the human body. As a salve or tincture it has germicidal effects and can be used to speed the healing of wounds. When taken internally, it stimulates the immune and circulatory systems.
Propolis is also used for acne problems. Slightly warm 2 tsp of chamomile oil, 3 drops of peppermint oil and 20 drops of propolis tincture. Combine together with 1/2 oz of healing earth and dab on pimples. It is also good for athlete’s foot. With a cotton swab, apply propolis tincture to the affected parts of the feet twice a day until the problems goes away.
THE SEED'S FLAWLESS DESIGN
Whether
by means of the wind, or whether by means of other carriers, male pollens which
reach female flower organs have reached the end of their journey. Everything is
ready for the forming of the seed. The most important step in sexual
reproduction is seed formation. It will be useful to examine this formation,
starting right from the general structure of the flower.
In the center of most flowers are one or more carpels, the "female" reproductive parts. The carpel has a swollen end, called the stigma, under which there is a stalk, called the style, and at the bottom an ovary, which contains the blueprint for the seeds.
Pollen coming from male organs lands on the stigma, the surface of which is covered with a sticky liquid, and then reaches the ovary by means of the style. This sticky liquid has a very important function. As long as the pollen grains are unable to reach the ovary beneath the style, they will not be able to fertilise the seeds. This liquid ensures that by making them stick together the pollen does not go to waste. The seed is formed only when male and female reproductive cells come together.
After landing on the stigma, each individual pollen, in other words, each male reproductive cell, develops a thin tube downwards, and enters the ovary through the style. There are two sperm cells in each one of these pollen tubes. The tube grows down, and enters the ovary, and the sperm cells come free. In this way the nucleus of one of the sperm cells unites with the egg in the ovary. This fertilized egg cell develops into the embryo, which will form the seek. The nucleus of the second sperm cell unites with the two nuclei of the central cell and they form a specialized tissue which surrounds and nourishes the embryo. This development is known as fertilization.
After fertilisation, the egg is wrapped up in a coat, and the embryo enters upon a kind of rest period, and grows to become a seed with the food sources stored around it.
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In every seed which is formed by the joining of male and female sex cells, there is an embryo plant and a supply of food. This is a very important detail for the development of the seed, because, in the early stages, when it is underground, the seed has no roots or leaves able to produce nutrients, and it will need a food source to be able to grow during this time.
The embryo and the food store surrounding it are actually what we call fruit. These structures possess high levels of proteins and carbohydrates, because their function is to feed the seeds. This being the case, they form an indispensable source of nourishment for both human beings and other living things. Every fruit possesses the best qualities for protecting and nourishing the seeds it contains. The fleshy part, a quantity of water, and the structure of the external skin have the most effective forms for protecting the seed.
There is another important detail here. Each plant can fertilise only another plant of the same species. If a plant's pollen lands on the stigma of another species, the plant understands this and does not allow the pollen to grow out a tube to reach to its ovary; as a result the seed does not develop because there is no fertilisation.
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For instance, if pollen from wheat flowers is carried to an apple tree, that tree will not produce apples. It will be useful at this point to stop and reflect a little on the extraordinary nature of this. The flower of one species of plant recognises the pollen coming from the flower of a plant of the same species. If it is from its own species, it may start the process of fertilisation. If the pollen is not from its own species, the plant will not begin the fertilisation process. So how did the stigma of the female flower, which can distinguish pollen from its own species according to certain criteria, learn to carry out this identification? How does it know that it has to close down its mechanism against foreign pollen? There is no doubt that the intelligence which controls the plant's every detail designed this mechanism in the flower in the most subtle way so as to guarantee the perpetuation of the species from generation to generation.
What kind of environment the embryo seed would develop in, what it would require during the stages of its development, what it would find when it emerged from the soil, what kind of protection it would need, and all other exigencies were thought of in advance, and the seed was designed with these needs in mind. The external layers protecting the seeds (seed coats) are generally very hard. This structure protects the seed from any external threats it will face and exhibits modifications according to the environment in which it is found. For example, in the final stage of the development of some seeds a resistant waxy substance forms on the external surfaces, thanks to which the seeds become resistant to the effects of water and gas.
And the flawless structures in a flower's life do not end here. The seed coats may be covered with different substances according to the species of the plant; for instance, a single bean will be covered in a thin membrane, and a cherry seed will be protected by a hard, woody coat. The coats of seeds which have to be resistant to water are harder and thicker than others. Again, seeds have been given very different shapes and sizes according to their species. The amount of nourishment is different between those seeds which have to last for a long time before sprouting (for example coconut seeds) and those which begin to sprout a short while after coming into contact with water (melon, water melon, etc.).
As we have seen, seeds have very intricate systems to enable them reproduce easily and to endure without any breakdown. The intelligence to be seen in each stage of the systems specially designed for plants to reproduce, is a clear proof that these systems were created by God, the possessor of superior knowledge.
   Substances such as vitamins, proteins, and carbohydrates in fruit both protect and feed the seed, and provide an important source of food for other living things. There is an unbelievable variety of fruit and vegetables, which all come from the same dry soil and are watered with the same water. Furthermore, their shapes, tastes, and scents are each a wonder of planning. |
Without doubt God, the Lord of all the worlds, shows us evidence of His creation and His own existence even in these little seeds.
It is He Who sends down water from the sky. Thus We bring forth plants of every type with it; We produce green vegetation from it. We produce close-growing grain from it and the palm trees laden with clusters of dates close at hand produced from pollen, as well as orchards full of grapes, olives and pomegranates, which are so similar and yet dissimilar. Look at their fruit as He causes it to grow and ripen. In that there are signs for people who believe. (Surat al-An'am: 99)