Beekeeping

Useful properties and use of drone milk

A unique beekeeping product that has a large number of useful properties is homogenate, or drone milk. Some people mistakenly confuse it with royal jelly, but this is a completely different substance. In this article, we consider the features of the composition of the specified product, how it is useful and harmful to the body, as well as methods for preparing and storing blanks from homogenate at home.

What is drone milk?

Drone milk is prepared from honeycombs with the larvae of future males. The final product is a biologically active, viscous liquid with a mustard yellow color, a pungent sour smell and a sweet taste.

Did you know? The total weight of an average bee swarm can reach 8 kg.

In order to form and further grow drone larvae in the first few days of their life, bees produce a special liquid and fill it with honeycombs with newborn offspring. Drone milk is obtained from this liquid and the larvae of future males themselves.

Let us consider in more detail how homogenate is extracted:

The largest number of newborn larvae of bees and drones in honeycomb cells appears in late June. During the first three days of life, they eat milk, located around them in combs.
Then, in the hive, you need to install special honeycombs with wide cells, since the drones larvae are larger than the bee larvae. From 3-4 days of life, they begin to grow rapidly and feed on a mixture consisting of beef and honey. On this diet, larvae are grown up to the age of 7 days.
Of all the grown larvae, about 7 drones are left. After they reach the size of an adult male, they will fertilize the queen bee and provide reproduction. More adult drones are not necessary, so they are used to produce homogenate.
So that the rest of the larvae do not eat food in vain and get practical use, they are removed from the hive along with the combs and crushed. Thus, a light mass is obtained, which in density resembles sour cream and is called drone milk.
In order for larval milk to be of high quality and most useful, it should not be exposed to sunlight and it is not recommended to keep it at room temperature for a long time.

The chemical and vitamin composition of the homogenate

The drone homogenate has a rich chemical composition, which allows its use in folk medicine for the treatment of many diseases. Important! The standard daily dose of homogenate for an adult ( 2-4 g) contains about 8-16 kcal. The composition of the product includes such components:

amino acids - arginine, glutamine, lysine, leucine, tryptophan and others;
enzymes - phosphatase, invertase, protease, amylase;
organic acids - nicotinic, folic, etc.
hemolymph ;
vitamins - A, B, C, D, E, H;
Proteins
trace elements - copper, manganese, iron, etc .;
macroelements - phosphorus, sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, etc .;
natural hormones - testosterone, progesterone, estradiol.

Drone brood homogenate has a high energy value: 100 g of the product contains 405 kcal, which is one third of the daily human need for nutrients.

Nutritional value of the product:

proteins - 5%;
fats - 1%;
carbohydrates - 94%.

Homogenate properties

Drone milk has very valuable properties for the human body.

But the level of usefulness of the finished product depends on a number of external factors, which include:

the health status of all individuals of the bee family - if there are diseased bees in the hive, then the benefits of drone milk are significantly reduced;
the age of the larvae at the time of their collection - experienced product manufacturers believe that it is best to use 7-day-old individuals for the production of high-quality drone milk;
the quality of feed received by young offspring;
the correspondence between the number of cells and the number of larvae - each individual requires an individual cell.

Did you know? About 160 ml of nectar is placed inside one honeycomb.

Benefit

Drone milk has a beneficial effect on the human body and is even used to treat certain diseases.

Consider the main healing properties of the finished product:
normalizes metabolism;
strengthens the central nervous system;
strengthens memory;
contributes to a good appetite;
restores vision;
relieves inflammation and joint pain;
helps establish a normal level of blood pressure;
reduces stomach discomfort with gastritis;
strengthens the immune system and increases the body's resistance to infections;
strengthens the heart muscle;
increases the tone of the walls of blood vessels;
reduces the level of "bad" cholesterol in the blood;
cleanses the body of toxins;
stimulates muscle building;
increases hemoglobin;
eliminates insomnia and nervous tension, prevents the occurrence of depression;
promotes restoration of liver cells.

Possible harm

It is important not to forget about the correct use of the product so as not to harm the body.

The few harmful qualities of drone milk include:
increased excitation of the body with an overdose of the drug;
sleep disturbances when consuming homogenate at bedtime;
the appearance of diathesis in young children.

Contraindications

Despite the large number of useful properties, the use of drone milk can sometimes cause serious harm to the human body.

The described product can not be used in such cases:

if you are allergic to honey or other beekeeping products;
violation of the adrenal glands;
the presence of an acute infectious disease;
hypervitaminosis;
oncological diseases of the mammary glands in women;
exacerbation of chronic diseases.

The use of drone milk in folk medicine

Drone milk is usually taken orally according to a specific dosage. The product is recommended not to be swallowed, namely to dissolve 20-30 minutes before eating. In this case, do not drink the product with water. The size of one dose and the duration of the course of treatment directly depend on the state of human health. In order to choose the right regimen for taking drone milk, it is recommended that you first consult with a specialist, especially when using an agent to treat a disease.

The approximate sizes of the daily dose of homogenate, depending on the purpose of its use and the age of the person are indicated below:

to prevent and improve the general condition of the body, adults are recommended to take 1-2 g of drone milk in the morning and at lunch time;
for the treatment of various diseases in men and women, it is advised to use 4-6 g of the drug, dividing this amount into 2 daily doses;
for children aged 1–6 years, it is recommended to give a third of the adult daily dose of homogenate daily;
children aged 6–12 years can consume half the daily product norm for adults.

Important! Drone milk should not be given to children under 1 year of age, as it can cause food allergies.

The duration of the course of taking the product in question for the prevention of diseases is usually 1-3 months, and during treatment - about 2-3 weeks.

Sometimes the homogenate is also used for external use, making cosmetic masks and balms from it, as well as therapeutic ointments.

For women's health

The homogenate is often used to treat and prevent specific diseases that occur only in women.

Due to its rich composition, drone milk has such beneficial properties for the female body:
stabilizes the hormonal background;
relieves insomnia;
beneficial effect on the thyroid gland;
helps in the fight against infertility;
stimulates blood circulation in the pelvic organs;
eliminates discomfort during menstruation;
improves lactation in nursing women;
improves muscle tone and helps build them;
eliminates the unpleasant symptoms of menopause;
increases the elasticity and firmness of the skin;
normalizes the work of the ovaries.

For men's health

Drone homogenate has a therapeutic effect on the male body.

Useful product features include:
improvement of the reproductive system;
infertility treatment;
improving the quality of seminal fluid;
prevention of prostate diseases, especially after 40 years;
improving sex drive and increasing potency;
the fight against depression and nervous tension;
prevention of atherosclerosis.

Did you know? To feed 1000 bee larvae, about 100 g of honey is required.

For children

For the prevention and treatment of certain diseases that occur in childhood, you can also use drone milk.

The product has many useful properties for the child's body, which are listed below:
accelerates the puberty of the body with a delay in development;
Helps treat epilepsy by reducing seizures
helps to cope with significant physical and mental stress;
used to effectively treat enuresis.

Save methods

In order for the finished homogenate to retain all its useful properties as long as possible, you need to know how to store this product and choose the appropriate method for its preparation.

We advise you to read about the benefits and uses of honey with royal jelly. At home, drone milk is stored in the following ways:

Compound with glucose (adsorbed product). The crushed larvae are mixed with glucose powder in a ratio of 1: 6. To mix the components, a porcelain container is used, small pills are formed from the resulting mass, put them in a glass dish and cork tightly with a lid. You need to use them every morning for 2 pcs. before breakfast. At an air temperature of +4 ... + 6 ° C, such a workpiece can be stored for 3 months.
Mix with honey . Natural honey is added to the crushed larvae in such a quantity that the concentration of drone milk in the finished mixture does not exceed 1%. Then the mixture is poured into a glass dish with dark walls, in which the workpiece can be stored for about six months at a temperature of +5 ... + 20 ° C. For the preparation of this drug, it is recommended to use only last year's honey, since fresh can ferment. The product is taken in 2 teaspoons daily, you can divide the specified amount into 2-3 doses during the day.
Alcohol tincture . It will take about a week to prepare such a workpiece, since the mixture should be infused. In a clean glass dish with dark walls, 60 larvae and 100 ml of pure alcohol must be mixed. While the mixture is infused for 7 days, the container is periodically shaken, and after the completion of the indicated period, it is filtered through a sieve. Drinking this drug is recommended for 20-40 drops 2 times a day. Useful properties of tinctures are stored for 30 days.
Freezing (native form). This method helps to extend the shelf life of drone milk to 1 year. To prepare such a blank, you need to pack the product in small bags or fill them with disposable syringes. The homogenate packaged in this way is frozen in a freezer at a temperature of –5 ...– 18 ° C. The daily dose is 0.5 teaspoon of the substance daily before breakfast.

Important! Fresh drone milk collected from the hive can be stored only during the day at a temperature of +2 ... + 5 ° С.

Drone milk is a natural product and has a rich vitamin composition, therefore it brings great benefits to people. Using the recommendations listed in our article on the use of homogenate and recipes for its preparation, you can strengthen your body and avoid the occurrence of many diseases.