A novel mechanism of liver enhancement from a Traditional bee product - Medical Anthropology

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  Dec, 2002  by Tim Batchelder

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www.anthrocode.com

timbatchelder@hotmail.com

Royal jelly is perhaps more than any other dietary supplement one of controversy. With a brief history of use and scant biochemical studies it appears to be an unlikely contender in the supplement scene. Yet, its popularity remains high and anecdotal reports of energy enhancement abound. However, recently, a novel mechanism of liver support has emerged that supports at least some of its traditional uses. In this article I will outline some of this emerging research on this supplement based on recent product development work I conducted for a specialized bee product company.

Traditional Use

Apitherapy is becoming increasingly popular in China and there are more and more institutes that use bee products in their pharmaceutical regimen (such as Xi'an of Shanxi, Lianyungang of Zhenjiang and Nanjing of Jiangsu). Arthritis is treated by bee stings, which have also been used recently for muscular dystrophy in the US. Other bee products used for medicine include honey, propolis, and royal jelly and is very popular among "intellectuals" (professors, researchers, etc). Royal Jelly was highly valued by Chinese monarchs as a way to increase longevity and sexual power. Royal jelly has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for 70-80 years. It is used for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, chronic hepatitis, duodenal ulcer, menstrual problems, uterine bleeding and infertility, fatigue, weakness, poor nutrition, leucopenia, and cancer therapy support. Shen Nong's Herbal Classic (100-200 BC) explains that bee products "treat evil influence, supplement the insufficiency in the five visceras, help qi and mend the heart."

They also relieve pain and detoxify, "get rid of a hundred diseases," can be "mixed with hundreds of medicines," and "strengthen the will and tighten the body, make people young and prolong life." The herbal compendium Materia Medica by Li Shishen written during the Ming Dynasty states that bee products "are sweet and mild, so that they can detoxify; soft so that they can soften and moisten; slow for taking it easy." As a result they are considered good for "relieving heart pain, stomach pain, sore muscles, and ulcers" and "can bring peace to the heart and can add harmony to hundreds of medicines."

In the Materia Medica royal jelly is considered a tonic for yin deficiency (and general deficiencies) like ginseng, fo-ti, dang qui, astragalus, common jujube and lycium fruit. Royal jelly is combined with these and other herbs. In Traditional Chinese Medicine energy or Qi is thought to flow from or be regulated by the liver, which is significant biologically given the recent research on royal jelly's regenerative effects on the liver described below. Case studies from Japan document its traditional and popular use and effectiveness for fatigue (Inoue 1986). Japanese office workers consume royal jelly in genki drinks, which are energizing tonics. In addition, royal jelly has been used in Eastern European countries as an adaptogen (broadly defined as an agent that increases strength, endurance and resistance to stress). (Wagner et al. 1984)

Other Insect Medicines

Other insects and insect products are widely used in traditional medicine. In Chinese medicine there were 21 insects used in medicine according to the Shennong Pharmacopoeia (100-200AD) which has since been enlarged to include 73 insects in Compendium Materia Media published in 1578. Chinese galls (Wubeizi) are used for sores and are produced by an aphid on Chinese sumac (Chou Io, 1990). One of the most pricey insect medicines is Dong Chong Tsia Tsiao (winter caterpillar summer grass) which is a caterpillar fungus that consists of larvae of Hepialus armoricanus infected with a entomopathogenic fungus Cordyceps sinensis that costs $700 a kilo in China wholesale! (Steinkraus and Whitefield, 1994). These are now being artificially cultivated. Legend has it that this fungus has effects like ginseng and also restores impotence, shortness of breath, lung dysfunction and pain. The egg cases of praying mantis and blister beetles as well as cicada exuvia (molts) from trees (which cure scrofula and ulcers) are hot com modities as well. Silkworm frass treats diarrhea and cockroaches stop bleeding and heal bone fractures and swelling. One village of extremely long lived people who live beyond age 90 like to fry copious amounts of ants which they credit to their longevity. The main herbal medicine for hepatitis B (Mayi Yigan Ning) contains ants and works in 60% of cases which is twice as effective as interferon. You can also find many wines and tonics made with ants.

Origin and Production

Royal jelly is a white substance secreted by the pharyngeal glands of worker honeybees (family Apidae) for the queen bee who survives upon it her whole life. The queen's life-span is many times as long as worker bees, up to several years, and she develops to twice the size of worker bees and drones. In contrast, worker bees and drones do not consume royal jelly and live much shorter lives. Worker and queen are genetically identical which suggests the difference in their lifespan and other developmental factors is completely dietary and owed to the royal jelly. Depending on environmental factors such as season, geography and climate, the composition of royal jelly can vary somewhat but usually consists of roughly 15% protein, 15% sugars, 6% fats, with the rest being water (60%) and some minerals, vitamins, and free amino acids. (FAQ data 1996) Fresh royal jelly (non-freeze dried) appears to be the most biologically active form (Salama 1977). One marker compound, 57 kDa protein, is especially sensitive to heat thus it is essential that royal jelly not be heated at any time in order to preserve its activity.