Jane's Herbal Shop
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Jane's Herbal Shop
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About Nectar Ease from Nelson Apiaries LtdNectar Ease is a unique blend of Manuka honey and Bee Venom. The healing properties of the Manuka tree have been a traditional part of the folk law of New Zealand. Recent laboratory and medical evidence using Manuka honey supports the value of this natural resource in the dietary supplement and natural health areas. In addition to having properties that are beneficial in terms of overall well being, Manuka honey has also been shown to have antibacterial properties and the ability to maintain the acid-alkaline balance in the stomach. Bee venom is a complex mixture of proteins, enzymes, peptides, amines, amino acids and sugars with unique pharmacological activities, (Vick 1972). Enzymes are proteins that catalyse chemical reactions in living systems. The two main enzymes in bee venom are hyaluronidase and phospholipase and these contribute to the severe allergic reactions to bee venom experienced by some people. Peptides are proteins that possess specific biological activities. The three major components in bee venom are Melittin (50% of lyophilised venom by weight), Apamin (3%) and Peptide 401 (2% - also called Mast Cell Degranulating Peptide). Melittin is a very strong anti-inflammatory agent, which may also have anti-oxidant properties. Apamin enhances long-term synaptic transmission through blocking calcium-dependent potassium channels and shortening the duration of nerve action potentials. Peptide 401 leads to the release of histamine. Other pharmacologically active compounds present in bee venom include hyaluronidase (2%), dopamine (1%) and noradrenaline (1%). Just how bee venom was first linked, as a possible treatment for arthritis is uncertain, suffice to say that it has been used for this purpose for over 2000 years. Traditional therapy involves the application of bee stings to affected areas of the patient over a period of time and there are numerous apitherapists practising around the world supported by a wealth of anecdotal and clinical trial evidence. In 1996 Philip Cropp discovered a technique where the bees could be stimulated to release venom, which didn’t result in the death of his bees. This lead to the development of Nectar Ease. A much more pleasant way of being able to benefit from the properties of bee venom than being stung! As the venom is ingested and dispersed through the blood stream rather than as one hit at a sting site it also means that this treatment is now available to many patients allergic to bee stings although caution is advised and a gradual build up of dose size recommended. It is the combination of the special Manuka honey of Nelson Apiaries and the bee venom that makes Nectar Ease so effective. An early clinical trial on 20 arthritis patients conducted in Auckland found that 66% of patients experienced a reduction in their pain levels when treated with Nectar Ease. Encouraged by these results and the positive feedback from customers, Nelson Apiaries went on to conduct a full double blind trial (the gold standard in terms of clinical trials) in Hamilton under Dr Alan Dobe, Rheumotologist, enrolling 97 patients. Just completed this trial also showed statistically significant improvements in the level of pain for osteoarthritis patients and in mobility for both osteo and rheumatoid arthritis patients. Once again an improvement in pain was observed in 66% of the osteoarthritis patients treated with Nectar Ease. An exclusion criterion in the study protocol for patients experiencing a "flare-up" meant that there were insufficient numbers of rheumatoid patients at the end of the trial to evaluate the reduction of pain in this group. In addition the safety profile of the product was impressive with no major reactions being recorded. (Data on file). In both trials patients remained on their regular therapies which included non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (Voltaren, Oruvail etc) aspirin and paracetamol. These trials confirmed what the customers had been saying for years - that the unique blend of Nelson Apiaries Manuka honey and bee venom helps reduce the pain of arthritis. Nectar Ease can be taken on it’s own or as a supplement to current therapies. There are many natural products available on the New Zealand market in the pain area. Most of these products rely on the research that has been done on the active ingredient in isolation rather than on the finished product. Nectar Ease is the only bee venom product to have been so rigorously tested in the clinical trial situation. While we have so far concentrated on the use of Nectar Ease in the area of arthritis (and this is partly due to the body of work that has been done with bee venom and Nectar Ease itself) a natural extension is the use of Nectar Ease for relief of pain from tendon injuries, Occupational Overuse Syndrome and other inflammatory diseases. There are other areas in which bee venom is thought to be beneficial:
Multiple
Sclerosis
Other
Benefits: Possible Adverse Reactions: Wide use of Nectar Ease in the market place and under clinical trial situations has shown Nectar Ease to be well tolerated. Nelson Apiaries keeps a data base of adverse events and this has shown that there is a small group of people who have experienced adverse effects from ingesting Nectar Ease. There has been one serious case involving a young woman who had a hypersensitivity to bee stings and bee products. An anaphylactic reaction occurred shortly after she had taken one teaspoon of Nectar Ease. She was hospitalised but released shortly after. Conversely, there are many cases of persons with hypersensitivity to bee products successfully taking Nectar Ease with no adverse effects. It is recommended that patients start on 1/3 to ½ of a teaspoon of Nectar Ease in order to minimise any possible adverse reaction. Possible reactions are: skin rashes, localised swelling of joints and, rarely, vomiting and diarrhoea (all cases of the latter were on hypertension type medication). Some users may experience an increase in pain for a short period before gaining an improvement. UMF® ACTIVE MANUKA HONEY What is UMF®? UMF® stands for 'Unique Manuka Factor', the special antibacterial property found in Manuka Honey. When honey is diluted, a special enzyme the bees have added produces Hydrogen peroxide, a well-known antibiotic. Manuka Honey has been found to have an antibacterial activity in addition to hydrogen peroxide. No one has so far discovered the substance involved so it is called UMF®. Dr Molan is the associate Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Waikato. Dr Molan has been investigating the antibacterial properties of honey for more than 15 years and has been awarded an MBE for his work. During this time he has made some amazing scientific discoveries and has uncovered some of natures and the bee's best kept secrets. Since his initial discoveries, Dr Molan has gone on to scientifically prove the special health benefits of honey and in particular New Zealand's unique Manuka Honey. As well as his ongoing commitments to further investigative work and his university commitments, Dr Molan now travels the world lecturing the health professionals on the unique health benefits of these special honeys. Dr Molan has said: "For over 10 years I have scientifically investigated what many local New Zealanders have accepted as common wisdom: our Manuka Honey is a superior treatment for wounds and infections. After the results of my work became known through scientific journals, many people have contacted me wanting to know what is so special about Active Manuka Honey. A thorough and scientific response is available in articles listed on my Website (http://www.honey.bio.waikato.ac.nz), but I have compiled the facts here: There are approximately 50 reports in medical journals that honey in general is a very effective dressing for wounds and an effective therapy for eye infections and for diarrhoea. It is well established that honey has an antibacterial activity, but this can vary widely in potency: some honeys are no more antibacterial than sugar, whereas others can be diluted more that 100-fold and still completely stop the growth of bacteria. The difference in potency of antibacterial activity found between different honeys is more than 100-fold. Manuka Honey is gathered exclusively in New Zealand from the Manuka bush, Leptospermum scoparium, which grows throughout our country. The honey being sold as 'Active Manuka Honey' is the only honey available that is being tested for its antibacterial activity and selected for sale based in its level of activity. In the future, other honeys may be tested and selected for their antibacterial activity, but Manuka Honey contains an additional antibacterial component that is unique to honey produced from Leptospermum plants. The Honey Dew Story: Only found in the South Island of New Zealand, this beautiful, dark, tangy flavoured honey comes from the Beech Tree which harbour a little insect inside their black ripply bark. This insect puts out a little white frond with a dew drop on the end which has a sweet taste and is popular with bees, wasps and birds. In earlier years beekeepers used this honey as feed for their bees, as it was not thought to be a true nectar. However it was popular in Germany about 10 years ago and is now popular everywhere and is sought after for its recently discovered properties aiding digestion. Recent research has found that this honey contains Oligosaccharides which assist the growth of good bacteria in the intestine whic has a population of about 100 trillion intestinal bacteria, some beneficial, and some potentially harmful. How well the digestive system functions depends on the balance between the two. Even with a healthy diet the balance can easily be upset by stress, antibiotics, over-indulgence, or the natural ageing process. Oligosaccharides survive the journey through the stomach and have a unique effect which strengthens the good bacteria and promotes a healthy and comfortable digestive tract thus avoiding colitis and other bowel diseases. Pleasant to take it has a texture like golden syrup and is delicious with plain yoghurt, on toast, in drinks, or in muesli, or just on your cereal.
The West Coast Honey Story: This lighter coloured mild flavoured bush honey is sourced in the back country of New Zealand where there are no insecticide sprays or pollution. It has a combination of Kamahi, Rata, and native flower sources and comes from the West Coast region. Delicious on toast and in drinks, it is also good in muesli or baking. Honey is generally known to be beneficial for a wide range of human disorders including eye problems and nutritional imbalances. In these times, when Genetic Modification of crops is becoming an important issue, our apiaries are well-placed to avoid potential problems.
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