Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, July 15, 1993                   TAG: 9307150173
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CELESTE KATZ STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BEING BEAUTIFUL IS A SERIOUS BEEZ-INESS

Ancient Egypt, Babylon, China and Persia left records of the restorative effects of eating pollen and raw honey (which includes fragments or chunks of the comb), and the Bible makes many references to honey as a blessed food.

Bee pollen, propolis, royal jelly, beeswax and honey today are common components of health foods, cosmetics and herbal medications that claim to make the buyer more energetic, radiant and generally healthier and happier.

Roanoke Valley health food stores carry scores of products containing or made solely of various extracts from the beehive.

Although bee pollen may not be the only key to health, it is rich in vitamins. The plant pollen grains, which bees mix with honey as their main food source, are available in loose, tablet and capsule form and are marketed as a source of B vitamins, protein and carbohydrates. According to Time and The Washington Post, former President Ronald Reagan attributes his energy and still-dark hair to daily pollen supplements.

Propolis, a resinous compound bees make from the sap of trees such as the poplar, is used in the hive as a cement for building. The bitter, brown compound, which usually comes in tablet or tincture form, contains vitamins A, B, C and E and is used as a dietary supplement. It is also said to have antibacterial, antiviral and fungicidal properties.

Royal jelly is a common additive to diet supplements, face creams and ointments. It is so named because only larvae and the queen of the hive are given it, although many worker bees produce it. On this diet of royal jelly or "bee milk," the queen lives 40 times longer than the average worker, sparking unproven claims that the compound slows the aging process in humans as well. However, it is rich in vitamins, minerals, protein and enzymes beneficial to human health.

Testimonials about the miraculous effects of bee products abound. People from around the world claim that the wealth of the beehive cures fever, acne, impotence, insomnia and fatigue, stalls the onset of senility, and may serve as a cure for the common cold, cancer and AIDS.