www.nelsonhoney.com

Nectar 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 may help 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 may be beneficial:

Multiple Sclerosis
The raw scientific data is scratchy but international studies are currently investigating the effects of bee venom on those afflicted by MS. It is thought that the active compounds in the venom break down the scar tissue that can form on the nerve sheaths as a result of an MS episode. Venom also appears to enhance synaptic transmission, increasing motor activity. All these appear to improve the neuro-functions of the nervous system and reduce the debilitating symptoms of MS.

Other Benefits:
The introduction of bee venom into the circulatory system may be beneficial to sufferers of hypertension (high blood pressure) as blood is thinned and coagulability decreased. In general, stress on the circulatory system is reduced by the actions of bee venom and the functions of the nerve and immune systems are enhanced. However, it is recommended that caution be exercised when taken in conjunction with any medication used in the control of hypertension. If in doubt, consumers are advised to consult their doctor or phone 0800 7830942

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.

More about the history of bee venom therapy

2,000 year old Chinese Manuscripts talk of bee stings being used to treat arthritis and it is also recorded by Pliny the Elder (14BC), Hippocrates and Galen (AD130). Even Charlemagne (742-814AD) was treated with bee stings. 

In the nineteenth century, French, Austrian and Russian Doctors began the first clinical studies with BVT. Then, between 1935 and 1942, Dr Bodog Beck from New York undertook new studies of BVT.  His student, Dr C. B Warren, continued his work and demonstrated favourable results with arthritic animals. During the cold war, Gorki University also studied the use of BVT.

Further Landmarks

1973
 The Journal Nature published an article revealing the remarkable anti-inflammatory effects of Peptide 401, a component of bee venom.
 
1975
 Col. James A Vick, US army, Glen B Warren and Robert Brooks demonstrated increases in the cage activity of arthritic animals treated with BVT.
 
1986
 Researchers demonstrated that  Melittin, another component of bees venom, inhibited the body's production of free radicals, implicated in the degradation of arthritic joints (Inflammation.1986. June 10(2).175-82
 
1993
 Researchers demonstrated both anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of been venom peptides. (Nanjing Institute of Biochemical Pharmacy)
 

In 1998 a double blind placebo-controlled study into the effectiveness of Nectar Ease in the treatment of arthritis was conducted with advice from researchers at the University of Auckland School of Medicine.

Their Conclusions were as follows :
"NectarEase significantly alleviated the arthritic symptoms of the majority of patients in this study"

Today, BVT is growing rapidy as an alternative therapy for this most serious condition.
90% of us will develop arthritis by the age of 60.
(Patrick Holford, Nutritionist, The Ion Institute, London)