Stingless Bee Honey – The Golden Treasure of the Malaysian Rainforest

Health Corner

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What is Stingless Bee Honey?

The stingless bees of Malaysia produce a very distinctive and aromatic honey with a complex layered flavour and a tangy taste. Stingless Bee Honey (SBH) has high levels of antimicrobial and antioxidant activity from the diverse nectar sources of the Malaysian forest. This type of honey is highly prized in Malaysia.

Stingless Bees

Stingless bees inhabit the tropical regions of the world and are the primary pollinating agents of the tropical forests. As the name suggests ‘stingless bees’ are unable to sting and most species are harmless to humans. Malaysia has one of the highest biodiversities of stingless bees in the world.

Stingless bees build complex nests usually in hollow tree trunks or other natural cavities. They collect nectar and pollen from the surrounding forest plants and store them in the hive as honey and bee bread. While SBH has been known to native communities for thousands of years the technique to collect honey from stingless bees in a sustainable non-destructive manner has only matured in the past 7-8 years or so.

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Uniqueness of SBH / How is SBH different from other Honeys? 

  • Distinctively aromatic tangy (‘sweet-sour’) flavour. 
  • Produced in much smaller quantities than honey bee honeys as stingless bees are smaller and have smaller colonies than honey bees. 
  • Contains higher levels of antioxidants and polyphenols than ordinary honeys due to the way it is made and stored in the stingless bee hives. 
  • SBH is less viscous (‘thick’) than ‘normal’ honeys. This is a natural characteristic of SBH.
  • While some other tropical countries also have stingless bees Malaysian stingless bees seem to be among the most productive species in the world and also seem to produce the best-tasting SBH. 
  • Contains natural enzymes and probiotics
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  • Benefits / Characteristics of SBHContains over 200 natural bioactive compounds
  • Energy Booster
    The natural sugars in honey are easily digested and provide a natural energy boost. 
  • Antioxidant 
    Antioxidant properties from polyphenols help reduce cell damage and ageing.  
  • Antibacterial 
    Powerful natural antibacterial properties kill or suppress harmful bacteria in the mouth or on the skin. 
  • Anti-inflammatory 
    The natural polyphenols and flavonoids in stingless bee honey help to reduce inflammation and pain for sore throats mouth ulcers and minor skin wounds.  
  • Probiotics and Enzymes
    The natural probiotics and enzymes in stingless bee honey help digestion and improve intestinal health.
  • Trace Elements
    Contains trace elements from the large variety of plants visited. 
  • Helps Stimulate Cell Regeneration 
    Flavonoids in SBH help with healing of minor wounds and may reduce scarring.
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Why GoodMorning Stingless Bee Honey?

We take a very strict scientific approach to the purity and quality of our honey and we work closely with local and international research and testing laboratories to ensure that you get only the best. Our bees forage freely in their natural habitat the forest. We do not feed our bees any artificial sugar at all. We curate our honeys and select only the best for bottling.  SBH is highly sensitive and variable to seasonal factors and handling. Our strict scientific approach means that we are able to ensure that our honey is consistent. Even so SBH is still subject to slight variations in colour and flavour from batch to batch as it is an all-natural product. These natural variations do not affect the quality of the honey. 

Counter-indications: 

Very young children and infants below the age of 2 should NOT be given honey because their digestive systems are not mature enough yet. Above 2 years old honey is a great food for children. 

Interesting Facts / General Knowledge about Honey

  • Honey is one of the most nutrient-dense natural foods. 
  • Honey is the original natural sweetener. Before humans learned to refine sugars from plants honey was the only natural sweetener. 
  • Honey has been prized since ancient times. There are 9000-year old cave drawings showing humans collecting wild honey. 
  • Ancient peoples used honey not just as a food but as a traditional medicine due to its natural antimicrobial and health-giving properties. 
  • 3000-year old honey has been found in Egyptian pyramids. The Egyptians prized it so highly that they used it as a food for the afterlife. Honey beeswax and propolis were also used to preserve Egyptian mummies because of their antimicrobial properties.  
  • Of the foods most subject to food fraud (fake / adulterated / origin fraud) in the world honey is no. 3 after milk and olive oil. (UN FAO)
  • In Malaysia ongoing research suggests that as much as 30% or even more of honey in the market is of questionable purity. This includes artificial (‘fake’) or adulterated honey sold as ‘pure honey’. 
  • Crystallization is a natural process that happens to some honeys at low temperatures. It does not affect the quality of the honey. However whether a honey crystallises or not cannot be used to differentiate whether the honey is pure or adulterated. 
  • There is a common myth that “ants will not eat pure honey”. This is not true. Honey is a very nutritious natural food and ants will go for it if they have the chance.
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HOW TO CONSUME GoodMorning’s STINGLESS BEE HONEY?

GoodMorning’s Stingless Bee Honey can be taken as a supplement daily.

  1. 1-2 teaspoons taken by itself. Gargle the honey in your mouth before swallowing to ensure that it combines and activates with the enzymes and saliva for optimal outcomes or mix it in any amount of water to drink.
  2. Can be mixed into warm/ hot drinks to add flavour as it is a natural sweetener.
  3. Can be used along with lemon mixed in water/ tea during sickness cough/cold/ respiratory illness as it contains anti-inflammation properties.
  4. Get creative and incorporate it into your food!  Eg. using it as dressing for salad toppings for pancakes/ waffles/ ice creams adding it into granola/ overnight oats drizzle it on nuts.