Royal jelly is a honey bee secretion that is used in the nutrition of
larvae, as well as adult queens. During the process that a hive is
creating new queens, the workers construct special queen cells. The
larvae in these cells are fed with copious amounts of royal jelly. This
type of feeding triggers the development of queen morphology,
including the fully developed ovaries
needed to lay eggs. Royal jelly is 67% water, 12.5% protein, 11%
simple sugars
(monosaccharides), 6% fatty acids and 3.5% 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic
acid (10-HDA). It also contains trace minerals, antibacterial and
antibiotic components, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5),
pyridoxine (vitamin B6) and trace amounts of vitamin C, but none of
the fat-soluble vitamins: A, D,E or K. Royal jelly is used for asthma,
hay fever, liver disease, pancreatitis, type2 diabetes, diabetic foot
ulcers, sleep troubles (insomnia), fatigue (tiredness) secondary to
cancer,
premenstrual syndrome (PMS), infertility (inability to have a child),
menopausal symptoms,
stomach ulcers, kidney disease, bone fractures, menopausal
symptoms, skin disorders, and high cholesterol. It is also used as a
general health tonic, for fighting the effects of aging, and for
boosting the immune system. Some people apply royal jelly directly
to the skin as a tonic or to the scalp to encourage hair growth