site.btaAll Bee Products Are Good for Health, Says Beekeeper Emil Patov

Beekeeper Emil Patov, who was awarded Beekeeper of the Year in the Pleven region, Northern Bulgaria, said in a BTA interview that pure honey is 100% absorbed by the human body and that all bee products are good for health. Patov is one of the organizers of the upcoming Honey and Bee Products Bazaar in Pleven, which will take place between November 23 and 26.

Patov is a registered farmer and has been beekeeping professionally for ten years. He started beekeeping after returning with his wife to the town of Trastenik from Sofia, where he worked for about 15 years. They began with 40 hives and now have over 350. 

After noticing that the wholesale price of honey is unstable and does not always meet the producers' expectations, Patov decided to start offering his honey at retail, in jars, with a label indicating the origin of the product. In addition to honey, the Patov family offers bee pollen, propolis, handmade wax candles.

Patov was adamant that people need to be informed about the qualities of honey in order to increase consumption among Bulgarians, which is one of the lowest in Europe.

"Bee honey is rich in vitamins, minerals and other elements that are extremely healthy for the human body," he said, explaining that different types of honey are recommended for different diseases, and especially during the autumn-winter season, it is good to strengthen one's immunity with honey and bee products such as propolis and bee pollen.

He recommended a tablespoon (20 g) of bee pollen per day for people who suffer from joint pains for a month and a half, followed by a break. The beekeeper also praised the health benefits of propolis and called royal jelly "the pinnacle of bee products" because it strengthens the immune system and helps with various diseases. 

All bee products are good for the health, stressed Patov.