There is some fairly good science on arthritis and bee stings, not so 
much from this country but China. Bee stings do work, mostly on the 
symptoms if you have it and on the immune system to keep it working 
properly. Arthritis is an autoimmune disease so bee stings tend to 
correct the problem.

Good science also on your bee suit causing sensitization to stings for 
family members.

There is lots out there on the fact that even if stung often there can 
be one that results in a severe allergic relation. It does not happen 
often and my guess is it has less to do with the sting but what you have 
in your system at the time. For example, do not take ibuprofen when 
working bees. There may be other things that we do not know about.

I did find a study done by A UCon professor which I sent to the list but 
seems to have disappeared. He originally thought it worked and 
recommended everyone take a spoonful a day, but ran a further controlled 
study which showed it did not.

Science is not perfect but it sure beats testimonials. I have tried 
honey for a variety of issues and found it does not work for allergies 
and several other things it is touted for. Others say it does. The 
problem with this kind of issue its it lends itself to the desire to 
want to believe in order to relieve whatever might be wrong. Add to 
that, the power of suggestion, so you can have relief and feel better 
when, in truth, there really is no change.

Plus, we are all not built the same way. Some recent studies on 
antioxidants showed that you can get serious heart problems with too 
high an antioxidant level. The body regulates the amount and when it 
does not, additional antioxidants actually can harm. Now the new buzz 
word is "reductive stress", which leads to less antioxidants. Moderation 
in all things.

We take for granted scientific truths, such as the earth revolves around 
the sun, but reject it only when it interferes with what we experience. 
King Lear did. Some cancer patients do. We might be right, since science 
is not infallible, but we tend to want to turn back the tide more often 
than not.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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