Yes: you did read that right! Today, (August 20) is World Honey Bee Day and although I love all bees, I have to confess Bumbles are actually my favourite. Most people have heard the phrase – attributed to Einstein – that for every third mouthful of food you eat, thank a bee (although I have heard that this statistic was probably not put forward by the great man*).
What is true is that we are dependent on bees (and other pollinators, including wasps) for a majority of the food we eat, as they are critical at every stage of the food chain. But ultimately we have to take responsibility for the foods we eat to meet our body’s dietary needs. We can eat well, developing our own nutrition care plan to achieve a well-balanced diet, coupled with regular physical activity, which are the cornerstones of good health – but diets that are nutritionally deficient can lead to:
- reduced immunity
- increased susceptibility to disease
- impaired physical and mental development
- reduced productivity
Ironically, quality food is also essential for pollinators’ successful development as well as ours - and to optimise their activity cycle during the winter season. It’s increasingly difficult for pollinators to obtain sufficient pollen sources for all their dietary needs, consequently, weakening the insects’ immune system. Some research has observed that where crops with low-protein pollens such as blueberries and sunflowers are grown, there is a correspondingly increased likelihood of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).1
Bee populations around the world are under threat, with numbers reducing on every continent. Decrease in managed honey bee colony numbers in Europe have been observed since 1965 (but the pattern is diverse)2 and individual beekeepers have been reporting unusual weakening and mortality in colonies since 1998.
- Quoted in a thoughtful TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) lecture by leading apiarist Dennis van Engelsdorp called “Where Have the Bees Gone?” Dennis considers our interdependence with bees, their important place in nature and the mystery behind their alarming disappearance http://www.ted.com/talks/dennis_vanengelsdorp_a_plea_for_bees
- Nectar and Bumble is an online website dedicated to raising awareness of bees through a delightful range of gifts, homeware and natural skincare all based around bees. From bee print mugs to deliciously scented candles and pretty bee notebooks, they have something for anyone who loves bees!
- they donate 10% of their profits to bee charities, so if you’d like to find out more about Nectar and Bumble please visit http://www.nectarandbumble.co.uk
So when we next eat a piece of fruit, or are considering what nutritionally-balanced meals we’re serving to our patients - or even considering the Fluids and Nutrition module of the Care Certificate, or other nutrition courses we’re studying for - spare a thought today for the small, industrious insect that we depend on for so much of our food. After all, she works herself to death in the process.
- Joe Traynor, manager of Scientific Ag, a bee brokering firm , in “Power Pollen”, Bee Culture, February 2009.
- Potts S.G. et al. 2010. “Declines of managed honey bees and beekeepers in Europe”. Journal of Apicultural Research 49(1): 15-22.
