Can a Bee Sting make you Smarter?

bee stingAccording to a new study, scientists have proven that bee venom can improve our brain function. Sounds like witch doctor medicine, but an injection of bee venom can improve Learning and memory.

A team of scientists from the Universities of Liege in Belgium and Bristol in the United Kingdom extracted a peptide toxin from the venom called apamin. Apamin is a neurotoxin that blocks certain central nervous system channels and causes hyperexcitability in the brain.

Small doses of the poison reduce blood pressure, which reduces inflammation, Increases coronary blood flow rate,stimulates the activity of the heart muscle, reduces cholesterol levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

The use of peptide toxins like apamin isn’t new; scientists have known for a while that certain insect venoms have the potential to treat diseases like Parkinson’s ,Dementia and a number of other conditions.

The venom is found in the Western honey bee. This is one more reason to value bees. We already know that without them the world food supply, including fruits, vegetables, flowers, other plants, and trees, could pretty much dry up. They do much more than just produce honey.

The study is published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.