DO you believe in royal jelly. The jury is still out on the subject, with devotees claiming that the substance (a mixture of water and sugar generated by workers to feed the queen bee) can relieve arthritis and enhance stamina and energy.
Their claims would seem to be borne out by the results of a recent double blind, control clinical trial on 2,00 patients with arthritis by Dr David Freed of Manchester University. The trial was funded by Irene Stein, a royal jelly importer intent on bolstering the reputation of her own concoction, a combination of royal jelly and homeopathic remedies marketed as "Irena" royal jelly. Those taking royal jelly showed a 53 per cent reduction in pain, a 14 per cent decrease in redness and a 17 per cent increase in mobility.