Of Hormones, Stingless Bee Honey and what is Tongkat Ali?

The Stingless Bee Honey (SBH) is produced by an amazing insect found in the tropics of South East Asia, South America and Australia. It's a bit different from the usual Apiis honey bee which is found all over the world with the typical hexagonal honey comb. The Stingless Bee makes honey in small round pots linked together. The first time I saw it, I remember thinking that it looked just like an alien pod. Not that I have seen an alien pod before mind you but if I were an alien then this is how I would build my pod.

The taste of SBH is unlike what most people are used to. The texture is runnier...thinner than regular honey. It tends to have a slightly sour taste to it but once you have tasted the many varieties then you start noticing the subtle "notes" that come from different varietals. My favorite was a bottle given to me last year from Merlimau, Malacca. The first few drops on my tongue tasted like flowers I could not describe. I have also had just plain old sour SBH with no redeeming value to it. Simply plain sour honey. A friend of mine said it smelled and tasted like Chivas.

But it turns out this honey packs a punch well above it's weight class. It is full of antioxidants, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes that are good for the human body. 

I will go into detail in another post on the specifics of SBH.

Now on my other pet topic ie Tongkat Ali or Eurycomia Longiferia. Some people call it the South East Asian ginseng due to the long phallic root and extremely bitter taste.

Many studies have been done on the effects of TA. I will list some of these studies at the end of this post. Among them are clear indications that TA acts on the body by inducing it to produce more testosterone. This is a fact known to many South East Asians as a herbal tonic that would give you more "sting" in bed.

My interest in these 2 items came up due to my age. I will be 58 years old this year of 2018. My body is not what it used to be. Lots of wear and tear and a noticeable loss of strength and muscle mass. I am reasonably healthy considering I have only one kidney. My BMI is good and I don't have a tummy. My blood sugar can go a bit high but so far it is under control thanks to my daily walks.

If you are anything like me then you might want to continue reading my next post on my detailed symptoms of aging.