Bee Propolis

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Bee Propolis is most widely known for its natural anti-biotic effect. Many nutrition experts include it in their daily resistance-building regimens. Propolis also contains valuable nutritional factors including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and trace nutrients.

Nearly a century ago, doctors dismissed quinine (tree bark) as mere folk superstition. More recently, they ridiculed the idea that a simple mold growing on moist, non-living matter would ever become penicillim, the wonder medicine of the century.

Now the medical world is faced with another dilemma of how to react to bee propolis, a reddish resinous cement substance collected by bees from the buds of plants, used to stop up crevices in the hives and strengthen the cells, among other uses. This natural food supplement, with its antibiotic properties, has astonished doctors.

Just what are the raw qualities of the bee propolis? What does it contain? It contains resin, vitamins, amino acids, and minerals. It is rich in a natural selection of bioflavonoids. It also possesses a whole natural selection of micro-elements in trace amounts.

Doctors and scientists in Europe and Russia have already acclaimed propolis. One study alone, The Hearing Properties of Propolis, by Russia doctors A.I. Tichonov and D.P. Salo, focuses on the successful use of propolis in over 70 different studies during the last 17 years in the then U.S.S.R.

Propolis has proved effective in helping to deal with a wide variety of infections and illnesses, including ulcers, colds, stress, hypertension, pharyngitis, and periodontal problems.

There has been no general reaction among doctors in the United States as yet to this natural antibiotic, but at least one recognized medical authority has reported his findings.

According to Dr. H. Linck of Nairobi Hurlingham Clinic, who claims credit of having first introduced propolis to Dr. John Diamond in 1978, there is plenty of therapeutic value that we can get from most of the natural products, including herbal plants. Dr. John Diamond is the president of the International Academy of Preventive Medicine. In his book BK-Behavioral Kinesiology (Harper & Row, Publishers), Dr. Diamond reveals how propolis helps to maintain the body's general health.

"Our Life Energy," he says "is the source of our physical and mental well-being, of glowing health, of the joy of living …unfortunately 95 per cent of the general population tests low on the Life Energy.

"I have never, " he continues, "seen a patient with a chronic degenerative illness who did not have an underactive thymus gland …I believe it is the thymus weakness, or underactivity, that is the original cause of the illness." Dr Diamond emphasises that "all illnesses start with a diminution of that life energy.

"…Of all the natural supplements I have tested, the one that seems to be the most strengthening to the thymus and hence the life Energy is bee resin, or bee Propolis, a resin secreted by trees and then metabolized by the bees…"

By activating the thymus gland, propolis can help to keep a body in good health. It helps to build up the body's resistance to disease.

This point is underlined by the Russian document mentioned previously:

"…When propolis is taken internally, the rate of metabolism is increased, and the resistance of the organism to the influence of unfavorable factors from the outside world is raised. It follows that the mechanism for healing in propolis is based not only on its antibacterial propensity and the detoxifying effect, but also on the influence on defensive reactions of the organism. And propolis in contrast with antibiotics – intensifies the whole immunological reactive capability of the macro-organism."

Essentially, the Russian doctors are saying that Propolis acts to stimulate the immune system of the body. This same point was made recently by Dr. Remy Chauvin, the world's leading authority on bee therapy, who has done most of his research at the Sorbonne in Paris. Dr. Chauvin was interviewed in Paris recently.

"Today," he said, "with the overuse of antibiotics, bacteria are developing a marked resistance to their purported benefits, infections are on the increase and some diseases – formerly not contagious – are becoming highly transmittable.

"Scientists believe that nature has a cure for every disease. It's just a matter of finding it. With the introduction of propolis, it is possible that we can one day abolish most drug-related chemicals. Also, remember that keeping the body free from diseases through natural healing can actually slow down the aging process and add years to the lifespan.

"The antibacterial and antiviral properties of propolis work to raise the body's natural resistance to disease by internally stimulating one's own immune system. In doing this, Propolis also supplies added amounts of Vitamins B1, B, C, and E, and all essential minerals, including iron, calcium, aluminium, manganese and silicon."

This last point is very important. Dr. Chauvin points out, because other normal antibiotics do the opposite – they "can kill the friendly bacteria in the system which the body uses to synthesizes Vitamin B and K. This can cause a severe deficiency of these important vitamins."

From the European and Russian point of view, there seems little doubt that propolis could be the natural daily supplement food, which is the ultimate preventive "medicine."

How old is the propolis?

Propolis is as old as bees themselves, but the first recorded use of propolis was by the Greeks who named the substance by combining the words "pro" (before) and "polis" (city). The Greeks suspected the bees used propolis to defend their "city" against bacterial and other harmful intruders.

Hippocrates (460 – 377 B.C), the father of medicine, used propolis to help heal ulcers and externally as a salve, to treat wounds and sores.

The famous Roman naturalist, Pliny (23 – 79 A.D.) wrote in his Historia Naturalists, that Propolis "disposed tumors, moderated nerve illnesses, and healed ulcers…"

Nicholas Culpepper's famous Complete Herbal states that propolis as an ointment is singularly good for all inflammations in many parts of the body and cools the heat of wounds…" One of the most recognized uses of propolis in modern history was as an ointment to treat wounds during the Boer War (1899 – 1902)

How useful is the propolis?

Bees use propolis for their own health. Without some form of antibiotic protection, 60,000 bees crawling over one another in a densely crowded hive would die of bacterial infections. Propolis protects and strengthens the cells.

Bees discovered that certain trees exuded a bud sap, used by the trees themselves, to fight infection. Through the centuries, the bees have taken this sap back to the hive, added their own secretions to it, and distributed the metabolized "antibiotic" in every corner and comb in the hive. Some scientists believe that the inside of a hive is more sterile than a modern hospital!

The power of propolis to fight infection in the hive and keep the bees free from bacteria diseases is amazing. For instance, if a mouse gets into the hive and is stung to death by the bees, it would normally decay, causing serious bacterial problems. However, the bees cover the mouse with propolis and "mummify" it; the mouse then remains embalmed without decaying for five years!

The International Beekeeping Technology and Economy Institute says that propolis has antiproteolytic, bactericidal, and bacteriostatic action that is unparalled among natural substances.

The uniqueness of Propolis is dramatically described by an Australian scientist, E. L. Ghisalberti, of the Department of Organic Chemistry at the University of Western Australia. One of his most important conclusions is that when it is administered along with penicillin or other antibiotics, propolis increases the latter's effectiveness as much as 10 to 100 fold. Such combinations can cut down on drug dosages, drug side effects and decrease the chances of developing immunity due to over-dependence on penicillin and the mycin drugs.

The Australian findings are confirmed by the research in Russia. Drs. Thichonov and Salo in their 17 – year study have this to say about how propolis fortifies the activity of various antibiotics:

"…Propolis is a dense culture medium strengthens the bacteriostatic activity of tetracycline, neomycin and plymycin…. And enhances the activity of streptomycin, penicillin, neomycin, plymycin, and tetracycline…."

The Russian doctors also reported on tests using propolis on its own against over 20 kinds of bacteria: "According to the opinion of the authors, the results (of the antibacterial tests) witness to the therapeutic activity of propolis in the organism. On the one hand, after the short-term influences of propolis, the disease resistance of the organism is activated."

Drs. L. Pissarev and Mika DiMitrova of Bulgaria have made an encouraging effort to present a treatment of periodontal problems with diathermy and propolis. This treatment by means of diathermy with propolis has given good results in every case, the infection has been stopped, the mucus color has become normal, and the guns hardened, and the loose teeth have become firmer… The results obtained by this method – both as to length of treatment and the number of cures were very good compared to other known techniques.

In another study in Bulgaria concerning the hypotensive action of propolis, interesting results were observed. The objective of this test was to study the effect of propolis on hypertension.

Forty-two patients were examined, 36 women and six men aged from 45 to 72 years with hypertension in the second and third states dating from four to 15 years. Conclusions: 1) propolis exercises a decisive benefit in most cases, 2) this benefit manifests itself in a lowering of blood pressure, 3) in about half the cases, and there was also a lowering of cholesterol level. There were no secondary side effects.

In the Republican Hospital in Kaunas, Drs. Leipus of the former U.S.S.R used Propolis in the treatment of patients with malignant tumors (usually on the skin) who had been operated on and who had received radiology treatment. The preparation was administered two or three times a day. After applying the Propolis, the pain was reduced, the ulcerations turned to a healthier colour, fresh tissue appeared, and the patients recovered.

The work of the above Russian scientist is a typical example of the application of Propolis in the USSR where the Ministry of Health approves its use.

In another Russian study, Dr. P. A. Kravcuk tested Propolis among 260 patients who had one form or another of pharyngitis (inflammation of the throat). All the patients especially when eating or swallowing saliva, had throat pains, and most of them developed a dry, raw cough. Dr. Kravcuk reports that bee propolis helped in ninety percent of the cases and he feels "this proves the high therapeutic activity of propolis" for this kind of throat problem.

Propolis has also been used successfully against influenza in Russia and Yugoslavia. In the Yugoslavian town of Sarajevo, during a recent epidemic of flu, Prof. Izet Osmanagic conducted a test among a group of students from a nursing college who had been exposed to patients with influenza. Eight students took bee propolis, while 182 did not. Of those who didn't, 63 percent became ill while only seven percent of those who took became ill.

Mr. Mitja Vosnak, former Yugoslavian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs ambassador became fascinated with bees and gave up politics to study what he calls "these tiny miracles of nature."

Vosnak writes in his book The Miracle of Propolis: "For mankind, propolis is without a past, for we are only now starting to learn about it and in learning have become convinced that in propolis we have indeed discovered the medicine of the future."

He is quick to point out that Propolis is not a medicine in the usual sense of the word. It is not the normal drug. It is a natural supplement. He adds somewhat poetically: "Would you call the sun a medicine? Is forest air or fresh clean water a medicine? Is an apple medicine? Vosnak's final comment is a telling one that might well be heeded by many members of the medical community.

"We must not think of taking medicine," he says, "when we should be thinking of maintaining health."

 

Read More About It

•  Health from the Hive: Honey...Bee Pollen...Bee Propolis...Royal Jelly, by Carlson Wade.
•  Bee Pollen, Royal Jelly, Propolis and Honey: An Extraordinary Energy and Health-Promoting Ensemble (Woodland Health Series), by Rita Elkins.
•  The Miracle of Propolis: The Story of the Rediscovery of the Remarkable Healing Properties of This Product of the Beehives, by Mitja Vosnjak

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