6 benefits of propolis

Apart from honey, bees also produce the so-called propolis. It is a kind of glue that the bee collects from the buds of the trees and that turns it into the only natural antibiotic in the world. There are studies that show that it has anti-cancer properties.

Bees make propolis by gathering resin from pine and other evergreen trees. They mix these resins with flakes of wax and pollen, and use the resulting sticky mass to patch holes, seal cracks, and build hive panels.

But propolis does much more than an architectural agent. It acts as an antiseptic barrier that protects the hive from contamination and external invaders such as mice, snakes and lizards. In fact, the name of propolis comes from the Greek and means "defense of the city."

The antimicrobial properties of propolis serve to protect the hive from viruses and bacteria. The researchers found that bees living in hives coated with propolis have "calmer" immune systems.

Propolis not only benefits bees. For thousands of years, practitioners of folk medicine have used bee propolis to treat and heal wounds as well as fight infection.

Recent studies confirm a long list of health benefits propolis offers. Here we show you some of them.

1. Anti-microbial action

Propolis has antibacterial properties, in addition to anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. In an animal experiment, applying a propolis solution to wounds, propolis helped speed up wound healing. It also helps prevent respiratory tract infections, as long as we take propolis on a regular basis.

2. Heal burns

There are studies that show that propolis helps the healing of minor burns. In the studies, researchers compared a propolis-based skin cream with silver sulfadiazine cream, a drug used to treat burns. The results of the study showed that propolis was as effective as the drug in treating burns.

3. Prevents dental cavities

Greek and Roman doctors used propolis as a mouth disinfectant. Modern studies show that it can be effective in treating periodontitis and gingivitis. It is very effective in reducing tooth decay.

Other studies show that propolis can even help regenerate dental pulp, as well as bone tissue and cartilage.

4.Used to treat parasites

Laboratory tests have proven that propolis can eliminate parasites. In the trial, people who took propolis had a parasite removal rate of between 52-60 percent.

5. Wart removal

In a treatment of taking propolis for 3 months, 135 patients with different types of warts received oral propolis. The results were published in the International Journal of Dermatology. Patients with common warts achieved a 75 percent cure rate.

6.Genital Herpes

Propolis is more effective than a common medication for treating genital herpes, according to a study published in Phytomedicine.

For 10 days, 30 men and women with genital herpes applied a cream containing propolis flavonoids four times a day.

At the end of the study, 24 of the 30 patients treated with propolis had their Herpes cured.

Like honey, the composition of propolis will vary depending on the trees and the area from which the bees extract it. Propolis extracts or tinctures are easier to use. They are usually the most popular for the stimulation of the immune system, due to their anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-microbial properties.