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Cell News |
Past
to Present
Propolis has been around for over 45 million
years, and has been used by man for thousands
of years, both internally and externally, as a
healing agent.
The Greek physician, Hippocrates, prescribed the
use of propolis to help heal internal and external
sores and ulcers. Ancient Egyptians depicted
propolis-making bees on vases and other ornaments,
and used the resinous substance to alleviate many
ailments. Pliny, the Roman scholar, wrote much
on the use of resins such as propolis in his massive
book, Natural History. He touts the abilities
of propolis to reduce swelling, soothe pain,
and heal sores, to name a few.
In The History of Plants written by John Gerard
in 1597, propolis was lauded for its ability
to provide swift and effective healing for many
conditions. Apothecaries of this era used
propolis as a major ingredient in healing ointments.
Propolis is a sticky resin which seeps from
the buds of certain trees--the bees prefer
poplar--and oozes from the bark of other trees,
chiefly conifers. Although propolis is vitally
important to the colony, there are usually just
a few propolis-gathering specialists in the hive.
The bees gather propolis, sometimes called "bee
glue," and carry it home in their pollen
baskets. There they are met by one or two other
worker bees who help them unload. These workers
take the resinous material and add salivary secretions
and wax flakes to it, then use the new product
for numerous protective purposes as bee propolis.
The bees use it to coat the inside of the hive,
including the passageway and the brood chambers.
Propolis protects the hive in two ways: First,
it reinforces the hive itself; second, it protects
the hive from bacterial and viral infection.
And it is these latter properties which man has
found so helpful through the centuries.
Help From The Hive
Bee propolis is a powerful protector. It
consists of approximately 55 percent resinous
compounds and balsams, 30 percent beeswax, 10
percent aromatic oils, and 5 percent bee pollen.
Other constituents include flavonoids, amino
acids, B vitamins, and most importantly, antibiotic
substances.
Often called "nature's penicillin,"
bee propolis has effective antibacterial, antiviral,
antiseptic, antifungal, and antibiotic-properties.
These protective and healing properties have been
conclusively demonstrated in numerous studies
all over the globe.
Tuberculosis
In the former Soviet Union, V.H. Karinova and
E.I. Rodionova conducted a study on 135 patients
suffering from various forms and stages of tuberculosis.
Their patients' ages ranged from six to 50. Patients
were given bee propolis three times daily
for four to 10 months depending upon response
to treatment. By the end of the study, all but
12 of the patients had improved dramatically,
including some patients going into regression.
The 12 who did not respond favorably all suffered
from kidney tuberculosis.
Ulcers
In Romania, Drs. A. Vasilca and Eugenia Milcu
conducted a study on the therapeutic properties
of propolis on ulcers. Thirty four patients with
chronic ulcers were given extracts of propolis
daily for two weeks. The results were impressive,
with 28 patients completely recovering and six
cases dramatically improving. Tissue biopsies
were conducted on some of the patients, which
confirmed the regenerative effects of bee propolis.
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