Health Benefits of Propolis

Executive Sumary about Benefit Propolis by Ruth Tan

Propolis is a natural antibiotic that is fast gaining in popularity in the application of home remedies! It's one of those bee products that really cause me to wow at the wonder of nature and marvel at the ability of the highly organised insect - honey bee. Now, let me tell you what exactly propolis is.

Some trees and conifers produce sticky resins as part of their immune system to defend themselves against disease. Honey bees collect these substances that ooze from the buds of these plants. After chewing them and mixing them with their saliva and other substances, propolis is formed. This nutrient-rich substance is of vital importance for the survival of the honey bees in the beehive. It is created to sterilize the hive and protect it against diseases and infection. Not only does it help to inhibit the spread of bacteria, virus, and fungi that would otherwise pose a significant threat in the closely-knit quarters, it also and help fight against climatic changes, such as wind and cold. It is also used as a "putty" to seal cracks and openings in the hive and to strengthen and repair honeycombs, and for this reason is also known as ‘bee glue’. Another fact that amazes me is that honey bees also use this sticky substance to embalm or "mummify" the carcasses of larger insects that invade the hive. Such intruders are immediately stung to death but because the defending bees can't transport such heavy corpse away from the hive, they embalm them rather than allowing them to decay. The ancient Eygptians observed this and used propolis as one of the embalming agents for their exquisite mummies!

Propolis contains approximately 50-70% resins, 30% wax, 10% etheric oils and 5% pollen. It is especially rich in amino acids, important for immune system function. It has a high vitamin content (Vitamin A (carotene), Vitamin B1, B2, B3, biotin) and is extremely rich in bioflavonoids (Vitamin P) which are believed to have numerous immune building properties and health benefits. Bioflavonoids are the natural pigments in fruits and vegetables and are found in abundance in oranges. This bee glue contains almost 500 times more bioflavonoids than is found in oranges! It also contains an array of albumin, calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. Like Royal Jelly and Bee Pollen, it contains a number of unidentified compounds which work together synergistically to create a balanced, nutritive substance.

Propolis can be purchased completely raw and unprocessed, but it in its natural state is a sticky substance and is very difficult to handle. Some beekeepers will package the raw propolis and freeze it in small portions. It can then be added to a coffee grinder in its frozen state and ground for easy consumption. Most producers utilize a process where the active ingredients are ‘leached’ into water or alcohol, then either packaged in liquid form or dried and capsulated.

Because of its antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, this precious substance has been used as a healing agent for many centuries. It has the ability to provide protection against infectious invaders, promote healing and regeneration of tissue, and provides a superior source of energy and stamina. It has been used as ointments for healing cuts and wounds and shown to have outstanding value for a wide variety of illnesses. It is also used as a natural alternative to penicillin and other antibiotics. It is said to be particularly safe and effective and inhibits the resistance-building effect that is a negative factor with prescription antibiotics. In the former Eastern Bloc countries, antibiotics have never been widely available, but beekeeping is widely practised. To help prevent many diseases, hospitals and clinics recommended washing, gargling or irrigating the sinuses with propolis rinses, as well as taking propolis internally. This bee product is certainly a good weapon against bacteria when used topically. It can clearly prevent infections, and can also help heal infections that have already begun.

Do you know that now even toothpastes contain natural ingredients related to honey bees. Propolis has become a healthy alternative to synthetic brands of toothpastes as it is especially useful in mouth and gum disorders. Our mouth is one of the most sensitive spots of our body. This is the place where the synesthesia of senses starts and the food we visualize develops its full smell and taste. The mouth is the starting point of the food digestion. A healthy mouth cavity is certainly one of the elements contributing to the appetite and good mood in general. If the mouth develops sore spots, thrush or gum disease, it causes the whole system to disrupt, resulting in pain and tormenting feeling. Published clinical research demonstrates that propolis fights bacteria, prevents tooth decay, enhances oral hygiene, heals bleeding gums, and prevents gums receding. Manufacturers of propolis toothpastes and mouth sprays claim that their products leave teeth clean, gums feeling healthy, taste great without artificial ingredients, and produce no negative side effects. The salesperson at a honey shop which I often frequent explained that propolis toothpaste are very suitable for young children's use as even if it's accidentally swallowed, it's extremely safe. Such products are easily applied, and have increasingly become part of the everyday dental hygiene of people who are especially interested in natural remedies. My latest discovery while shopping for honey products : propolis extract now even comes in the form of sprays and candies. The spray claims that it is effective against flu, cuts, burns, gum and mouth infections, throat discomforsts and intestinal discomfort, while the candy is sold as a good therapeutic substitute to the traditional throat lozenges and an aid to curing flu, colds, throat discomfort, cough and bad breath.

Note of Caution: Propolis is generally non-toxic, though allergic reactions such as skin rashes, swelling, redness, eczema or fever have been reported. As the effects of propolis during pregnancy and breast-feeding have not been sufficiently evaluated, women should not use it during these times unless directed to do so by a physician.

5 Reasons Why Propolis Could Be the Next Wonder Drug

Best Summary by Lela Iskandar

Bees have been in this planet for nearly 100 million, churning out important health foods like honey and royal jelly. Although honey is perhaps the most famous bee product of interest to human beings, beehives also contain propolis, another unknown little substance that humans have used for thousands of years. Recently, there have been interests by the public in this substance after several studies link propolis to curing terminal diseases like cancer.

Propolis is actually a resinous like substance that originates from trees and plants. Also known as bee glue, it is collected by bees to patch the hives, much like what we do with cement in our homes.

The only difference is the substance not only holds the hives together, but also actually keeps the whole bee colony sterilized from bacteria and viruses. Scientists believe that propolis acts as bee medicine and is a vital element in keeping a huge colony from any possible contamination or disease outbreak due to it's antiviral properties.

The big question is, can it help human as it has helped bees? In many cases, there are only anecdotal evidences that propolis works as claimed. Still, in some fields it shows genuine promise as another potential wonder drug.

1. As a potential cure for cancer

Research done on the use of propolis in cancer treatment has so far been encouraging. A study published by the Cancer Research has stated that propolis appears to prevent or act against malignant tissues in guinea pigs.

Done by scientist at Mansoura University in Egypt, the study showed that the administration of propolis on rats had effectively inhibit the tumor growth by decreasing the viability, DNA and protein level of tumor cells.

Another similar study done in University of Zagreb, in Croatia also showed that propolis significantly reduced subcutaneous tumor growth and increased the survival time of mice. Led by Dr Nada Orsolic, the team stated that their study indicated this honeybee products could be a useful tool in controlling tumor growth.

They added: "The intake of honey-bee products may be advantageous with respect to cancer and metastasis (secondary cancers) prevention". Thus "further animal and clinical research utilizing these substances is suggested."

2. Reducing antibiotic doses

Even drug companies now confess that yesterday's "miracle antibiotics" are losing their effectiveness. Many disease bacteria are now resistant to antibiotics, and other germs are gaining immunity faster each day. As a result, a huge number of patients worldwide are suffering from drug-resistant diseases. This is another field where propolis could come into the picture.

It could be administered with antibiotics to increase the drug's effectiveness.

Australian scientists, E.L Ghisalberti of the Department of Organic Chemistry at the University of Western Australia showed that bee propolis increases the effectiveness of penicillin or other antibiotics from 10 to 100 folds.

The good news is, unlike antibiotics, propolis does not kill friendly bacteria, but it keeps the body in a balanced state instead.

3. Effective for Dental Care

Ever heard of propolis-based toothpaste by Colgate? It's not actually a new development.

Propolis has actually been used widely in dental surgery as a form of safe and natural dental wash. It is used in the dental room since propolis mouthwash used after an oral surgery appears to shorten patient healing time. It also helps to treat gum infection and plague.

A study done in 1991 had also showed that rats that drank propolis solution as their drinking water had less caries compared to other rats.

4. Propolis enhances the body's immunity

In Poland, researchers have found out that the non-toxic propolis could stimulate human immune system.

Headed by Professor S. Scheller of Institute for Microbiology at the Medical Academy, the study concluded that propolis may be used to improve intellectual, physical and sexual performance and is believed to be able to heal injured tissue.

5. Improving general well-being

Propolis is rich in flavonoids, a special substance that have many biological effects in animal systems but have so far received relatively little attention from pharmacologists.

Test tube studies have found propolis to be active against a variety of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and protozoans.

Apart from the benefits above, propolis has also been shown to be potentially beneficial in treating high blood pressure, infertility, protecting the liver and bowels. Whether taken in the form of capsules, cream or liquid, propolis have, under the scrutiny of modern science, more than justified the claims made for them by herbalists and folk healers.

Although many of the cures sounds like exaggerations, laboratories around the world have continued to break down the intricate mysteries of propolis. Many perhaps remain to be discovered but so far the results have been very promising. In the last couple of decades, this ancient remedy for infected wounds has been "rediscovered" by the medical profession, particularly where conventional modern therapeutic agents are failing.

A paper by K. Lund Aagaard, a scientist working on the study of propolis on more than 50,000 people in Scandinavia, concluded that propolis benefit to human is so vast.

He said, "The field of influence of propolis is extremely broad. It includes cancer, infection of the urinary tract, swelling of the throat, gout, open wounds, sinus congestion, colds, influenza, bronchitis, gastritis, diseases of the ears, periodontal disease, intestinal infections, ulcers, eczema, eruptions, pneumonia, arthritis, lung disease, stomach virus, headaches, Parkinson's disease, bile infections, sclerosis, circulation deficiencies, warts, conjunctivitis and hoarseness."

Propolis and Bee Pollen Processing

By Micheal Thomas

The bees are truly amazing creatures. All of the bee products they produce have valuable contributions to human health. Propolis and bee pollen processing are just two of the amazing bee supplements that are very important for human consumption.

What is bee propolis?

Propolis is the sticky resin which seeps from the buds of certain trees. The bees gather this and use it to line the interior of brood cells in preparation for the hive Queen's laying of eggs. The bee propolis has rich antiseptic, antibiotic, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. It is frequently used as a cancer treatment, curing of urinary tract infections, open wounds, sinus congestion, and in many other diseases caused by fungi, bacterias, or viruses.

Bee pollen, on the other hand, contains all the essential nutrients needed by our body, ranging from the essential vitamins to minerals to the complete amino acids to proteins to enzymes and coenzymes and so much more. It also has unique antibiotic properties for viral and bacterial disease prevention, antihistamine properties for allergy treatments, and antioxidant properties to combat and prevent any development of life-threatening diseases.

The pollen collection all starts when a honeybee leaves the hive in search for nectar and pollen for the colony's food. Pollens are the male reproductive units of flowering plants which bees gather together with the flowers' nectars for the colony's food. As the honeybees fly from flower to flower, their hairy bodies pick up various pollen grains. Flowers benefit a lot from this pollen collecting process of bees because they are able to reproduce successfully.

The attached pollens on the bees' bodies are carefully brushed off by the bee's legs when they are in flight. Honeybees add something special to these pollen grains that make them sticky enough to be hammered into the "pollen baskets" of the bees' hind legs, these pollens are now the ones we know as pollens from the bee. Honeybees carry these pollens back to the hive. Beekeepers attach pollen catching devices on the entrance of each hive allowing some pollen to drop off from the bees' legs.

This particular pollen has everything man needs for survival and longevity. The nutrients are vital factors in keeping one's body youthful by maintaining the different systems' proper functionality, increasing one's energy, restoring balance in metabolism, preventing life threatening diseases as well as aiding cell regeneration, and total body nourishment and so much more.

Increasing your life span considerably is now made possible by high grade bee products which are manufactured by freeze drying in order to maintain the intact potency of the pollen.

The cleanest and purest propolis and pollen processing only happens in the country of New Zealand where there is no visible industries, dense human population, nor the use of commercially sprayed insecticides, pesticides, and fertilizers.

The pollution and population can cause harmful effects on the propolis and bee processing because the heavy metals, chemicals, toxins, and other impurities brought by these elements affect the way bees manufacture and process their bee products. The bee supplements which are collected and manufactured in countries other than New Zealand cannot provide human beings with their expected health benefits.

Propolis Extract

What is Propolis extract?
Summary from any sources

Propolis has been used since ancient times in folk medicine. Research studies indicate that Propolis, a flavonoid-rich product of honey comb, exhibits antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and is a potent antioxidant. Laboratory studies also show that propolis has anti-tumor effects.

Propolis is a resinous substance gathered by the bees from the leaf buds or the bark of certain trees and bushes. The bees then use the propolis as cement that lines the walks of the hive in which they prepare honey pollen royal jelly
Bee products including propolis, royal jelly, and bee pollen are popular, traditional health foods. We compared antioxidant effects among water and ethanol extracts of Brazilian green propolis, its main constituents, water-soluble royal jelly, and an ethanol extract of bee pollen. On the basis of the present assays, propolis is the most powerful antioxidant of the entire bee product examined, and its effect may be partly due to the various caffeic acids it contains Pollen, too, exhibited strong antioxidant effects
Nature has provided bees with this substance to keep them and their hives free of germs.

Read the best information on Propolis and Bee Propolis

Creating Health and Wealth from the Hives

Summary about Propolis and Honey by Muraina Muideen

The bee is known for its sting, but this creature can also produce substances that have been used by man for both medicinal purposes as well as a source of economic gain. It also serves as delicious foods for many. Bees produce honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, and honey comb. The Asians have used propolis and honey to cure injuries and tumors. The Greeks used it to cure wounds and abscesses.
The religious books as well as writings from ancient Persia, the Hebrews, the Bible and the Qur'an all mention propolis and honey.
The potential of bee keeping is great and the technology should be disseminated. Such strong potentials for this agricultural activity are essentially due to the various uses of the products of beekeeping which includes uses of honey and other bee hives products in various ways.
Honey is used as a sugar substitute in cooking, cereals, drinks and beverages. It is a preferable sweetener especially for diabetics’ patients. it is used as a sweetening base for pharmaceutical products. it is used on its own as medicine for various ailments, burns and wound dressing and general stomach problems. It also has several uses in the cosmetics industry.
It is used in the adhesives, textiles and cosmetics industries. It is sometimes used in dental work as temporary tooth filler. It is used as a raw material in making chewing gum.
Lastly, integration of beekeeping practice into the schedule of farmers will be a very rewarding endeavor. Maintenance of an apiary by a farmer can give up to 30% yield increases from improved crop pollination by the bees, thus guaranteeing an overall increased income at no further production input cost.
And if you like it, be a beekeeper because the human being survival depends on them. The bees have an essential role in pollination, the multiplication of the floral species and the development of the cultivation. Without pollen there is no fruit, without bees there is no pollination.

Bee Propolis: Synergisitc Health Care for the 21st Centruy

Executive summary about Bee Propolis by James Fearnley

For well over a century modern science has progressed at a startling rate. With this increase in knowledge has come medicinal and healthcare benefits that have seen ages peak and diseases eradicated. These medical advances were based around the paradigm of the “magic bullet”, isolating the active ingredient and using it to alter the chemistry of a single molecule/protein to elicit a change of state in the patient. Success however has turned to obsession as cracks appear in the armoury of disease fighting drugs at our disposal. MRSA is rifling through our hospitals as antibiotics become ineffective and severe side effects of modern drugs are becoming common place now years after their introduction. A direct consequence of a one dimensional strategy, it is maybe the time to acknowledge the synergistic health benefits of natural medicine.

Propolis is a unique natural medicine because of its breadth of action. It has antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and immunomodulatory effects, it could help treat asthma, allergies, arthritis and joint disorders, eczema and dermatitis, ME, viral infections including HIV and even cancer. This medicine could help treat an illness or keep you fit and healthy.

Propolis: Defender of the City

Propolis is a mainly resinous substance that bees collect from trees and plants. Being made up of waxes, resins, fatty acids and even amino acids. Aristotle reputedly coined the name Propolis meaning “defender of the city”. This is exactly what Propolis is for the hive, it acts as a bee population’s external immune system keeping the hive sterile and free of microbial invaders

Evidence Based Medicine

In the following paragraphs I will describe to you the pharmacological properties of Propolis. All the properties and actions of Propolis have been witnessed and detailed in scientific studies which have subsequently been published in journals. The bulk of these scientific studies have been performed in vitro (i.e. in a test tube) or in vivo (i.e. in a host animal for example rats), a much smaller proportion of these studies are clinical trials tested on humans.

Propolis: A natural antibiotic

Propolis is probably best known for its antibiotic properties. Even as early as 1960 French1 research demonstrated the bacteriostatic action on Bacillus subtilis, Proteus vulgaris and Bacillus alvei. A 1997 study by Calder et al. at the University of Oxford concurred with these results and found that the cinnaminic acids and flavanoids present in Propolis in particular show bacteriocidal action. This action believed to be as a consequence of Propolis uncoupling the bacterial energy respiratory chain. Interestingly this action may be involved in a synergistic action with antibiotics when used together, boosting the effectiveness of the drugs.

Anti-Viral and immuno-stimulatory

Viruses present a unique dilemma in the quest for good health, they are not affected by antibiotics and mutate so frequently that vaccines are hard to produce. They also cause illness by hijacking cells and using the cells machinery to replicate. Modern drugs aim to slow or stop the virus from the replicating and subsequently because they are attacking host cell machinery they have certain side effects. Viruses perhaps pose the greatest threat to humans’ health, we are currently in the middle of a HIV pandemic with “39.4 million” people infected world wide. With a Flu pandemic overdue and certainly on its way and predictions of world wide casualties and chaos, a solution is needed.

The bioflavanoids in propolis have a unique approach to combating Viruses, instead of trying to combat them once they have infected a cell, they lock the virus in its protein coat. This means that the dangerous machinery and DNA/RNA of the virus is nullified and the infection stopped.
Propolis has been shown to be more effective than the pharmaceutical anti-viral acyclovir in treating genital Herpes in a clinical trial conducted in the Ukraine4 and there is growing evidence that Propolis could help treat people with HIV5.

Propolis also works hard as an immunomodulator which is of interest for all of us. It does this by altering the way cytokine production and release is managed. Cytokines are the chemical messengers that allow immune system cells to communicate. By altering the cytokine system, it primes the immune system to be ready to react to antigens quickly and effectively.

As well as this, bioflavanoids within Propolis stimulate the production of interferon which can help people recover from ME, stimulating their immune system.

Anti-inflammatory and anti-allergen

A survey of Propolis consumers showed that arthritis was the health problem that Propolis was used to treat the most. This is because of the potent anti-inflammatory properties of the propolis constituents in particular CAPE (Caffeic acid Phenyl ester), CAPE has been shown to suppress T cell activation. A paper by Marquez et al in 20046 evaluated this to mean that since T-cells play a key role in the onset of several inflammatory diseases, CAPE is important because the this phenolic compound is a potent inhibitor of early and late events in T-cell receptor-mediated T-cell activation. Results like this have led other researchers to propose that CAPE is a worthwhile agent for reducing the severity of conditions associated with inflammation.

Many of the experiments performed on CAPE were done so in vitro, however the anti-inflammatory properties of Propolis have been documented in rats when treating rat adjuvant arthritis. A paper by Park et al in 19997 concluding that the ethanolic extract of propolis had profound anti-inflammatory effects on both chronic and acute arthritic inflammations. These anti-inflammation properties extend to other illness and disorders such as asthma and allergies reducing both smooth muscle airway contraction8 and allergic responses. Any disorder or illness related to inflammation could be helped by Propolis.

Anti-tumour/cancer

Propolis and CAPE have been shown to reduce the size of tumours and to selectively destroy and to curb the proliferation of malignant cells of many different types of cancer. As recently as June 10th 2005 Cancer researchers have been given a grant of a million dollars to investigate the therapeutic value of Propolis for cancer. Costas Koumenis the lead investigator for the study was quoted as saying, “a very interesting property of these compounds is that they have been shown to cause cell death in tumor cells but not in normal cells." This study along with other current studies promises to propel Propolis into the limelight in the field of cancer treatment.

Current Propolis Research in the UK

BVR (BeeVital Research) recently won a major government Research and Development Award, part of a £250,000 research programme looking at the chemical, biological and clinical properties of propolis.

These studies will focus on the:

1. Documenting the regional variances in chemical and biological properties, by HPLS, GC-MS and NMR. (Taking place at Univeristy of Strathclyde)

2. Futher investigating the role of Propolis in the Hive (University of Gloucester)

3. Dental trials – looking at effectiveness of Propolis for Mouth Ulcers, Pericorinitis, Gingivitis and Sensitive Teeth. (Manchester University Dental school)

4. HIV/AIDS trials – looking at the effectiveness of Propolis with anti-virals in Zambia and Tanzania

5. The effects of standardised propolis on mood, stress, fatigue and cognition at the Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit at University of Newcastle.

6. To evaluate the use of local and non – local propolis for wound healing and the treatment of skin and other dermatological problems. ( The Regional Teaching Hospital for University of Dar es Salaam)

How to use/find propolis products?

A large range of propolis products are available on the market ranging from tablets, capsules, tinctures and liquids to specialist products for skin care – soap, lip balm, creams and oral health care – toothpaste, mouthwash , lozenges and tooth and gum liquid.
Traditionally these have been available through health food stores but are increasingly available in independent pharmacies.

Choosing the best products is not always easy. Current regulations means manufacturers cannot make any kind of medical claim for products that have not been licensed as medicines despite the fact that there is a sound evidence basis for such claims. Part of the reason for this is that no single body is responsible for ensuring that product offered for sale actually are what they say they are.

For this reason the BVR (BeeVital Research) programme is targeted at developing full medicines licenses for some key products. In the meantime BVR have formulated a number of products for the health food market based on their research. Consumers, when purchasing products should look for those products produced by companies who can back up their products by good manufacturing practice (pharmaceutical standard manufacturing ) and research.
References:

(1)Lavie, P. (1960). Annals Abeille, 3: 103-201

(2)Anti-Bacterial properties of propolis. Grange, J. M., Davey, R. W. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 83: 160-1 (1990)

(3)Anti-microbial action of propolis and some of its components: The effect on growth membrane potential and motility of bacteria. Mirzoeva, O. K., Grishanin, r. n., Calder, p. c. microbial – res, 152: 239-246 (1997)

(4)A comparative multi-centre study of the efficacy of propolis, acyclovir and placebo in the treatment of genital herpes (HSV). Vynograd, N.; Vynograd, I.; Sosnowski, Z. Institute of Epidemiology, Lvov State Medical University, Lvov, Ukraine. Phytomedicine (2000), 7(1), 1-6. CODEN: PYTOEY ISSN: 0944-7113.

(5)Current lead natural products for the chemotherapy of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. De Clercq, Erik. Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Louvain, Belg. Medicinal Research Reviews (2000), 20(5), 323-349. CODEN: MRREDD ISSN: 0198-6325

(6)Caffeic acid phenethyl ester inhibits T-cell activation by Btargeting both nuclear factor of activated T-cells and NF- transcription factors. Marquez, Nieves; Sancho, Rocio; Macho, Antonio; Calzado, Marco A.; Fiebich, Bernd L.; Munoz, Eduardo. Departamento de Biologia Celular, Fisiologia e Inmunologia, Universidad de Cordoba, Facultad de Medicina, Cordoba, Spain. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (2004), 308(3), 993-1001. CODEN: JPETAB ISSN: 0022-3565.

(7)Suppressive effects of propolis in rat adjuvant arthritis. Park, Eun-Hee; Kahng, Ja-Hoon. College of Pharmacy, Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul, S. Korea. Archives of Pharmacal Research (1999), 22(6), 554-558. CODEN: APHRDQ ISSN: 0253-6269.

(8)Bulgarian propolis induces analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in mice and inhibits in vitro contraction of airway smooth muscle. Paulino, Niraldo; Dantas, Andreia Pires; Bankova, Vassya; Longhi, Daniela Taggliari; Scremin, Amarilis; Lisboa de Castro, Solange; Calixto, Joao Batista. Grupo de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento de Biofarmacos (BIOFAR), Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina, Tubarao, Brazil. Journal of Pharmacological Sciences (Tokyo, Japan) (2003), 93(3), 307-313.

Propolis - The Other Healthy Gift From Bees

Best Summary about Propolis by R Lewis

Bees really are remarkable creatures. Apart from providing a vital role in much of our food supply through their help with pollination, they also provide us with wonderful natural, healthy bee products.

When you think of bees, most people immediately think of honey.

Honey has been making a come back in recent times for its naturally healthy qualities. Supported by a growing amount of research, this has been particularly led by the unique healing properties, supported by proper research, found in some batches of New Zealand's manuka honey.

There is another bee product, that the bees use themselves, which makes a great natural remedy - propolis.

Propolis is a resin type substance, produced mainly from bees collecting tree sap, mixed with some pollen. It has antibiotic properties due to its content of biologically active flavonoids.

So like many natural products, not all propolis is the same. What the bees feed on in each area can affect the potency of the propolis the produce.

According to Wikipedia (as at 17/12/07) "Natural medicine practitioners often utilize propolis for the relief of various conditions, including inflammations, viral diseases, ulcers, superficial burns or scalds". Its natural anti-fungal properties are also useful for fighting fungal infections, including athletes foot.

It is an old beekeepers trick to use a piece of propolis in the mouth as a remedy for a sore throat. This is now one of the common uses propolis products are aimed at, the winter ills such as sore throats, coughs and colds. You can of course now get a rather more pleasant tasting honey and propolis lozenge to help with your sore throat.

Some people who are sensitive to bee products do need to take care, as it may cause allergic reactions in them.

Like many natural remedies, much of the evidence supporting it is still anecdotal. But with a growing number of research studies underway around the world, scientists are gaining a better understanding of propolis.

One of the difficulties in getting good scientific evidence for a natural remedy such as porpolis is again the fact they naturally vary in composition and potency. Not being produced to a set standard in a laboratory creates obstacles to getting consistent results.

To make a step towards alleviating this, and having a standard for measuring potency, New Zealand's leading health bee products company Comvita has come up with a test and standard for their New Zealand propolis tinctures and extracts. Comvita's 'PFL' standard is a measure of Propolis Flavonoid Levels. They use an independent laboratory to certify each batch of propolis. This gives you information on the potency of their propolis products.