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 drugs 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."
It's just a matter of time its going to be used as a replacement of many of our failing drugs.
Article Source: http://www.fitnesshealtharticles.com.
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