15 PROPERTIES OF PROPOLIS FOR HEALTH - ECONOMÍA - 2025

There are several properties of propolis for health: it reduces blood pressure, treats bone diseases, fights allergies, prevents prostate cancer, reduces stress, treats asthma, has a radioprotective effect, prevents cavities and others that follow I will explain you.

Propolis is a resinous mixture that bees produce by mixing saliva, tree buds, and other plant resources. It is used as a sealer for unwanted open spaces in the hive (about 6mm). For larger spaces, bees use wax.

However, its most notable use depends on the natural antimicrobial properties of bee propolis. As an antibiotic, its efficacy has been attested matching the scrutiny of traditional medicine.

This sticky exudate is collected by bees and, when mixed with their own wax, is used in the construction of their hives. It can be golden in color and vary between reds, browns, greens, and blacks. It all depends on the actual raw material that is used.

Health properties of propolis

1- Antibacterial action

Propolis in artificial hive. Source: Maja Dumat from Deutschland (Germany)

In a study, the antibacterial capacities of bee propolis were investigated in the mouth and more specifically with regard to the root canals.

The researchers compared propolis to calcium hydroxide, which appears to be a very effective anti-microbial, and found that it is significantly more potent than calcium in killing certain germs.

Propolis has traditionally been used to treat colds and flu, so this study clearly shows that it has powerful antibacterial properties throughout the body.

2- Reduces blood pressure

Nitric oxide is a very important substance for heart health.

The inner wall of the blood vessels uses nitric oxide as a compound that induces relaxation of smooth muscle, resulting in vasodilation (widening of the blood vessels) and a consequent increase in blood flow.

Reducing the bioavailability of nitric oxide plays an important role in the development of high blood pressure. Without it, a heart attack can occur.

There is an enzyme called tyrosine hydroxylase that limits the amount of nitric oxide that is produced.

The researchers believed that propolis might lower this enzyme and, in turn, lower blood pressure. In this way, they took a bunch of rats and fed them the so-called nitro-L-arginine methyl ester for 15 days, to produce high blood pressure.

They then fed the rats propolis for the last five days. What they discovered after conducting this experiment was that propolis decreased the activity of the enzyme in rats. As a result, they suggested that propolis can help modulate blood pressure.

If you suffer from hypertension, you may also want to consider using honey, which has been shown to lower blood pressure in studies and is safer.

This study was published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Hypertension on April 3, 2012.

3- Helps treat bone diseases

Propolis Source: Maša Sinreih in Valentina Vivod

Another of the health benefits of propolis is that it helps build and maintain healthy bone tissue.

Recently, scientists investigated whether caffeic acid phenethyl ester, a very powerful compound found in propolis, could stop or reverse osteolytic bone diseases.

Scientists found that this compound was very effective in suppressing the inflammatory compounds that cause these bone diseases, and it was even suggested that propolis could be a potential treatment for bone-loss diseases like osteoporosis.

If you suffer from loss of bone density or have a history of it in your family, you can take a daily dose of propolis.

4- Helps treat allergies

An incredible health benefit of propolis is its ability to soothe the symptoms of seasonal allergies.

The scientists gave rats propolis for two weeks and found that it significantly inhibited histamine release. Histamine is the compound in the body that makes you sneeze, which makes your eyes watery and your nose runny. Antihistamines are the leading over-the-counter allergy medications.

The scientists went on to say that their results clearly demonstrated that propolis may be effective in alleviating the symptoms of allergic rhinitis by inhibiting histamine release.

5- Stimulates cell death in prostate cancer

Propolis is used in alternative medicine to treat various diseases. Source: Tiktaalikbreeder (CC BY-SA 4.0

One of the health benefits of propolis is that it prevents and suppresses the development of this type of cancer (at least in one test tube).

Scientists examined the effects of propolis tincture on two common types of prostate cancer in the laboratory.

They concluded that propolis tincture stimulated cell death in prostate cancer cells and suggested a significant role for propolis in cancer chemoprevention.

6- Reduces the development of cells in colon cancer

Scientists conducted an investigation in order to verify the antibacterial and anticancer properties of propolis. First, four different pathogens were exposed to the action of propolis. Propolis showed very strong antimicrobial activity.

So the scientists tested the action of propolis against colon cancer cells. The results showed that the cancer cells died from necrosis, which means that the propolis interrupts the blood supply to the cell causing the cells to die without affecting healthy cells.

Chemotherapy does the opposite as it kills both living, healthy cells and cancer cells and is the reason why chemotherapy has such violent and devastating side effects.

Ultimately, this research is very promising. Some of the oldest peoples in the world have experienced the health benefits of propolis and other apiary products for generations. This new research may be indicative of why these people live long, healthy lives and have such high centennial rates among them.

7- Helps treat food poisoning

The health benefits of propolis also include treating food poisoning among dozens of other conditions, for which it is very effective.

The aim of a recent study was to analyze the antimicrobial activity of propolis against the germs that cause what is commonly known as "food poisoning."

The scientists found that propolis inhibited the growth of C. jejuni, Enterobacter faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus, the three strains commonly found in cases of food poisoning.

Propolis preparations could be used to support traditional therapy for infection, especially when antibiotics show no activity against these microorganisms.

8- Reduces heat stress and improves sports performance

Propolis in the form of spheres. Source: Epukas

One of the reasons for the health benefits of propolis is due to its high supply of antioxidants.

Research has discovered how helpful these antioxidants can be for athletes. These compounds may be able to protect athletes from overheating according to an article published in the Journal of Food Science.

An active ingredient in propolis known as phenethyl caffeic acid ester, or CAPE, has a broad spectrum of biological activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties.

Heat stress is considered to be the main factor underlying the early fatigue and dehydration seen during prolonged exercise in high temperatures.

The researchers examined the blood of 30 competitive cyclists who participated in endurance training two to four years prior to the research.

The lead researcher stated in the study's conclusion that CAPE (one of the powerful compounds in propolis) alone could promote athletic performance.

9- Effectively treat warts

As reported in the International Journal of Dermatology in November 2009, scientists found that propolis shows strong activity against warts.

In a double-blind, randomized, 3-month trial, 135 patients with different types of warts received oral propolis, echinacea, or a placebo.

In patients with common warts and treated with propolis, approximately 73% of patients were cured. These results were significantly better than those associated with echinacea or placebo treatment.

10- Helps treat asthma

Propolis in a natural hive. Source: LeahLhey (CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Propolis has a good reputation for having beneficial effects in asthma patients. However, the mechanism is not clearly understood and what the scientists observed was the effect of a compound called CAPE (caffeic acid phenethyl ester).

CAPE is the most widely studied component in propolis and has shown great results in many other studies of conditions ranging from inflammation to athletic performance.

The scientists concluded that propolis (more specifically the CAPE in propolis) inhibits the inflammatory and immune response that asthmatics often experience.

It was said that this study provides new insight into the mechanism of action of CAPE in the immune response and the rationale for propolis in the treatment of asthma and other allergic diseases.

11- It has a radioprotective effect

In one study, one of the many health benefits of bee propolis was evaluated as being its protective effect in mice exposed to a single dose of radiation.

The mice were treated with quercetin or propolis each day for three consecutive days, either before or after being exposed to gamma irradiation.

The scientists found that mice that received propolis before exposure were less sensitive to irradiation than those that received propolis or quercetin after exposure. Therefore, it is a good idea to take bee propolis every morning before you start using your cell phone or microwave.

We are all exposed to radiation on a daily basis now, due to the countless cell phone and satellite signals all around us.

12- Prevents dental cavities

Greek and Roman physicians used propolis as an oral disinfectant. Current research has shown that it can be highly effective in treating periodontitis and gingivitis.

Various investigations have also found that propolis extracts fight bacterial plaque and prevent the development of dental cavities.

Other research shows that propolis can even help in the regeneration process of dental pulp, as well as in the formation of bone and cartilage tissue.

13- It is used to treat parasitosis

Structure of propolis. Source: Chixoy (CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Preliminary trials show that propolis can kill parasites. In a study, the effects of taking propolis in a population infected with giardiasis were analyzed and surprising results were obtained, since the parasite was eliminated in more than 50% of the population.

14- Inhibits pancreatic cancer cells

As reported in the Journal of Natural Products on July 2, 2009, a group of scientists discovered that propolis was able to inhibit human pancreatic cancer cells under conditions deprived of food.

The scientists discovered that a particular compound in propolis exhibited the most potent cytotoxicity in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Which means the more compounds that were used and the longer the cancer cells were exposed, the better the results they got.

Another compound in propolis was also found to induce similar apoptosis (programmed cell death). In essence, bee propolis induces cancer cells to "self-destruct."

Of the dozens of health benefits of propolis, this particular ability may simply be the most surprising as, of all cancers, pancreatic cancer has very low survival rates. It is very difficult to treat, and standard chemotherapy treatments are not effective in most cases.

15- It has antifungal action

Kovalik and colleagues investigated 12 patients who suffered from chronic sinusitis, caused by Candida albicans. The fungus was found to be sensitive to propolis in 10 of the cases. The patients were treated with a mixture of alcohol and propolis oil. After 1-2 treatments with propolis, there was an improvement in the condition of the patients.

After 5-8 treatments, clinical recovery occurred in nine patients and improvement in the other three. All of them fully achieved recovery after 10-17 days.