Honeybee Propolis

Propolis is the resinous substance which bees collect from plants to use as glue. The bees seal holes and cracks in their home, in a man-made hive they use it to stick the frames in place and the boxes together. When a beekeeper opens up a hive to inspect it, sometimes it can require quite an effort. The bees do a great job of strengthening and draft excluding, the bond is sometimes so strong that the wood will split rather than the 'glued' joint..

It varies enormously depending on the type on plant which produced it. Often it is very sticky, almost like putty, other times it's quite hard and brittle, allowing it to be clipped or scraped off and collected.

It is often marketed by health food stores as a traditional medicine, and for its claimed beneficial effect on human health. Natural medicine practitioners sometimes use a tincture for the relief of various conditions, including inflammations, viral diseases, ulcers, superficial burns or scalds.

It is also believed to promote heart health and reduce the chances of cataracts. Old beekeepers recommend a piece of it kept in the mouth as a remedy for a sore throat. Lozenges and tinctures can be bought in many countries. Though claims have been made for its use in treating allergies, it may cause severe allergic reactions if the user is sensitive to bees or bee products.

Some of these claims are being clinically investigated and several studies are published in the biomedical literature. Since the chemical composition of 'bee-glue' varies depending on season, bee species and geographic location, caution must be applied in extrapolating results.

Depending upon its composition, it may show powerful local antibiotic and antifungal properties, and studies indicate that it may be effective in treating skin burns. It also exhibits immunomodulatory effects and is a subject of recent dentistry research, since there is some evidence that propolis may actively protect against caries and other forms of oral disease, due to its antimicrobial properties. It can also be used to treat canker sores, and its use in canal debridement for endodontic procedures has been explored in Brazil.

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