All About Propolis 

From ancient Greece to 21st century cutting-edge medicine, propolis has supported both human and bee health for millennia. But what is propolis? How is propolis made? What are propolis health benefits, and where can you get propolis honey in Canada? Read on to find out!

What is bee propolis? A definition of propolis

Propolis definition says that it is “a red or brown resinous substance collected by honeybees from tree buds, used by them to fill crevices and to fix and varnish honeycombs.”

Bees tend to keep their honeycombs pretty airtight. Propolis, a sticky resin that gets very hard when it dries, comes useful to patch the holes, cracks, and crevices honeycomb frames. That is why propolis is nicknamed “bee glue.”

However, there is more to it. Researchers have confirmed that bee propolis has antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Therefore, propolis is not just a physical, but also a biochemical barrier designed to stop and kill the pathogens before they reach the hive’s precious combs. 

It is no wonder that the name “propolis” comes from two Greek words “Pro”, which means “in front of”, and “Polis”, which means “city”. Combined, they mean “in defense of the city” - quite a poetic image of a beehive.  And it is not just passive defense - the bees will wrap the intruders they eliminate in propolis resin to stop the spread of foreign microbes. That is why it has another nickname - “bee penicillin.”

How do bees make propolis?

Bees purposefully make propolis by collecting tree sap and resin from tree buds. They carry it back to the hive in pollen baskets on their legs. Then, the bees mix the resins with wax, honey, and their own enzymes.

How is Propolis Harvested?

Propolis is harvested from the beehives either by scraping it off the wooden frames or by fixing special frames with cells that increase the airflow to the hive. Bees will naturally move to patch these “holes” by using the magic “bee glue.”

The composition of propolis 

At the end of the process, the novel substance known as propolis will contain about 50% of resins, 30% of waxes, 10% of essential oils, 5% of pollen, and 5% of plant debris. Because of the variety of tree resins present at different localities, each bee colony’s propolis is unique (more on that later).

Somewhere among those percentages lurks the real worth of propolis - around 300 bioactive compounds. The majority of them are polyphenols, antioxidants that fight diseases

History of Propolis Use

The healing properties of propolis were known long before modern science entered the stage. The ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians all knew about them and used propolis extensively to promote health. Ancient Egyptians used propolis to embalm their mummies, while the great Aristotle himself is credited with coining the word “propolis”, according to some sources.

The dark Middle age in the West saw a decline in propolis use, but it survived in folk medicine and conveniently made a comeback during the Renaissance. 

After the Second World War, the advancements in science made it possible to finally prove the benefits of propolis. 

Medical conditions and health challenges that conventional pharmacology doesn’t offer solutions to keep the interest in propolis very alive to this day.

Propolis Benefits

Propolis health benefits are really stunning. The wide-range anti-microbial and anti-oxidant activity of propolis make it a great ally in fighting a number of alignments.

Propolis helps with:

• Wound healing
• Healing burns
• Speeding up the regrowth of healthy cells
• Healing cold sores (herpes)
• Healing genital herpes
• Preventing and stopping respiratory infections such as strep throat
• Gum infections and possibly tooth decay
• Healing oral mucositis after dental procedures or chemotherapy
• Getting rid of warts.
• Respiratory infection prevention and reduction
• Boosting immune function
• Ulcers
• Tuberculosis

Plenty of research support that propolis also has:

• Anti-inflammatory properties
• Anti-carcinogenic properties
• Antibacterial properties
• Antiviral properties
• Antifungal properties

https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-390/propolis

https://www.healthline.com/health/propolis-an-ancient-healer#research

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/does-it-work-can-propolis-prevent-tooth-decay-1.630719

Is propolis antiviral?

Propolis contains plenty of phenolic compounds that are well-known natural antivirals. A study has shown that propolis effect on a Herpes virus was comparable to the effect of a commercial antiviral. But, it gets even better - when researchers used them together, propolis seemed to boost the effects of antiviral drugs against the virus.

Another study investigated propolis’s influence on HIV-1 and found that it inhibited viral entry. As with Herpes antivirals, propolis also showed a synergetic additive effect on one of the two HIV-1 antivirals used in the study (zidovudine).

These studies support a large number of anecdotal claims about propolis being effective against many types of viral infections.

 

What is green propolis and how it looks like?

As said earlier, the exact properties and composition of propolis will largely depend on the woody plants available in the area. You probably know that most kinds of propolis are brown. But what is green propolis?

Green propolis is a specific kind of propolis that comes from Brazil, so it is also known as Brazilian propolis. Bees derive it from native plants, most notably the South American medicinal plant  Baccharis dracunculifolia.

Its superstar active ingredient is Artepillin C (3,5-diprenyl-4-hydroxycinnamic acid), a unique compound that shows anti-tumor activity in the studies, along with many other anti-oxidant properties. A growing body of research aimed at Artepillin C is finding it efficient against a wide range of cancers. 

Propolis uses

By processing of raw propolis in different ways, beekeepers and their associates create a variety of propolis products. Each of them has unique features and can be used to satisfy a different set of consumer’s needs.

Best way to take bee propolis

How do you take propolis? That is a common question with no single answer because there is no one best way to take propolis. It depends on your current condition and needs.

For example, the popular propolis spray is used to treat sore throat, mucositis, and mouth sores. Sprays are practically specialized for oral use; however, there are propolis products with a very wide range of uses.

Perhaps the one with the widest range is the propolis honey. 

Is there propolis in honey?

Raw unfiltered honey naturally contains a small amount of propolis. However, the concentration of propolis can be increased by adding the propolis extract to the high-quality honey, ideally a controlled setting. That is how you get propolis infused honey.

This enriched super-honey can then be used daily instead of other propolis products. It is also by far the most pleasant way to consume the daily therapeutic amounts of propolis.

One of the propolis honey benefits is that it can be used in a variety of ways - topically or internally, so it can have a far-reaching effect - from local to systemic. 

Propolis Cautions and Limitations

In general, propolis products are very safe to use - there is only one potential limitation.

Propolis side effects

The main and pretty much the only propolis side effect occurring in the studies is propolis allergy. Usually, the propolis allergy seems to be more frequent in people allergic to bee sting.

Propolis for kids

Propolis is generally considered to be very safe for children. However, it needs to be introduced gradually so a parent could catch the first signs of potential allergic reactions without them going too far. Individual sensitivities can cause issues with propolis use, so it would be best to consult your doctor before trying it. The recommended daily dose for your child’s age should never be exceeded.

Do not give honey and honey products (propolis included) to children under 1 year old because of their immature immune systems.

How to buy propolis honey?

If you want to buy propolis honey, there are several things to watch out for.

It is always best to choose raw, unfiltered, unmodified honey, especially if you are interested in getting the most out of honey’s medicinal properties. 

Special kinds of monofloral honey from medicinal plants such as Sidr honey, Black Seed honey Manuka honey can be especially valuable as food and medicine. When you add quality propolis extract, you get a true medicinal superfood - honey with propolis benefits.

Where can I buy propolis honey?

Among a wide range of highly reliable high-quality honey products, Mujeza Al-Shifa has a very special gem to offer - original, pure, raw Mountain Sidr Honey with Green Propolis. It comes with all the benefits of Green Propolis discussed above, combined with Sidr Honey’s powerful anti-inflammatory, rejuvenating, and balancing properties for a maximal synergistic effect.

You can also check it out on our Propolis honey Amazon page.