The Buzz on the Next Big Botanical

The honeybee is the world’s most popular insect. According to the USDA, one-third of our food directly or indirectly depends on honeybee pollination. Throughout history apiculture has provided medicine as well as food: beekeepers were often the longest-lived individuals in local villages.

Today, rising threats of drug-resistant bacterial/fungal infections, epidemic respiratory diseases, and resurgent 19^th century killers* have forced the pharmaceutical industry to reconsider “silver bullet” approaches. Basic oral antibiotics are useless against some childhood ear infections, rendering them once again dangerous enough to cause permanent deafness.  Alternative approaches are the Heavy Artillery—expensive intravenous drugs previously utilized only in hospitals, or the Special Forces—botanical products with numerous active ingredients and variable compositions. 

Within the Special Forces, bee propolis is among the elite. Yes, the product is difficult to manufacture, even harder to market, and a bloody nightmare to chemically characterize. Let’s just deal with that because propolis has a huge future in the natural products industry, and someday you might owe your life to it.

Bees are phytochemical experts. Bees have already done worldwide scientific research and development for us—concentrating plant materials that provide exceptional nutritional and medicinal benefits. To make propolis, worker bees collect resins exuded from the leaf buds and bark of certain trees and mix them with a little wax, honey,and enzymes.  Propolis sterilizes the hive, inhibiting the spread of bacteria, viruses,and fungi that are significant threats in such humid, close quarters.

Over 180 phytochemicals in propolis are known to have biological activity in mammals. Propolis inhibits growth of bacteria that cause diptheria, pneumonia, boils, strep throat, dysentary, scarlet fever, diarrhea and numerous infections: wound, skin, vaginal, urinary tract, ear, and sinus. Propolis salve and honey are the only natural treatments more effective for genital herpes than standard drug therapy (Acyclovir). Propolis mouthwash inhibits common human oral bacteria that cause halitosis, gingivitis, periodontal disease, canker sores, and tooth decay.

Unlike any other botanical, propolis is scientifically proven to treat and prevent respiratory infections and Candida yeast infections. One of my favorite supplements is propolis spray. If you feel you’re coming down with a cold, immediately slow down and rest, take 1,000 mg vitamin C, and spray your throat with propolis 5 times per day.  I guarantee you can stop that cold in its tracks! Children can use honey-propolis syrups. When traveling, especially by airplane, propolis spray/extract should be in your carry-on.  

Propolis is guerilla warfare for drug-resistant bugs--get the word out!

*Many resurgent diseases are due to exposure to unvaccinated persons via travel, immigration, vaccine refusal or ineffective vaccines in developing countries.