Beehive Botanicals

Propolis is a resin substance that is generated by a number of different varieties of trees. Most commonly, conifers ooze this substance from the buds of some trees and the bark of others. As a natural anti-inflammatory, bees are aware of its huge health benefits and use it to line the cells where the queen bee will be laying. This gives a sterile, clinical cleanliness to the cells providing safety for both the queen and her brood. Bee propolis is carried by bees in their pollen sack, until they combine it with their own wax and finish the walls of their hive.

Bee propolis shows exceptional signs as a preventative form of medicine or supplement. It is an anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, antiseptic, antifungal, and antiviral giving it more known uses than virtually any other natural supplement on the market.

Propolis has been used as a medicinal solution for many centuries but only recent research has given any validity to these uses. The best-known use is as an antibiotic. Honey was once used to soak bandages before they were administered to patients in order to prevent infection; a practice that has only fairly recently stopped. Furthermore, propolis can be used to increase the effects of chemical antibiotics, particularly useful against serious infections.

It is particularly useful as an antibiotic in the fight against pneumonia and the staphylococcus bacteria. The latter has become virtually resistant to most known chemical antibiotics making its treatment incredibly difficult. Propolis could hold the key to this problem.

Caffeic acid, found in bee propolis, is currently being studied for its potential use in the fight against colon cancer. Research has been conducted on the effectiveness of caffeic acid against colon cancer, and while the test was conducted over ten years ago the results are still informative. Rats were given caffeic acid before being subjected to cancer inducing chemicals. The rates showed no signs of developing colon cancer, proving that the caffeic acid helped them build up a resistance to the precancerous tissue.

A possibly surprising use of propolis is in the fight against flu and even the common cold. The propolis inhibits the growth of the viruses associated with these two common problems. This means that people who take a regular course of propolis supplements become much less likely to contract a cold.

The list of potential uses for propolis continues. Burn victims have been tested and shown that when compared to chemical treatment, victims using propolis found not only that infection was essentially prevented but the burns also showed much less sign of inflammation.

In conclusion, bee propolis has huge potential for helping many different ailments. Beehive Botanicals provides an unfettered resource on what is proving to be a highly beneficial natural supplement. For more information visit the website and online catalog at www.beehivebotanicals.com. As well as propolis extracts, they also stock pollen and other bee products that have a proven range of health benefits.