Bees make more than honey. They also make gunk called propolis. And this “bee glue” is a powerful health balm. In fact, studies show it has anti-cancer properties.

I swear by propolis to treat throat infections and phlegm. It works all the time for my entire family. It takes away my sore throat so effectively any time I feel a tickle and why one of the primary health benefits of propolis stated by long term users is as a cold and flu tonic!

Whenever anyone in the family is down with a throat infection, all I have to do is to prepare a Manuka honey UMF 10+ drink (1 teaspoon) and drip in 3-4 drops of propolis from the dropperful into the drink and serve this powerful concoction to the one who’s down with a strep throat two to three times in a day. Within three days of gulping down this concoction, healing will be seen.

Propolis works effectively to bring down tooth ache and sore gums. My mum and relatives swear by this.

Below is my precious stash of bee propolis that I bought from New Zealand last year.   One is propolis throat spray and the other is propolis extract. The latter is the potent one.

Propolis throat spray will be handy when we are on the go.   For long haul flights, I put a bottle of propolis throat spray in my handbag. The soothing eucalyptus and mint flavor freshens up my breath besides keeping a throat infection at bay.

Propolis (Pro-before, Polis-city = defense of the city), is the resinous substance that bees gather from the leaf buds of trees and certain vegetables.

The bee gathers this and transforms it in order to disinfect the beehive, seal cracks, build panels, as well as using it as a microbiocidal agent, disinfectant and also for embalming intruders otherwise difficult to expel due to their size.

Propolis, thus, is directly responsible for guaranteeing the asepsis of the beehives, locations prone to developing viruses and bacteria, given their conditions of temperature and humidity.

Dr. Seema Patel of the Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics Research Center, San Diego State University conducted a comprehensive review of the literature on propolis and cancer. Dr. Patel found laboratory and animal studies supporting propolis efficacy against cancers of the:

Brain
Pancreas
Head and neck
Kidney and bladder
Skin
Prostate
Breast
Colon
Liver
Blood
Propolis contains as many as 300 active compounds. These components were found to fight cancer in a variety of ways including:

Preventing the growth of new blood vessels to feed cancer cells (anti-angiogenesis)
Preventing the spread or metastasis of cancer from one organ to another
Halting cancer cell division
Inducing apoptosis or programmed cell death

Health Benefits Of Propolis

1. Propolis Kills Bacteria
One study investigated the anti-bacterial capabilities of bee propolis in the mouth and more specifically with regards to root canals.

The researchers compared propolis with calcium hydroxide, which apparently is a very effective anti-microbial, and found that it is significantly more powerful than the calcium at eliminating certain germs.

Propolis has traditionally been used to kill colds and flu so this study clearly shows that it has powerful bacteria killing properties throughout the body.

2. Propolis Lowers Blood Pressure

3. Propolis Helps Treat Bone Diseases

4. Propolis Boosts Prostate Cancer Cell Death
Scientists examined the cancer killing effects of propolis tincture on two common types of prostate cancer in the lab.

They concluded that propolis tincture markedly improved cell death in prostate cancer cells and suggested the significant role of propolis in chemoprevention of prostate cancer.

5. Propolis Kills Colon Cancer Cells
The scientists then tested propolis against colon cancer cells. They found that it caused the cancer cells to die by necrosis, which means that it interrupted the blood supply to the cell and caused just the local cancer cells to die and NOT healthy, living cells.

6. Propolis May Help Treat Food Poisoning

7. Propolis Protects Injured Teeth

8. Propolis an Effective Treatment for Warts

Warning:

If you have an allergy to honey or bees, you will also have a reaction to products containing propolis. Propolis may also cause its own allergic reaction when used for a long period of time. Talk to your doctor before adding propolis to your treatment plan, especially if you have existing allergies or asthma.