Let it Bee: The Amazing Benefits of Propolis

by Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta

Propolis is a substance some refer to it as “bee glue” or “bee penicillin”. It lines the inside of beehives and coats the hive entrance, as well as the honeycomb. Its purpose is to inhibit growth of bacteria and fungus that thrive in warm, humid areas; as well as potential pathogens that can come from hive invaders such as snakes, mice and lizards. It’s made by bees from resins gathered from tree sap and leaf buds. The collected resins are then mixed with wax, honey and enzymes produced by their stomachs—resulting in propolis.

Serving an important purpose for bees, propolis also provides exceptional benefits for human health, with properties including wound healing, anti-inflammatory, circulation stimulator, immune booster, antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-allergy and antifungal. Propolis has also been shown in studies at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to be effective in killing cancer cells, leaving healthy cells intact.

It’s a safe home remedy that can be used to treat food poisoning, manage blood pressure and remove warts. It also helps in growth and maintenance of healthy bones. While propolis can be found in a large variety of products in most health food stores, the quality and potency of propolis can vary greatly when products are compared. Propolis from the mountains and forests of the Anatolia region exhibits a much greater antioxidant capacity than propolis from other regions, and sometimes as much as 80 times greater than pomegranate juice.

This is primarily due to the region being a habitat for more than 10,000 native plants; two-thirds of all species native to the European continent. Bee & You offers products containing propolis to consumers. They work exclusively with contract beekeepers in Anatolia that maintain over 150,000 beehives in order to harvest the raw honey that contains the propolis, royal jelly and bee pollen used in their products. As part of a daily nutritional and immuno-boosting regimen, Bee & You recommends adults use 20 to 80 drops of propolis tincture; and 10 to 40 drops for children.

Bee & You also offers a natural mix of propolis and royal jelly blended in raw honey and raw honey spreads, as well as a throat spray for sore throat, mouth and gums, a nasal spray for allergies and supplements for immune support and increased energy. Bee & You also offers a number of products specially formulated for babies and children.

Because Bee & You honey is raw—unpasteurized, unfiltered and unprocessed—it’s bioactive, meaning the health benefits are preserved. Products are also fair trade, kosher certified, have no added sugar and are 100 percent natural—from the beehives to the kitchen table.

Bee & You products are available at over 3,000 CVS stores nationwide, as well as online at Amazon.com. To purchase products or for more information, visit Bee-And-You.com.