Propolis—bee glue

Today I ordered a small bottle of propolis. . . bee glue.  On Feb. 28, which was “Rare Disease Day” I found a podcast about rare diseases which featured a bee keeper, formerly of Wall Street. https://harperspero.com/podcast-notes/carlystein

Her passion for the power of the bees originated from a personal medical issue she faced while traveling in Italy. After discovering the incredible healing properties of bee propolis while abroad, she set out on a mission to share the wonders from the hive and educate people on the integral role the bees play in our ecosystem.

So that aroused my curiosity and I began researching propolis, bee glue, which bees use to repair and protect their hives.

According to WebMD:  “Propolis is a resin-like material made by bees from the buds of poplar and cone-bearing trees. Propolis is rarely available in its pure form. It is usually obtained from beehives and contains bee products. Bees use propolis to build their hives.
Propolis is used for canker sores and infections caused by bacteria (including tuberculosis and upper respiratory tract infections), by viruses (including HIV, H1N1 "swine" flu, and the common cold), by fungus, and by single-celled organisms called protozoans. Propolis is also used for cancer of the nose and throat; for treating warts; and for treating gastrointestinal (GI) problems including Helicobacter pylori infection in peptic ulcer disease.
People sometimes apply propolis directly to the skin for wound cleansing, genital herpes, cold sores (herpes labialis), vaginal swelling (vaginitis), and minor burns. Propolis is also used topically as a mouth rinse to treat painful mouth sores and inflammation (oral mucositis) and thrush (oropharyngeal candidiasis) and to improve healing following oral surgery.
In manufacturing, propolis is used as an ingredient in cosmetics.”

I went to several stores that carry supplements, health foods, etc., and although I did find the spray, I didn’t find the capsules, so I ordered them on line.  Sounds like a wonder drug, and from the two research/medical articles I read, it’s different and useful for a variety of things based on the geographic area, just like honey.

This one has an emphasis on propolis from India, but covers all countries.  Lots of references. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3872021/

“Propolis is a natural resinous mixture produced by honey bees from substances collected from parts of plants, buds, and exudates. Due to its waxy nature and mechanical properties, bees use propolis in the construction and repair of their hives for sealing openings and cracks and smoothing out the internal walls and as a protective barrier against external invaders like snakes, lizards, and so forth, or against weathering threats like wind and rain. Bees gather propolis from different plants, in the temperate climate zone mainly from poplar. Current antimicrobial applications of propolis include formulations for cold syndrome (upper respiratory tract infections, common cold, and flu-like infections), wound healing, treatment of burns, acne, herpes simplex and genitalis, and neurodermatitis. Worldwide propolis has a tremendous popularity, but in India the studies over propolis have just started, not extensively reported except few regions of India like Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Gujrat, and Madhya Pradesh.”

This one is very long and detailed with chemical analysis: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4461776/

The one caution most sites mention is that some people have allergic reactions to honey and propolis.

https://saveourbones.com/the-overall-and-bone-health-benefits-of-caffeic-acid/

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is one of the main medicinal components of propolis. Propolis is a naturopathic formulation collected by honeybees from buds and exudates of conifer trees and plants. It is used by the bees as a protective barrier in the hive. CAPE in breast cancer research.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3144783/

Use of CAPE in dental diseases. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6381107/

Anti-viral properties of CAPE https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4665029/

Anti-microbial https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4927136/

Cognitive improvement elderly http://www.propolisscience.org/propolis-and-cancer/brazilian-green-propolis-prevents-cognitive-decline-into-mild-cognitive-impairment-in-elderly-people-living-at-high-altitude/   refers to article in Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 63(2) 551-560, April 2018

Anti-cancer affects of propolis  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.2042-7158.2011.01331.x#.WvHN9e5RMoU