Honey, propolis & co.

Apitherapy: how medicine from the beehive works

Bee products such as honey, as well as their venom and the air in the beehive, help to alleviate health problems.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/C. Schuessler)

The use of products from buzzing insects has a long tradition. How honey, propolis, bee venom and even hive air can be used specifically to alleviate health problems.

Apitherapy ("Apis" is the Latin word for bee) is used by doctors to prevent and alleviate illnesses. At a conference of the Austrian Society for Apitherapy (ÖGA) in January this year, experts reported on the possible applications of the various bee products.

Honey eliminates germs 
Due to its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, people have long used honey to disinfect wounds and fight infections. The effect is due to various factors. For example, water is removed from the germs or an acidic environment is created in which bacteria cannot multiply.

Depending on the variety, honey also contains special enzymes that bees add through their saliva. These accelerate biochemical metabolic processes and thus help to get rid of bacteria.

It is not household honey, but the sterile medicinal variety that has shown good results under expert supervision in parallel with conventional treatment. However, the classic warm tea with honey provides relief for colds and digestive problems.

Beehive air for the respiratory tract
In a beehive, there is a special vapor mixture made up of pollen, propolis, resins, honey, essential oils and wax, among other things. Due to its immune-strengthening and anti-inflammatory effect, this air can be used primarily in the treatment of respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis and allergies, as well as chronic headaches and nasal and sinus inflammation.

A special apitherapy station allows the air to be sucked in and passed through a tube to an inhalation mask. There is no contact with bees.

History of apitherapy

• Apitherapy (Latin "Apis" = bee) refers to the use of bee products such as honey, bee venom, propolis, pollen, royal jelly or beehive air to prevent and alleviate health problems. This tradition is very old.
• Indians were already using honey and propolis to heal wounds 6000 years ago.
• Early traces of these applications can also be traced back to ancient China and the empire of the pharaohs. Ancient Egyptian writings 4000 years ago clearly explained the use of apitherapy.
• Over 2500 years ago, the Greek physician and teacher Hippocrates also used bee products such as honey, propolis and bee venom for therapeutic purposes.
• Today, apitherapy is widespread in Asia, South and Central America and Eastern Europe and is now also experiencing a renaissance in the "West".
• Further information: Austrian Society for Apitherapy (ÖGA)

Propolis - the natural antibiotic
Propolis is making a comeback. The raw material for the rubbery, sticky, resinous material is mainly supplied by poplars, willows, chestnuts, firs, spruces and larches. The bees mix the resin with wax and pollen and make it pliable with saliva secretions. It is used as a building material to seal gaps and cracks and to disinfect the hive.

Propolis is considered to be the oldest antibiotic in the world and is effective against bacteria, viruses and fungal infections. Studies have shown that its use can be quite effective for skin inflammations or to support the immune system.

As around 90 percent of the ingredients are not soluble in water, propolis is traditionally used in an alcoholic solution. According to ÖGA, there is now a relatively complex method that enables the production of an alcohol-free propolis solution using special laboratory equipment. This makes the application accessible to a wider target group, especially people who have to avoid alcohol.

The venom helps against rheumatic conditions 
Bee venom is a mixture of various substances with impressive properties. It has an anti-inflammatory effect, has been proven to stimulate the body's own cortisone production in humans and is used worldwide in the treatment of rheumatic diseases such as arthritis, sciatica and more. Apitherapy may only be used after an allergy test and under medical supervision.

Bees do not have to die in the process. For therapeutic purposes, the venom is usually extracted in such a way that the insects sting through a thin membrane and the stinger can then be pulled out again.