Propolis - bee-leive it!
When I have a few moments spare, I like to have a quick squiz on PubMed for published medical journals on propolis. Yes, I could be doing plenty of other things with my time but hey.
I want to share a few highlights with you:
Propolis is antiviral. Yes I’m also talking about the virus as well as colds, flu, HIV, herpes and other viruses. This study explains how some of the 300+ compounds found in propolis can essentially inhibit viruses such as SARS-CoV-2.
Propolis has antitumour/anticancer activity. This study shows how certain compounds in propolis can inhibit the AKR1C3 enzyme overexpressed in hormone dependent prostate and breast cancers, bettering outcomes in patients who take it. And this study backs that up, also highlighting its use in reducing the side effects of chemo and radiotherapy.
Propolis heals wounds in the mouth. This study investigated the effectiveness of using propolis in the mouth after teeth extractions from periodontal disease. After 3 days, 90% of patients had completely healed, compared to the control group where only 13.4% healed.
That should get you started on becoming a propolis BEEleiver for now! I’ll add more as I find them :-)