PROPOLIS: THE HEALTHIEST OF BEES
When bees make honey, they produce something extra healthy: propolis. Propolis is a sticky substance that the bees themselves use to keep bacteria, fungi and other threats to their health out of the hive. Without really realising it themselves, their method of production creates a very healthy good that has all kinds of benefits for humans too. The ancient Greeks realised this thousands of years ago and used it for wound care. Read all you need to know about it here!
What exactly is propolis and how is it made?
Propolis is a mix of several things: bee saliva, beeswax and what sticks to the bees' legs when they return from certain trees. Which trees those are depends on the region where the bees are and the season. Because propolis is very sticky and thick, it is also called 'bee glue'. The bees themselves use it that way too; they use it to seal holes in their hive. This is how they protect the bee colony from unwanted intruders. These can be weather conditions such as rain, wind and cold. Predators and parasites are also much harder to get into the hive this way. And if they do get in and the intruder dies there, propolis is their salvation.
After all, an oversized carcass can never get the small bees out of the hive. To prevent it from rotting and causing disease, they wrap it in propolis until it is packed airtight. But propolis is also a bonus for the bees' health. It is a good fighter of fungi and bacteria, for example.
The healthy substances in propolis
Propolis consists of dozens of substances, including essential oils and flavonoids, a type of antioxidants that can support health. These are also found in fruit and vegetables and green tea such as matcha tea. Supplements containing propolis are mainly used to support the immune system and reduce intestinal problems. Because humans can also rely on the same anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and fungicidal properties. For that reason, you can use it very well to treat wounds such as burns. It even seems to stimulate the production of collagen, which comes in handy when you want a wound to heal faster. A cold sore also appears to leave faster when you treat it with propolis.
Actually, propolis is a good healer for everything you send it to. It not only fights infections on your skin, but it also does all sorts of things inside your body. If you suffer from a throat infection or your teeth, it can counteract these. Besides, it can be good to use propolis preventively to handle a healthy mouth and throat. The benefits of this bee product for your health go much further. Studies are currently being done on its effects on impactful conditions such as diabetes, dementia and Parkinson's. Propolis even seems to have potential to fight cancer.
This is how to use propolis extract
Propolis can be bought as capsules and as propolis extract. As for the propolis capsules, we recommend taking a course of these if you want to strengthen your immune system. Use them every day for a month. You will also find a pure extract of French propolis in our shop. You can use these drops continuously for a week to a month to boost your health. You can also use this liquid externally - exactly what the ancient Greeks did long ago!
More tips for a better immune system
Propolis is a great natural way to work on your immune system. Want to make an improvement in that area? Then there are other things you can do and take. Mushrooms like the Reishi and Cordyceps mushrooms, for instance, are super healthy. Besides eating healthy and supplementing your diet with helpful supplements, there are a few more tactics you can employ. For instance, sleeping well, relaxing and unwinding is very important for your immune system. In this article, we give you all kinds of tips: Always sick: this is what you can do to boost your resistance.
