Propolis is a natural substance that bees produce. The medicinal properties of the product have been known since ancient times. It is used in various branches of medicine: from the treatment of skin diseases to the treatment of pathologies of internal organs.
What is propolis?
Bee glue is a plastic substance used by bees to seal cracks in their hives. This is a natural remedy that is not inferior in efficiency to other beekeeping products (honey, perge, pickling, jelly). Low content of propolis is observed in zavrus and zabrusny honey.
Glue turns out as a result of mixing of the substance received from leaves of trees, vegetable juice, pollen of flowers, own saliva. As a result, a plastic substance is formed, having a black color, which has a therapeutic effect on the human body.
Bees produce most of the glue in the summer season, thus preparing for winter. This can be explained by the unique antibacterial properties of the product. After sealing the cracks in the hives, the bees thereby disinfect the air, which maintains purity and sterility throughout the cold period.
As part of the beekeeping product, there are many substances and compounds with unique properties:
- terpenic acids that have antifungal effects;
- flavonoids that have antimicrobial and regenerating effects;
- organic acids that prevent the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms and eliminate pain symptoms;
- resins, oils, waxes, tannins - components that have antiviral effect.
Researchers have found more than 280 therapeutic elements in propolis, but only 111 of them are known to science.
Useful and healing properties of propolis
Bee glue, when compared with other beekeeping products, does not lose its beneficial properties after boiling even for a long time (1 hour or longer). In addition, it is an excellent agent with a bactericidal and bacteriostatic effect, which reduces the activity and suppresses the vital activity of pathogens (trichomonas, tubercle bacillus, viruses, etc.).
The active components of the product have a negative impact only on foreign cells, whereas such effects do not manifest themselves on their own beneficial microflora. Disruption of intestinal microflora is not observed, dysbacteriosis does not develop, as is the case, for example, with antibiotic therapy.
Another difference of the adhesive from the finished drugs is the lack of resistance to it in pathogenic microorganisms.
Propolis can be combined with anti-bacterial therapy, which only enhances the effect of the latter and ensures the normalization of its own intestinal microflora. In this case, the risk of dysbacteriosis on the background of antibiotic therapy is reduced.
The product is involved in enhancing the protective function of the body, that is, it increases the state of the immune system, contributing to the rapid recovery and prevention of the penetration of viruses and bacteria into the body.
In addition, the following medicinal properties of bee products can be distinguished:
- anti-toxic (product used for poisoning);
- painkiller (used for burns, dental diseases, in ophthalmology);
- anti-infarction and anti-stroke (used in cardiology to reduce the formation of scarring on the heart muscle);
- regenerating (prescribed in the treatment of skin diseases, with frostbite of the skin, burns, for the healing of postoperative suture, postakinetic scars);
- firming (used in vascular pathologies to strengthen the capillaries);
- absorbable (used in the treatment of abscesses and suppurations, seals);
- normalizing hematopoietic function (prescribed for coagulopathy);
- antipruritic (propolis can be used for skin diseases with itching);
- restorative (effective will be the product of beekeeping in ophthalmology to restore the transparency of the lens during cataract);
- antitumor and antioxidant (used in the treatment of tumors, including in the internal organs);
- normalizes the endocrine system (propolis is often used as a substitute for prednisolone);
- regenerating cell membranes of internal organs (propolis will be effective in the treatment of liver pathologies).
Propolis is actively used in the treatment of chronic constipation, colitis, gastritis, and other gastrointestinal diseases. However, self-medication is not recommended, since the active ingredients often cause an allergic reaction.
How to make honey with propolis
Most people buy ready-made drugs at the pharmacy. However, it is more useful and more effective the tool that is prepared by yourself from natural ingredients.
Since the product of beekeeping does not lose its beneficial properties even after boiling, it can be melted, made decoctions based on it, frozen.
To prepare the drug, you can use the following recipe:
- A piece of glue is placed in the freezer and held until hardened. This facilitates its further grinding.
- They take about 40-50 g of propolis, honey in a volume of 200-300 g. This ratio will be enough to prepare a medicine. To reduce or increase the content of propolis in honey, the ingredients measure proportionally.
- Propolis is crushed, for example, rubbed on a grater, mixed with honey in an enamel or glass dish.
- Put the container on a weak fire or water bath, stand up to the dissolution of propolis.
After removal from the heat, the medium is immediately filtered. Pour the finished medicine in bottles or jars, stored in a cool place.
Propolis candles
Prepare suppositories (vaginal and oral) on their own is easy. It is enough to have on hand the necessary ingredients:
Pumpkin oil (150 ml), propolis infusion 10% (30 ml), tea tree oil (10 ml): heat pumpkin oil and propolis infusion until the alcohol component is completely evaporated, gradually stirring, pour in tea tree oil, remove from heat, cool ( liquid candles injected with a syringe).- Dry powdered propolis (50 g), sea buckthorn oil (250 g): the components are mixed, heated in a water bath, cooled, formed suppositories.
- Alcoholic infusion of bee glue (50 ml), cocoa butter (80 g), honey (15 g): the ingredients are mixed, heated in a water bath, used for its intended purpose, previously formed a candle.
- The flowers of celandine are crushed (20 g), lard (150 g), water extract of propolis (50 g): the ingredients are mixed, heated in a water bath, filtered through gauze (3 layers), formed into candles or filled with special molds with a prepared tool.
- Butter (200 g), extracts of belladonna (50 g), water suspension of propolis (40 ml): the ingredients are mixed, heated in a water bath, cooled, used in liquid form, introducing a syringe.
Pumpkin oil (150 ml), propolis infusion 10% (30 ml), tea tree oil (10 ml): heat pumpkin oil and propolis infusion until the alcohol component is completely evaporated, gradually stirring, pour in tea tree oil, remove from heat, cool ( liquid candles injected with a syringe).Strengthens the effectiveness of candles on the basis of propolis honey. Such a product of beekeeping helps to speed up the healing of tissues (if integrity is compromised), moisten them, and eliminate pathogens. The ingredients are mixed, heated in a water bath, cooled and used for its intended purpose.
Propolis ointment
Prepare 10%, 20%, 30% ointment based on bee glue. The percentage is affected by the concentration of propolis used in the preparation of the drug. For example, if arthritis develops, hemorrhoids, rhinitis, use the minimum concentration of the drug - 10%. For the treatment of purulent wounds, furunculosis, burns and frostbite apply 20% ointment. The drug with 30% active ingredient is prescribed for severe conditions.
The standard version of the preparation of propolis ointment is to mix bee glue with a fatty substance (butter, animal fat, petroleum jelly). For the preparation of 10% ointment, 10 g of glue is required, 20% - 20 g, 30% - 30 g. The mixture is placed in a water bath, heated to a uniform consistency. After cooling the medium is filtered.
You can make propolis ointment by adding herbs (chamomile, sage, St. John's wort, thyme), wax, sea buckthorn and olive oil.
Water Propolis Extract
To prepare the infusion, only 2 ingredients are required: bee glue and water. Propolis is pre-frozen, then crushed to a powder. Next, the product is mixed with water in the ratio of 20 g of adhesive per 100 g of liquid.
The resulting mixture is heated in a water bath for one hour. The finished product should acquire a rich brown color. After it is filtered and used for its intended purpose.
Propolis tincture on alcohol
Alcoholic infusion based on propolis used in the treatment of diseases can have different concentrations: from 5 to 40%. Based on the percentage, it is possible to judge the severity of the therapeutic effect: the higher it is, the more effective the infusion. However, abuse of high concentrations is not recommended. Otherwise, irritation may occur.
Prepare alcohol infusion as follows:
- put in a fridge 20 g of bee glue, freeze;
- grind the product into small pieces (preferably with a fine grater);
- pour propolis into the bottle, pour alcohol (7%) in a volume of 100 ml;
- To insist means 10 days, occasionally shaking.
After the specified time, the infusion is filtered, sent to storage in a cool place protected from ultraviolet rays.
To prepare 5% product, the proportions of the ingredients taken are as follows: 95 ml of alcohol per 5 g of propolis; 10% - 90 ml of alcohol per 10 g of propolis; 20% - 80 ml of alcohol per 20 g of propolis.
Is it possible to chew propolis
Of course, propolis is allowed to chew, and, moreover, even children. But how to do it right? At the beginning of chewing the product is very hard, so you can only dissolve or knead with your teeth, until it becomes softer. As resorption beneficial substances get into the body with saliva.
It is allowed to use for chewing glue in pure form. The treatment of such pathologies as angina and tonsillitis will be especially effective. In such cases, 3-5 g of glue per day is sufficient. The duration of chewing 1 g on average is 5 minutes.
Since wax is present in the bee product (in a volume of about 30%), it is not recommended to ingest bee glue. This can be explained by the fact that the substance is not digested by the body.
Contraindications to the use of propolis
The only absolute contraindication to treatment with propolis is the presence of individual intolerance to its components. If we neglect such, you can cause an allergic reaction in the form of a skin rash, itching, burning. In severe cases, anaphylactic shock develops, and in case of untimely first aid, death occurs.
If a person has hypersensitivity to honey, it is likely that it is also present on other bee products, including bee glue. It is not recommended to use the tool for people suffering from asthma, allergic dermatitis and rhinitis.
Propolis is a unique natural product, which in most cases is not inferior in efficiency to many ready-made preparations. Therefore, it is used in the treatment of gynecological, gastrointestinal, ophthalmic, skin and other diseases. However, before using bee glue, it is recommended to consult a doctor in order to avoid dangerous consequences.
