WHAT IS PROPOLIS?
Propolis is a natural resinous substance collected by honeybees from buds and trees. Propolis contains tree resin, essential oils, waxes and bioflavonoids.
Bees coat the entire inside surface of their hives with propolis, polishing it to create one of the most sterile environments known to nature. The sticky filler substance plays a vital role in both protecting the colony from invasion from outside as well as the spread of infection within.
Bee Propolis is one of Nature’s richest sources of bioflavonoids for natural defence.
Raw propolis is composed of 50-70% resins and balsams, 30-50% wax, 5-10% pollen and 10% essential oils. Propolis has a wide variety of additional elements including organic and amino acids, vitamins, minerals and most importantly bioflavonoids.
The antioxidant effects of bioflavonoids in propolis may help to maintain a healthy immune system.
HEALING QUALITIES
Stemming from the Greek ‘pro’ (before) and ‘polis’ (City) and said to have been named as such by Aristotle Alexander’s philosopher, propolis means ‘defender of the City’ because it protects the hive and its bees from bacteria and infection, whilst also providing soothing and healing qualities.
Later, the Romans furthered the commercial development of beekeeping and knowledge of propolis, with soldiers carrying it to war to heal their wounds or to use as a morale building tonic as they set out to conquer the world. The women used a propolis cream to nurture their face and bodies and help with a range of feminine health problems – they named it ‘the woman’s friend’.
In modern times, the 1990s saw a serious interest in propolis develop, when a lot of publicity started to appear regarding its benefits, with people talking about their experiences of using it to help treat a variety of health problems. Some GPs even reported how they prescribed it successfully for patients in instances where modern medicines failed to help.
Hailed as nature’s antibiotic, propolis offers an array of benefits for many ailments and is a boon to general health.
