Propolis

Propolis, also called natural penicillin, is a substance made by bees by taking resins from plants and mixing it with saliva, which fills the gaps in the hive to protect themselves from germs or viruses.

 

Honeybees use propolis to adjust the size of the hive's entrance, mix it with wax, and use it as a high-strength building material. It is used as a coating material mixed with beeswax to prevent spoilage after treating external intruders. It is also used to make each hexagon cell into a sterile room before the queen lays her eggs.

Propolis has long been used by humans as an antifungal agent, with records that it was used in Egypt in about 300 B.C. to prevent the decay of mummies. Donguibogam in Korea also has a record of treating chilblains and abscesses using propolis.

French doctor Remy Chauvin discovered that bees are free of bacteria and, while studying the cause in 1965, discovered that propolis was a natural antibiotic. Propolis is composed of 50% resins, 30% wax, 10% essential oil, 5% pollen, and 5% organic compounds, and contains more than 100 beneficial ingredients such as amino acids, various minerals, vitamins A, B, E, flavonoids, and antibiotics.

 

Benefits

1) Antioxidant action, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects
Propolis contains flavonoids, which activate SOD enzymes that inhibit harmful free radicals in the body, so it has excellent antioxidant properties. In Aristotle's book "Historia Animalium", propolis is recorded as suitable for skin diseases and infection-induced wound diseases.
Before the queen bee lays eggs, worker bees sterilize the beehive with propolis to create an environment so that larvae can safely hatch and grow healthy because propolis has excellent antibacterial activity. If you apply it to a wound, it prevents germs from entering the body and ward off infection. It also helps the wound heal quickly because of its excellent regenerative ability. It has anti-inflammatory effects on inflammatory diseases such as gastritis, bronchitis, and rhinitis, which is good for quickly calming and recovering inflammation.

2) Prevent cancer by strengthening immunity
The cause of cancer can usually be caused by accumulated free radicals in the body or weakened immunity. The flavonoids contained in propolis promote the production of interferon and when propolis enters the body by combining with many other ingredients, it activates metabolism and boosts autoimmunity to make cells healthy.
In a study on the efficacy of propolis, the Japanese Cancer Association reported that breast cancer was suppressed by 30% as a result of administering a diet mixed with propolis to mice suffering from breast cancer. This is because propolis acts to increase the number of white blood cells in the body or to return to the normal range in the case, as the white blood cells in the body have decreased due to the administration of anti-cancer drugs.

3) Effective against diabetes by protecting the heart and liver
Propolis is rich in rutin ingredients, which is also effective in combating heart-related diseases and diabetes.
It is well known to have excellent cardiotonic function and reinforces the cells of the heart and regulates blood sugar. Di-Ocaffecyl Quinic acid-related substances in propolis extract protect a damaged liver. Flavonoids, a functional ingredient of propolis, contain vitamin P as a central element, which expands and strengthens capillaries and is effective in cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.