Propolis in all its glory
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if nature provided us with an amazing gift for those scratchy winter throats? Well, she has! And in comes riding in on the wings of our most treasured bees. We know it as propolis and it has so many hidden abilities.
Propolis is actually a resin, rather than an herb, and comes from bees. It is typically a mixed resin composed of beeswax, saliva, sap, and various botanical products in the surrounding area. I use the tinctured version as it is perfect for throat sprays and other formulas. The tincture is also incredible for its use as a 1st aid and should be in everyone go-bag. Think liquid stitch but vastly better! It sticks to wet tissue and begins to “stitch” the tissue from the inside out. DO NOT use on deep puncture wounds as we never know what’s in there and it will seal quickly.
Propolis kills bacteria and is one of the main reasons why it is in our throat spray. I use it a lot in custom formulas for cold and flus too.
It lowers blood pressure too. There is an enzyme called Tyrosine hydroxylase (or TH for short) that limits that amount of nitric oxide you can produce. Without it, you’d have a heart attack. Researchers had a hunch that propolis could decrease TH and in turn, lower blood pressure. What they found was that propolis decreased TH activity in rats. As a result, they suggested that propolis may help modulate blood pressure. Turns out they were right but nature has been guiding us for centuries by way of our Native Americans =)
Propolis helps treat allergies, if you know, you know. Bee pollen has once again become very popular over the past few decades as a way to treat seasonal allergies. Come allergy season, you can add propolis to your bee pollen
Food poisoning anyone? Scientists studied the anti-bacterial properties for more than just cold and flu season. Turns out propolis inhibits the growth of Campylobacter jejuni, Enterobacter faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus, the three bugs that are commonly found in food poisoning cases.
Halloween may be over but the warts? Reported in the International Journal of Dermatology in November of 2009, scientists found that propolis shows strong activity against warts. Patients with common warts treated with propolis, a cure was achieved in 75 percent.
Propolis as 1st aid? I’ve used propolis for years whenever hiking or putzing around the gardens. It is amazing on road rash, cuts and scrapes, skin funk and infections (inside and out) and burns.
Great for animals too! Just be careful with their fur. If any of you remember my therapy dog Jax, he got a healthy dose of propolis on a regular basis. After his spine was crushed, he’d get anxiety so bad he’d hurt himself. Many a day I was gluing that poor dog back together with propolis tincture. Poured it right into the cuts and scrapes and he’d be off as fast as those front legs would carry him. Oh how I miss him…
In regards to pets, it is safe for them if they lick it but you’ll need to reapply and not let them lick their wounds. Use the cone of shame if necessary. If children decide to lick it off too? Well, I suppose they can wear the cone of shame along with the dog lol.