Propolis VS Bee Pollen
Many of us are already familiar with the numerous health benefits of bee pollen. Bee pollen contains most vitamins and minerals needed by the human body to sustain life, as well as proteins (in the form of amino acids), fatty acids, sugars, enzymes, trace elements, and other nutrients that we need on a daily basis. Regularly eating raw bee pollen granules in no way should prevent you from sticking to an otherwise healthy diet, but as a food supplement, bee pollen can be invaluable.
Bee pollen is not the only product found in beehives that can benefit your health. Another bee product is “propolis”: a resinous mixture that honey bees collect from various botanical sources such as sap flows and tree buds. Bees use propolis as a sealant for open spaces in their hives, generally for very small gaps 6 millimeters or less in width. (Larger gaps are plugged with beeswax.) At room temperature, propolis is sticky; at colder temperatures, it is hard and brittle.
Bees are thought to derive numerous benefits from propolis: it reinforces the structural stability of their hives, reduces vibrations, makes the hive more defensible, prevents parasites from entering the hives, and other uses. Because bees collect propolis from a variety of sources, the chemical content of the substance varies from region to region.
Propolis
Bee Pollen
Generally, it is 55 percent resins and balms (primarily flavonoids), 30 percent waxes and fatty acids, 10 percent essential oils, and 5 percent bee pollen (proteins). Propolis also contains an array of trace elements.
Propolis is primarily beneficial to humans as an antibiotic. The bioflavonoids present in propolis enhance the effectiveness of Vitamin C, stimulate enzyme formation, and strengthen the body’s immune system, thus enhancing our resistance to disease. Numerous scientific studies have shown that propolis is effective in combating the bacteria that cause tuberculosis, pneumonia, salmonellosis, influenza, herpes, and other diseases and ailments. Propolis has also been shown to be effective as an antifungal agent.
Propolis has been shown to work against bacteria by preventing bacterial cell division, and by breaking down bacteria walls and cytoplasm. This is how many prescription antibiotics work. However, propolis differs from prescription antibiotics in many crucial ways. Because it is a natural substance, propolis can be taken on a daily basis as part of a preventative health care regimen. There are no known side effects or adverse reactions, and the body cannot build up resistance to propolis, as it can to prescription drugs. Propolis does not imperil the body’s “good” bacteria. And propolis has been found to work against viruses and fungus as well as bacteria, while prescription antibiotics work against bacteria alone.
Propolis has been shown to have various other health benefits as well. Propolis cream can be applied to second-degree burns, helping the burn to heal and reducing inflammation of the skin. The results from applying propolis to burns are comparable to the results of applying prescribed creams. Some studies have found propolis to be helpful in treating inflammatory bowel problems and ulceration colitis. Mouthwash containing propolis has been shown to shorten healing time following oral surgery; propolis can also be used as a subsidiary treatment for gum infections. Additional studies have suggested that propolis can increase fertility, protect liver functions against alcohol abuse and tetrachloride, prevent the formation of precancerous tissues in the colon, and more.
The best way to eat propolis is in its raw state; chewing raw propolis and washing it down with some water can also relieve a sore throat. Some people mix propolis with alcohol. The taste is strong and bitter.
Because propolis and bee pollen have different uses and different benefits — propolis primarily being an antibiotic, and bee pollen having a range of benefits — you can consume both on a regular basis without overlapping benefits. There are several capsules on the market that contain a combination of bee pollen, propolis, and sometimes other bee products such as royal jelly and even plain honey. The capsules are easier to consume than the raw products, but be aware that, in the process of encapsulation, some of the effectiveness of bee pollen can be lost. The best way to consume bee pollen is by eating raw granules.
