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5 Surprising Bee Propolis Benefits

propolis benefits
Find out more about bee propolis benefits in this blog post.

These days, everyone is quick to take a pill for whatever ails them. Modern medicine is truly a gift, but it’s not always necessary for every little discomfort. Many times, you can find a solution to your minor health complaints simply by using what’s all around you in nature. After all, it’s worked for generations before, when organic herbs and compounds were the only option. There’s one natural health remedy that civilizations have been counting on for thousands of years. It’s made by bees, but it’s not honey or beeswax – it’s propolis (or bee glue). Read ahead to learn 5 surprising propolis benefits!

What is Bee Glue?

Bee propolis is a sticky resin that honeybees create by mixing their saliva with beeswax, sap, and other restorative plant substances that they collect from tree buds, flowers, and pollen. However, it’s quite different from honey. While it does have a strong adhesive effect, the appearance of raw propolis is often much darker and bound together in balls and chunks. Bees use it as a sort of glue to seal cracks and holes in their hives. But, just like honey, there are also many potential propolis benefits to us humans.

Potential Propolis Benefits to Your Health

01. Provides Support During Seasonal Challenges – If you constantly struggle with itchy eyes, nose, and throat during normal seasonal changes, adding propolis to your daily supplement routine could change your life. Propolis is loaded with all kinds of vitamins including vitamins B, C, D and E, which studies show can all help support and maintain a healthy immune response. Many natural health enthusiasts claim that it acts like a shield when they come into contact with others suffering from common infections of the respiratory tract. It’s not entirely surprising that they see it this way either, because bees use propolis as a natural antiseptic to literally protect their hives from bacteria and other microbes that try to fight their way in from the outside world!

02. Promotes Healthy Looking Skin – Because bee propolis contains flavonoids, it makes it a smart choice for fighting skin irritations and bacteria. It’s also loaded with minerals like zinc, magnesium, and calcium, which help rebuild damaged skin. It doesn’t hurt either that products containing bee propolis are known to produce a glowing appearance and leave your skin soft to the touch! That being said, the skin in the lower regions of your body can benefit too. Read our blog on how raw bee propolis may help your body naturally get rid of hemorrhoids!

03. May Temporarily Relieve Hangover Symptoms – If you’re all too familiar with the queasy, head-pounding nightmare that comes with having one too many margaritas the night before, then this propolis benefit should shoot straight to the top of your list! Because it’s loaded with antioxidants, propolis can help your body metabolize alcohol quicker (which leads to quicker relief for you!) Since water is also key when combating a hangover, we suggest you add 15 drops of a propolis extract, like this one from Gaia Herbs, to a BIG glass of water. Just drop, stir and chug. You may feel better soon.

04. May Assist in Managing Blood Pressure – Researchers are still combing through studies, but it appears that propolis may have a role in helping to maintain healthy blood pressure levels already within the normal range. Specifically, the benefit seems to be that it helps balance levels of nitric oxide in our bodies. Nitric oxide is important because it helps promote healthy expansion our blood vessels, which allows blood to move through easily. Clear open arteries and veins help defend against clots, rises in blood pressure, and a whole host of other health complications.

05. May Promote Strong, Healthy Bones – Propolis could be very beneficial for those who have a family history of bone density loss. Studies show daily use of the sticky compound has been shown to help strengthen and maintain healthy bone tissue. Now, keep in mind that one of the propolis benefits is not to build bone mass, but it may help you keep what you already have, so it’s definitely meant to be thought of as a preventative measure. It can be particularly helpful for women entering menopause, when bone mass density tends to fade.

Do you believe in the power of propolis? Tell us what you use it for below in the comments!