What is propolis for and how to use it correctly?

Propolis is a medicinal substance produced by bees. It is increasingly being used to treat many diseases.

Content:

• Propolis - what is it?
• The beneficial effect of propolis
• Contraindications to the use of propolis
• Water and alcohol tinctures of propolis
• Preparation of ointments
• The use of drugs from propolis
• How to check the quality of propolis?

Propolis - what is it?

There is no unambiguous description of propolis. Its color range ranges from yellow to brown. May have shades of a different color. Its composition depends on the place where the "raw material" was collected, the ecological state of the environment. If insects collected it in the forest, garden, away from sources of industrial waste, it contains a large amount of useful substances. But if the hive was located close to large enterprises, highways, harmful substances may appear in it. In addition, its quality is directly influenced by the actions of bees, the residence time and the location of propolis in the hive.

The smell is pleasant, resinous. The consistency changes during storage.

At first, propolis is soft. Over time, it thickens. In the cold, this waste product of bees hardens, and when it gets warmer, it gets soaked. An integral part of propolis is wax.

It is combined with useful resins, aromatic oils, tannins. It contains amino acids, vitamins of groups A, B, E. It serves as a source of most of the chemical elements necessary for the body.

The beneficial effect of propolis

Propolis helps to get rid of a large number of diseases. It helps to strengthen the immune system so that the body can protect itself in the future. How does propolis use these substances and how is it valuable for humans?

It has a number of positive properties:

• It kills foreign cells and removes them from the body.
• A valuable feature of propolis is that it does not kill beneficial microorganisms inside the intestines. It does not contribute to the development of dysbiosis, which leads to antibiotics.
• Propolis helps antibiotics fight disease. Therefore, doctors recommend combining antibiotic treatment and propolis.
• The combination of all these elements and substances helps the body fight inflammatory processes, suppress viruses and bacteria. This makes it possible to use propolis for the healing of complex wounds, ulcers, hemorrhoids. It is used to combat influenza, ARVI, sore throat, herpes.
• Helps the substance to heal depression.
• Respiratory tract diseases (asthma, bronchitis) and even tuberculosis are treated with propolis.
• The drug kills disease-causing fungi.
• Strengthens the walls of blood vessels, cartilage, connective tissues.
• Propolis has antioxidant and antitumor effects.
• The phagocytes present in it devour foreign cells, contributing to intoxication. It is used in case of poisoning to reduce the number of destroyed cells that poison the body.
• There are known examples of the successful use of propolis in gynecology, dentistry, and the treatment of eye diseases.
• It helps to restore the skin, removes germs, inflammation.

Store propolis in a dry place, away from sunlight. The temperature should not exceed 25 degrees. Strongly smelling products, pesticides, fertilizers should not be stored nearby.
If stored properly, propolis retains its beneficial properties for a long time.

Contraindications to the use of propolis

Despite the many positive properties, propolis is not a panacea for the treatment of all patients from all diseases. It is a beekeeping product. And up to 6% of people are congenital allergic to them. Therefore, people who are sensitive to bee stings should not use it as a medicine.

There are other contraindications for taking propolis. You can not use it for people who have allergic reactions to various irritants, including hay fever (allergy to plant pollen). You cannot treat tumors with propolis.

Carefully you need to apply propolis to patients with cholelithiasis, pancreatitis, diabetes mellitus.

And the rest of the patients should not get carried away with taking large doses of propolis. After all, its effect on the body has not yet been fully studied. First you need to see a doctor. Only he can determine whether propolis treatment is necessary, what doses can be used. If the attending physician allowed or approved the decision to be treated with propolis, then you need to decide on the appropriate form of admission.

Propolis is used in the form:

• Water tincture.
• Alcohol tincture.
• Balm.
• Ointments.

A good effect is given by the use of tincture with bird cherry or hawthorn.

Water and alcohol tinctures of propolis

In order to prepare an aqueous solution of propolis, boil water or use distilled water. Prepare it every time before use or prepare it for several days at once.

Tincture recipe:

• To 1 liter of water add 100 g of propolis. Before mixing, it is crushed so that the dissolution process takes place as quickly as possible.
• Prepare the medicine in a glass container. Place it on a saucepan or bowl of boiling water. Stir with a wooden stick.
• Filtered. This solution is prepared one time. To leave it next time, place it in a dark bowl.
• If there is no sediment in the solution, then it can be stored in the refrigerator for 10 days. If there is - 5 days. Do not expose cookware to direct sunlight.
• Insist in a thermos throughout the day. Water temperature 50 ° С. A transparent aromatic greenish beverage is obtained.

Alcohol tincture:

• To make an alcohol solution, use 96% alcohol. To dissolve 100 g of propolis, you need to take 400 g of alcohol.
• Mix alcohol and thinly sliced ​​propolis in a dark jar, close tightly, leave for 2 weeks. If there is no dark jar, paste over it with paper, hide it in a bag or wrap it with a thick cloth.
• Shake occasionally. After completion of the procedure, it is filtered.
• Storage temperature should not exceed 23 ° C.

Take a few drops. If used externally, dilute with water. Treat colds, apply externally, to treat wounds. If the alcoholic infusion needs to be prepared quickly, pour the propolis into the water in the right proportion. Heat to 40 ° C in a water bath. Stir periodically.

If the propolis is not completely dissolved, the residue is weighed after filtration. Subtract from the total amount of propolis. Determine the amount of dissolved substance. Thus, you can determine the percentage of the prepared infusion. If it turns out to be very strong, dilute with distilled water.

Preparation of ointments

Soften propolis by pouring a little alcohol into it and leaving it for 12 hours. Vaseline is added so that the total weight is 100 g. Vaseline is placed in a metal enamel bowl, heated over a fire. Then they are cooled. Cooked propolis is added. Warm up again to 70 degrees, stirring for 10 minutes. Filter a couple of times. Using cheesecloth folded in several layers.

The resulting ointment can be used for several years.

Store unopened for several years in a cool, dark place. Wounds are treated and used to cleanse the skin of the face.

When preparing propolis milk, take ordinary milk and pour it into an enamel bowl. Bring to a boil, cool. Immerse propolis (up to 70 g per 1 liter of milk). Stir with a wooden spoon for at least 10 minutes. It is not recommended to use a mixer or other mechanical devices. Filter through cheesecloth. The color of the resulting ointment is brown, the taste is slightly bitter. When it cools, a layer of wax forms on top, which must be removed before use.

The use of drugs from propolis

It is necessary to take and use drugs from propolis carefully so as not to bring harm to the body instead of benefit. To check if there is an allergy to propolis, you can take a small piece of the substance and lubricate the mucous membrane with it. If there is no redness, itching, or swelling, you can take medications. The safest is the ointment. But it also needs to be applied in a thin layer no more than 3 times a day.

It is necessary to take alcohol tincture only if its strength does not exceed 75%.

Therefore, it is better to dilute it with water so as not to burn the esophagus. It is better to take the medicine half an hour before meals, mixing a tablespoon of the drug with 25 drops of water. The number of receptions per day is 3 times. Alcohol solution is used to rinse the throat, gums, teeth. The strength of the composition should not exceed 10%. Thus, you can remove a toothache.

For those who are not going to take propolis inside, but want to alleviate the condition after a dislocation or injury, you can simply knead it in your hands until it is soft and apply it to the sore spot.
If propolis preparations are used for prophylaxis, then the dose should be reduced by 2 times.

How to check the quality of propolis?

Only high-quality propolis brings benefits. Certain difficulties in purchasing may arise due to the fact that propolis is subject to voluntary certification. Therefore the seller is not obliged to present it at the request of the buyers.

How to evaluate the quality of propolis:

1. Evaluate it by its appearance. But this can only be done by a person who has already dealt with propolis. You need to look at the slice of the piece. It should not have a large number of inclusions, bee corpses, crumbs. Propolis has a persistent pleasant smell, but you also need to know it.
2. It is advisable to chew on a small piece of the substance. After 20 strokes, the propolis will soften and begin to stick to the teeth and gums. If after 5-10 minutes a slight burning sensation and numbness (anesthesia) begins to be felt, then propolis is real. In half an hour, strong bitterness will be felt. If numbness and burning begins to be felt after 100 chews, then propolis is of poor quality.
3. In order not to chew propolis, you can check its quality by dipping it into water. If it immediately goes to the bottom, then this is not wax, which is offered by unscrupulous sellers, but high-quality propolis. It is much heavier than wax.

More information can be found in the video: