You may be wondering what propolis is – it almost sounds more like an ailment itself than a natural product capable of a multitude of homeopathic remedies. Propolis is perhaps best described as a ‘by-product’ of the natural production of honey, though in actual fact it is an important constituent used by bees in the production of honey. Propolis is tree sap which has added apine enzymes from bee saliva and is used by them to make repairs to minor cracks in bee hives that do not require filling with beeswax itself.

Propolis can vary in its overall constituents depending on where the bees live and the time of year, but in general terms propolis comprises over 300 natural compounds, including amino acids, coumarins, phenolic aldehydes, polyphenols, sequiterpene quinines and steroids. Raw propolis comprises roughly 50% resins, 30% waxes, 10% essential oils, 5% pollen and 5% a variety of other organic compounds. Here in Finland, and in particular where we harvest our Hikiä honey, the tree sap usually comes from pine and spruce trees.

While you may be new to the discovery of the health benefits of propolis, the benefits themselves have been known for many thousands of years; documentation around the time of Aristotle in 350BC makes mention of the healing properties of the substance, while propolis was also used by Egyptians as part of the mummification process.

Remarkable health benefits

• Helps combat tumours and cancer – you may be very surprised to learn that there are currently over 300 independent studies into the effects of propolis on tumours and cancers. Research is beginning to reveal that propolis may have the ability to inhibit DNA synthesis in tumour cells, while it has also been shown that propolis has strong antioxidant characteristics.
• Excellent for treating candida infections –candida albicans is a yeast-like fungus and is often found in the mouth, intestinal tract and vagina, and research carried out in 2011 revealed that propolis had the highest antifungal properties of all bee products, showing effectiveness on over 40 different strains of fungus, including candida albicans.
• Stops the reproduction of herpes – the herpes simplex virus comes in two forms – HSV-1 is usually the cause of mouth sores, also known cold sores, while HSV-2 is more commonly associated with genital herpes. Propolis has been clinically proven to stop the simplex herpes virus from reproducing, which helps to back up why so many natural lip balms for cold sores contain propolis.
• Helps treat the common cold – two sets of trials were performed. One on children showed that the use of propolis reduced the number of colds suffered by children during a normal ‘cold season’, while the study involving adults revealed that cold symptoms, and especially an associated sore throat, subsided two-and-a-half times quicker when propolis was taken.
• May be able to increase fertility – a controlled trial looked at the effects of propolis supplements on women who were suffering with infertility and mild endometriosis. Research revealed that taking bee propolis at a dose of 500 milligrams, twice daily for six months, produced a substantially increased pregnancy rate of 60 percent, compared to only 20 percent in the placebo group.

Here at Hikiän we strongly believe in the curative powers of propolis, but we are also keen to point out that a number of you can be allergic to bee products. In addition, we do not recommend our propolis over any traditional medicines, and nor do we recommend self-treatment or self-diagnosis. If you have any existing health problems you should immediately consult a physician.

If you are cautious by nature, then by all means discuss our propolis with a health practitioner and we are confident that you will receive encouraging advice, so you can buy our 100% natural propolis extract with total confidence.

‍