Here at Hikiän we care about the welfare and well-being of our bees. We care about the quality and purity of the honey we sell, and we care about our valued clients spread across the globe.
At the moment, October 2020, the world is being reshaped by the consequences of a global pandemic created by the COVID-19 and there is a great deal of fear and uncertainty in society.
Sadly, while ‘big pharma’ continues its quest for a vaccine that will protect us against the virus, the internet has become rife with a multitude of spurious products which claim to either cure you if you catch the coronavirus, or they will protect you from catching it. Regrettably, virtually all these products are fake, and the businesses run by fraudsters intent on making money out of people’s desperation to feel safe against the fatal virus.
For this reason, here at Hikiän we wish to make it clear that we are making no definitive claims as to the efficacy of propolis as a protection against or treatment for the COVID-19 coronavirus.
However, if you Google “Propolis and COVID-19”, unlike so many other supposed ‘remedies’, you will not find page after page of people trying to sell you propolis. Instead, you will find numerous scientific articles, written by researchers, on the potential benefits of propolis when it comes to finding a natural combatant against the coronavirus.
Note that we use the term ‘combatant, not the word ‘cure’. There is an old saying – “Prevention is better than cure” and where COVID-19 is concerned, it would seem that the after effects of the virus can last for many months, so anything to help you improve your immune system has to be a benefit, and propolis has the potential to do just that.
This should come as no great surprise if you know anything about the history of propolis. It has been used for medicinal purposes from as far back as the time of Ancient Egypt. Its properties have been well documented as an anti-inflammatory, an antiseptic, as a booster for your immune system and, of greatest importance today, its antiviral properties.
Researches backing up the effects of propolis
The Wiley online library has a research document detailing the efficacy of propolis against other SARs viruses and identified positive results from the flavonoid quercetin, which is found in propolis. There is a fascinating paper in the US National Library of Medicine on propolis and COVID-19, and the effects of propolis as an antiviral.
To quote from the paper: “Propolis is defined as a balsamic and resinous product composed of a mixture of different plant parts and molecules secreted by bees [10]. Importantly, propolis is used by humans since ancient times for its medicinal properties [11]. As a natural compound with proven pharmacological and pharmaceutical properties, propolis has actually a wide application, with antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, antiparasitic, antitumor, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective properties [10,12]. Thus, these different therapeutic effects of propolis justify its potential for the development of products for use in human and animal health [10]. Concerning the use of propolis in SARS-Cov-2-infected patients, some interesting considerations must be put forward.”
InScience Direct, a paper on propolis and its potential against COVID-19 it states that: “There is considerable evidence that propolis can reduce and alleviate the symptoms of inflammatory diseases by affecting various metabolic cycles [[22], [23], [24]]. Recently, several studies have shown that propolis extract and some of its components act against several important targets in the pathophysiological context of the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2.”
Propolis is pure, totally natural product
While there is no definitive proof of the benefits of propolis against the COVID-19, there is considerable focus placed on it.
However, compared to the way big pharma has to approach possible vaccines against the disease, propolis has one massive advantage. It does not have to undergo clinical trials to prove its safety.It is not a man-made substance. It is bee-made and is a totally natural product.
Consequently, it is understood to be extremely safe to take (Note! Except for new-born babies and infants under 1 year). If you are wondering what the connection between propolis and bees is – bees create propolis as an antiseptic and natural guard against disease. Any small cracks in a hive are repaired with propolis, while the bees consume propolis to help maintain their health and to boost their immune system.
