The very same poison that can kill so many people can also be used to treat a host of diseases, among them arthritis, multiple sclerosis, PMS, bursitis, hypertension, asthma, tendonitis and eczema. Bee venom contains about 30 active compounds nearly impossible to duplicate synthetically. Some of the main ingredients of interest are peptides, such as mellitin, apamin, peptide 401, adolapin and protease inhibitors.
One way to treat disease is by consuming the venom mixed with honey. Another way is with bee-sting therapy, which is exactly what it sounds like.
Charles Mraz, perhaps the most reknowned and respected apitherapist practitioner in the United States, is recognized as a pioneer in the area. Mraz wondered if there was anything to the bee sting nonsense he'd heard about in folklore. The arthritis in his knees made it nearly impossible for him to get his heavy workload completed, so he gave it a try. The effects were so spectacular he went on to conduct apitherapy until his death at 94.
Mike Johnston of Madison County Soil and Water Conservation was able to clarify the practice of apitherapy. After a sting, he explained, the body reacts by making cortisone. When cortisone is received from an outside source, such as in a cortisone shot, the body reacts by shutting down its own cortisone production. This is, in effect, counterproductive.
Johnston also was able to offer his own experience with apitherapy. He'd wanted to try being stung to treat warts. He unexpectedly received, in his own words, a direct hit to one of them. Within four days, all of the warts were gone.
Honey is a potent medicine that has been used to treat burns and wounds for at least 4,000 years. It is acidic and has a very low moisture content. It makes its own hydrogen peroxide when it mixes with the moisture it draws out from wounds. Bacteria need moisture to survive and honey draws it out very efficiently. It also helps prevent inflammation and odor associated with infection.
Honey also has been clinically proven to help soothe coughs.
Locally grown honey contains pollen from local trees, flowers and shrubs that some people are allergic to.
Eating locally grown honey or bee pollen can help prevent allergic reactions to these plants. It is best to get this honey as close to the natural state as possible. Heating honey destroys many enzymes.
There is a special type of honey called manuka honey that is used internationally to help prevent and treat infection and also digestive problems. It works wonders on helicobacter pylori (more popularly known as h. pylori, it is the number one bacterium responsible for gastric ulcers) and dyspepsia.
Manuka honey is made from nectar collected from manuka and jelly bushes in New Zealand. Manuka honey is especially effective for treating pressure ulcers in the feet of patients with diabetes. It helps prevent MRSA. Even diluted, it's extremely powerful.
Melaleuca honey, made from the flowers of melaleuca trees, is another type of honey.
Propolis, the resin bees use to seal cracks and prevent air leaks, is a potent antimicrobial. It is often used in mouthwashes and toothpastes. Bee pollen has similar abilities. It can also help regulate intestinal activity. One isolated study showed that taking a 500-milligram dose of pollen twice a day increased the percentage of pregnancy in women suffering from mild endometriosis.
Once a honeybee stings, it will die. Many animal rights activists oppose using bee venom or sting therapy for this reason. Using bee products also means eating bees' food and disrupting their hives. People who are allergic to bee venom or who have blood sugar problems may want to take this into consideration.
It also is against some religious beliefs to knowingly inject poison into one's body. These are factors to consider before using bee products for medicinal purposes.
