Apitherapy is a type of therapy that uses honeybee products, such as honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, beeswax and bee venom. In fact, these products are extraordinary not only because they contain biologically active components, but also because they are good for our health.
This therapy has been used over the centuries to treat some illnesses and their symptoms, as well as pain from acute and chronic injuries. The roots of this specific therapy can be traced back to Ancient Egypt, when Egyptians cured their ailments with bee ointment. Then after the Greeks and Romans started to use honey for medical purposes. For example, in Ancient Greece athletes used it as a boost of energy and in Ancient Rome they used it to reduce swelling and to soothe and heal sores.
Benefits and uses
Nowadays, it has been discovered that apitherapy has a lot of different benefits. As research in the journal Environmental Science and Pollution Research showed, honey has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which means it can be used to treat wounds and scars and alleviate allergies. It has also been proven that inhaling the air from beehives has lots of beneficial effect on our well-being. In fact, it positively affects the respiratory organs and it strengthen the immune system. Moreover, within apitherapy there is bee venom therapy, which is very helpful when it comes to treat immune and neurological diseases. Yet, bee venom can be a double-edge sword because it can induce a histamine response. This means it can cause irritation or sever allergies, so it is important to ask previously to a doctor if it can be used to treat a specific disease. Finally, according to many studies, propolis in mouthwashes helps reducing dental plaque and gingivitis.
Apitherapy’s current situation
In Europe, especially in Eastern Europe, apitherapy is known as the use of all products made directly by bees. In particular, apitherapy is widely used in Slovenia, which is the country with most beekeepers in Europe. Slovenia is engaging itself a lot in this industry, and in fact this Dr Filip Terč, the doctor considered the father of modern apitherapy, is from this country. Instead, in some countries in the Far East such as Japan, China and Korea, apitherapy is mostly known for the health benefits of bee venom therapy, as well as for the use of royal jelly.
Conclusion
Apitherapy represents the future. Using products fresh as possible can help to have the best results from apitherapy. What this industry is striving to do is to reinforce this therapy as a natural medicine and to promote the knowledge of honeybee products in the medical and paramedical world.