Apitherapy

Book excerpt: Apitherapy or “Bee therapy” (from the Latin apis which means bee) is the medicinal use of products made by honeybees. Products of the Honeybee include honey, pollen, beeswax, propolis, royal jelly and bee venom. Some of the conditions treated are: multiple sclerosis, arthritis, wounds, pain, gout, shingles, burns, tendonitis and infections. Great philosophers and physicians, such as Aristotle and Hippocrates were fascinated by the industrious bees. They captured them in hives, studying their complex communities and harvesting the honey for their own consumption. One long-standing use of honey (rec ordedfrom as early as 2500 BC and still used today) is in the treatment of wounds and burns to the skin. The ancient Egyptians used honey in very many different medicines, but one particular document gives instruction for placing honey directly onto the affected part of the body and wrapping it round with cloth as a dressing. This was used for open wounds, cut, burns or ulcers and this would help the would to dry out and heal satisfactorily as the honey would form a barrier to prevent further infection. The wound would also heal with the minimum of scarring. A number of properties inherent to honey might contribute to its ability to fight infection and promote healing. Its high sugar content allows it to draw infection and fluid from wounds by a process called ‘osmosis’ Honey prevents bacterial growth through its acidic pH and through the work of an enzyme that produces small amounts of hydrogen peroxide. Its ability to keep the area around a wound moist and protected promotes fast healing and prevents scarring. Honey also contains components from the specific plants used by the bees in their production, and it is speculated that some of these components might further add to the antibacterial and wound-healing effects of honey. The process of pasteurization, used to sterilize commercial honeys, destroys the enzyme involved in the production of hydrogen peroxide, rendering these honeys less antibacterial, and deficient of any medicinal benefit.