Honey is the bee product that most people are familiar with. Beekeepers in particular are also known to be beeswax, propolis or royal jelly as other bee products. All of these products have one thing in common: they contain many different ingredients, often in high concentrations. Due to this property, apitherapy uses bee products specifically in naturopathy.
Bee Products – Versatile and Effective
Many people know that honey is more than just a delicious food. Honey is widely used as a home remedy for coughs and throat problems. For good reason. In addition to various types of sugar, the popular food contains numerous other ingredients such as:
- Enzymes
- Vitamins
- Amino Acids
- Minerals
Apitherapy systematically uses these valuable ingredients of honey for medicinal purposes. The focus is on the bacteria and fungus-inhibiting effect of honey. But honey is by no means the only bee product that is used in apitherapy. In addition to honey, the following are used:
- Bee Propolis
- Royal Jelly
- Bee Venom
- Bee Air
- Pollen
- Beeswax
Similar to honey, bee propolis also has a fungus, bacteria and virus inhibiting effect. Bee propolis is a greenish-brown resinous aromatic substance collected by bees from the buds of trees for use in hives’ construction and called: bee glue, hive dross. They use it to seal the beehive. The resin is often made into tinctures for therapeutic purposes. Bee propolis is also used in ointments or mouthwashes. When applied externally, bee propolis is used for skin injuries or inflammations. When used internally, bee propolis products are said to have an immune-boosting effect.
Beehive Air Therapy
Another branch of apitherapy is beehive air therapy. Beehive air is the air that comes straight from the beehive. There is a unique microclimate inside the beehive. As a result, the beehive air has unique properties:
- It has a high humidity of 70-75%
- The temperature is around 35 degrees Celsius
- It has been shown to contain various components of bee propolis, beeswax and honey
Prof. Dr Karl Speer has determined the exact composition of the beehive air at the Technical University in Dresden in 2017.
Usage of Beehive Air Therapy
As part of the beehive air therapy, patients inhale the beehive air for 30 minutes per application. For this purpose, an appropriate inhalation device is necessary. The device which directs the air with all the ingredients from the beehive to the patient. It is the only way to ensure that the patient can absorb all active ingredients.
Beehive Air Therapy is used in particular for allergies and respiratory diseases as well as various other diseases:
- Bronchitis, asthma
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Sinus infections
- Hay fever, susceptibility to infection
- Allergies, neurodermatitis
- Headache migraine
- Depression, insomnia
Beehive Air Therapy only under medical supervision
A doctor or alternative practitioner must always accompany beehive Air Therapy for patients. The doctor or alternative practitioner uses the patients’ medical history to determine the therapy’s extent and duration. Before the first use, a test for allergic or even anaphylactic reactions is carried out.
Conclusion
Apitherapy improves the patient’s well-being through the targeted use of various bee products. For many diseases and disorders, it can significantly relieve symptoms and thus contribute to a significant improvement in the quality of life.
