Bee Propolis

Bee Propolis - how safe is it ?

In general, propolis is safe.

It is a non toxic substance and for most people, will not caused irritation when used as supplements or applied to skin.

However, like other honey bee products, there are people who are allergic to propolis. 

Allergic reaction due to this substance was first reported in beekeepers as an occupational effect but is now seen mainly in individuals who use propolis in cosmetics and supplement to treat various health conditions.

It is believed that a substance called caffeic acids to be one of the cause of allergies to propolis.

The symptoms of allergies

If you're allergic to propolis, it may cause your skin to redden, develop rashes, swell, itch and may even lead your skin to crack. 

Apart from that, it may also irritate the skin area where it's applied on, cause eczema, lesions, psoriasis or mouth sores.

If you're in the list below, please talk to your doctor before taking any propolis supplement or using any products containing the substance. You may be at risk.

Who can be allergic to Propolis?

• Those Already Allergic to Pollen:
  If you're already allergic to bee pollen or evergreens, you are advised not to use propolis. Pollens in propolis may come from any plants and not just plants in surrounding areas where you buy your product.
• Asthma Patients:
  If you have asthma, you should also avoid propolis because some chemicals or impurities in it may induce an attack. If you want to use it, ask your doctor's advise first.
• Allergic To Bee Stings:
  Another group of people who may want to avoid propolis are those who are allergic to bee stings. Propolis could induce a side effect similar to a sting.
• Pregnant Women:
  There have not been many published clinical trials on the effect of propolis on pregnant women. Because the information in this area is limited, please avoid using propolis if you're pregnant. 
  You should also avoid it during breastfeeding.
• Others at risk :
  If you know that you're allergic to black poplar (also populas nigra), poplar buds, honey and balsam of Peru, avoid propolis as well.There are around 8 to 13 compounds that propolis and balsam of Peru have in common. Some of these compounds include benzyl benzoate, cinnamyl cinnamate, and benzyl cinnamate. Several studies have suggested that patients who are sensitive to propolis also may react to balsam of Peru.

A word of advice

Even if you're not in the above categories, you should always take some precaution when using any form of medication.

Take note that the best way to use propolis is to try it gradually. You should use small quantities of propolis for the first few days. After that slowly increase your propolis intake to the full outlined dosage if you could not detect any unwanted side effects.

This way you would be able to test your comparability with the propolis product you're taking. It will also avoid annoying and painful allergic reaction to propolis.

At the same time, if you decided to terminate the medical treatment prescribed by your doctor, it should also done slowly and gradually.

Will propolis interact with other drugs ?
At the moment there is no detrimental interaction between pure propolis and other man-made drugs.

However, you must understand one thing. Propolis that is commercially used in cosmetics or as dietary supplement are normally extracted using ethanol.

This high alcohol content in some propolis tinctures could lead to vomiting if you take it along with disulfiram (Antabuse) or metronidazole ( Flagyl).

The second thing you must understand is the fact that the number of experiments involving propolis is still considered to be relatively small. Thus, not all interactions between propolis and other drugs are well known.

Thus, we advise you to tell your doctor and/or pharmacist what drugs you are currently taking, including any over-the-counter products, vitamins, and herbals before using or taking any products containing propolis. ( we also suggest the use of Drug Interaction Checker to check the potential side effects of 2 drugs taken together - note: it loads very slowly)

So far the only well documented studies on propolis and it's effect on other drugs is on it's ability to improve the effect of antibiotics by 10 to 100 folds.

Another study involving more than 400 Israeli children also showed that a commercial combination product containing propolis, echinacea, and vitamin C helped not only to shorten and lessen the severity of colds and other infections of the respiratory tract, but was able to prevent them in some cases.

Related Reading:
Cases involving allergy to propolis - scientific reviews