Propolis Helps Treat Canker Sores

Bee Propolis: Nature's Healing Balm with Immune Boosting Properties
By Katherine East, Natural News, 6/16/2008

Bee propolis is a remarkable natural substance collected and produced by honeybees. It is often referred to as a natural antibiotic and has many diverse uses. I love it when nature clearly has the upper hand over the frailty of our human science. Bee propolis is one such substance and has even been described as having anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and even anti-cancer properties with immune modulating effects. These may sound a little too good to be true but you can't go wrong with a bottle of bee propolis in your medicine cabinet. As a natural remedy it will be incredibly useful for at least it's anti-viral effects.

What is Bee Propolis?

Propolis is a resinous substance that bees collect from trees and plants. Bees use it as a natural antibiotic to protect their hive and as defence against disease in the hive. They do this by using it as a seal over foreign matter so that it does not pollute the hive as well as for creating doorways. It is made up of waxes, resins, fatty acids and amino acids. Hundreds of chemical properties have been identified in propolis and this differs from hive to hive as well as with the environment the bees live in and the time of day the propolis was collected. This makes propolis exceedingly complex which is why no one has attempted to synthesise the product. It is natural and cannot be patented and therefore research into the substance is limited regarding its clinical benefits…

A study was done on the effects of bee propolis on Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis (RAS) -- also known as canker sores -- at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Canker sores are an ulcerative disorder of the oral cavity. They have no cure and medicine used to prevent further outbreaks and relieve pain comes with its own set of dangerous side-effects. Bee propolis was evaluated as a potential remedy to reduce the number of mouth ulcer outbreaks. There were two groups of patients, one group who took a placebo capsule and the other group who took a propolis capsule. Patients who took the propolis capsule showed a significant decrease in the number of outbreaks of mouth ulcers. Another great effect of the propolis was that the patients reported a definite improvement in their quality of life. This would likely be due to the immune boosting effects that propolis has with its high levels of B-vitamin complex and notable quantities of vitamin C, E, and beta-carotene…