Propolis Improves Immunity and Gut Health

HOW PROPOLIS—AKA “BEE GLUE”—CAN HELP IMPROVE YOUR IMMUNITY AND GUT HEALTH

Well and Good

When you get sick with a cold or flu, it’s pretty standard protocol for your doctor to prescribe an antibiotic. There’s just one problem: Antibiotics kill both the good and bad bacteria in your system, which can knock your whole microbiome out of balance. (Ever take a Z-Pak only to be rewarded with a yeast infection a couple days later? There you have it.)

Of course, if your illness is minor and you’d prefer some drug-free relief, you’ve got plenty of natural options—take an ACV shot, bust out some yoga poses—but perhaps one of the most effective (and under-the-radar) fixes is propolis, a resin-like compound produced by bees.

You might say propolis is  the pocketknife of the wellness world. Not only is it said to have serious immune boosting powers, but it’s also good for your gut and skin. Often called “bee glue”—good to know for when you start Googling—it’s the go-to cure-all for many holistic health insiders. But what, exactly, is it and how does it work? Here, we investigate what all the, um, buzz is about...