Between 150 and 200 ingredients have been identified in bees' resin. Propolis contains chemical elements such as iron, silicon, zinc, vitamins, oils with antifungal properties, and also flavonoids. These water-soluble plant pigments have a variety of health-promoting effects.

This name, which comes from the Greek (literally for the city), refers to a substance from the realm of bees. Propolis is also called bee resin or putty resin because its consistency is sticky and resinous. Bees use propolis as a type of building material. Since the temperature in the hive is 35 degrees and the humidity is high, diseases caused by bacteria, fungi or microorganisms can easily spread. The bees hermetically seal the hive with propolis, which has an antiviral and antibiotic effect on the animal kingdom. The honeycomb cells in which the offspring grow are also coated with propolis. If foreign bodies get into the hive, these are also sealed with propolis to render them harmless. Propolis is a mixture of various substances.

The resinous base material (50%) is collected by special propolis bees from tree wounds and also from flower buds (especially poplars). This is then mixed with wax (30%), pollen (5%), essential oils (10%) and a saliva secretion to form the finished building material propolis. Depending on the raw material, the composition of propolis can vary considerably. Propolis is rich in flavonoids - natural antibiotics -, vitamins and trace elements. The wound-healing power of propolis was discovered and used as early as ancient times.

After these have been combated and rendered harmless, the oils, vitamins and trace elements come into play. Propolis is highly tolerated and rarely has side effects.
Medicom is an expert in combinations of vital substances and nutritional supplements. Our product Bio-Propolis capsules contain 400 mg of purified organic propolis. Propolis is a high-quality natural product from MEDICOM TERRA®, the natural line TERRA® from Medicom.

There are many scientific studies on the natural bee mixture that show that propolis has health-promoting effects in various areas, such as the immune system and the mouth and teeth.

A study (1), for example, was able to show that propolis extracts can strengthen the body's defenses. The activity of cells in the immune system such as macrophages and lymphocytes could be increased. In vitro experiments found that propolis extracts can stimulate the immune system and better protect the body against diseases.

(1) Immunomodulatory effects of propolis extract in vitro and in vivo (Shibamoto et al., 2009)

Further studies on propolis and the immune system:

- Propolis enhances immune responses in mice (Cho et al., 2003)

- The effect of ethanolic extract of propolis on immune responses in mice (Kim et al., 2004)

- Ansorge S., Reinhold D., Lendeckel U., Propolis and some of its components downregulate DNA synthesis and inflammatory cytokine production, but induce TGF-B1 production of human immune cells, Z. Naturforsch. (2003).

- Propolis extract stimulates cytokine production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (Shibamoto et al., 2008)

- Shimizu T , Hino A , Tsutsumi A, Park Y, Watanabe W, Kurokawa M, “Anti-influenza virus activity of propolis in vitro and its efficacy against influenza infection in mice”: (2008)

Propolis for inflammation:

The anti-inflammatory effects of propolis are also the subject of numerous scientific studies. It has been shown that the natural bee mixture offers anti-inflammatory properties and can alleviate symptoms of inflammatory diseases. (2)

(2) Recent Update on the Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Propolis Molecules 2022, 27 (23), 8473; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27238473

Further studies on propolis and its anti-inflammatory effects:

-Propolis extract inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokine production in LPS-stimulated macrophages." (Kim et al., 2009)

-Anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effects of royal jelly, honey, and propolis in animal models." (Choi et al., 2015)

-Inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression by Brazilian green propolis in vitro and in vivo." (Koo et al., 2008)

Further studies on the bee mixture Propolis:

- verbraucherzentrale.de: Antioxidants: Helpers against free radicals

- Rabia El Adaouia Taleb Noureddine Djebli Hadjer Chenini Huseyin Sahin: In vivo and in vitro anti‐diabetic activity of ethanolic propolis extract (2020)

- Abdulrhman, M. et al., \"Honey and a mixture of honey, beeswax and olive oil-propolis extract in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis: A randomized controlled pilot trial\", Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, 2012

- Ehsani, Maryam, et al. \"A comparison between antibacterial activity of propolis and aloe vera on Enterococcus faecalis (an in vitro study).\" (2013)

- Yildirim, M., et al. \"The role of oxidants and antioxidants in psoriasis.\" Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology\" (2003)

- Samadi N, Khosravi H, Rahmanian M, Askarishahi M, “Effects of bee propolis supplementation on glycemic control, lipid profile and insulin resistance indices in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial, “Journal of Integrative Medicine\", March 2017.