The Best Season, Daily Timing, and Suitable Groups for Taking Purple Gold Propolis

Propolis is a resinous substance collected by honeybees from plant buds or tree trunks, mixed with secretions from their mandibular glands and wax glands, and processed into an aromatic gummy solid. So what season is best for taking propolis? What time of day should it be taken? Who is suitable for taking propolis?

Propolis is an effective substance used by honeybees to maintain the health of the entire colony. A colony of 50,000 to 60,000 bees can produce only 70-110 grams of propolis per year, and it is hailed as “purple gold”. The production period of propolis is mostly summer and autumn. The gum-source plants in China roughly include most tree species in the Betulaceae, Salicaceae, Pinaceae, Cupressaceae and Anacardiaceae families, as well as peach, plum, apricot, chestnut, rubber, eucalyptus and sunflower, etc.

What season is best for taking propolis

Propolis is best taken in late spring and early summer. Propolis uses the gummy liquid collected by bees from plants as its raw material. Spring and summer are the periods when vegetation grows and sprouts. The plant gummy liquid collected at this time is the freshest, the propolis produced is of better quality, and it contains the least amount of heavy metals and other toxic substances. Therefore, it is best to take it in this season.

What time of day to take propolis

There are no strict rules about the time to take propolis. Under normal circumstances, taking it on an empty stomach in the morning and evening gives better results; for diabetic patients, it is best taken half an hour before meals. As a health supplement and a therapeutic agent for certain diseases and wounds, propolis requires a certain duration of use and dosage to be effective.

For health maintenance purposes, it can be taken continuously over a long period. Because it is neutral in nature and non-toxic, it will not produce toxic side effects on the human body, so it can be consumed with confidence. For disease treatment, it should also be taken over a long period with an appropriately increased dosage. Of course, after a period of treatment when the condition has clearly improved or been cured, one may also pause for a period of time and then continue taking it.

Who is suitable for taking propolis

1. Diabetic patients

As is well known, diabetes is a comprehensive disease, and diabetic complications are characterized by a high disability rate and a high mortality rate. Therefore, the focus of diabetes treatment lies in preventing and treating complications. Propolis has functions such as clearing blood vessels, purifying the blood, regulating blood sugar, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, improving immunity, and promoting tissue regeneration.

2. Patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases

Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are a major cause of death among the population of China, with deaths from these conditions accounting for about 34%-40% of total deaths. Propolis is known as a “vascular scavenger” and has a preventive effect on high blood lipids, high cholesterol and atherosclerosis, and can significantly prevent the increase of collagen fibers in blood vessels and the accumulation of cholesterol in the liver.

3. Patients with malignant tumors

Actual clinical application results prove that propolis does have a good anti-cancer effect. After patients with gastric cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, lymphoma and leukemia take large doses of propolis, the growth and metastasis of cancer cells are well controlled, the patients' survival period is significantly extended, and some patients have fully recovered. It has also been found that propolis has a good effect on increasing blood cells.

4. Patients with gastrointestinal diseases

Gastrointestinal diseases are common diseases that bring long-term distress to patients. Compared with antibiotic drugs, propolis has obvious advantages: it does not produce drug resistance and does not harm beneficial bacteria.

5. People in a sub-health state

Although propolis is known as a natural antibiotic because of its antibacterial effect, it is not an antibiotic and has no other toxic side effects. Except for children under 6 years old and pregnant and postpartum women, most people can take propolis as a health supplement without developing dependence.

The effects and benefits of propolis

1. Propolis can improve the body's immune function and increase disease resistance. The flavonoids and polysaccharides in propolis have the effect of regulating body metabolism and enhancing immune capacity.

2. Propolis is antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antiprotozoal. Propolis is rich in effective antiviral components such as galangin, kaempferol, quercetin and isopentyl ferulate.

3. Propolis can protect the liver, detoxify the liver, and has therapeutic and protective effects on acute and chronic hepatitis, fatty liver, cirrhosis and various toxic liver injuries. Research has also proven that the lignans in propolis can improve the effects of toxins on the liver and promote the recovery of liver cells. Terpenoids have the effect of lowering transaminases, have a clear protective effect against acute liver injury caused by carbon tetrachloride, promote liver cell regeneration and prevent cirrhosis.

4. Propolis has good anti-cancer and anti-tumor effects and can reduce the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

5. Propolis has good antioxidant and free radical scavenging effects, can be used for skincare and beauty, smooth wrinkles, remove pigmentation, reduce pigment deposition, and can make menopausal symptoms disappear or lessen.

6. Propolis can regulate blood sugar, increase the efficacy of hypoglycemic drugs, improve diabetic symptoms, and prevent and treat diabetic complications. The flavonoids and terpenes in propolis have the effect of promoting the synthesis of exogenous glucose into liver glycogen and bidirectionally regulating blood sugar, and can significantly lower blood sugar.

7. Propolis can regulate blood lipids, lower excessively high cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein, and raise high-density lipoprotein.

8. Propolis can soften blood vessels, enhance vascular tone, and reduce vascular fragility and abnormal permeability.

9. Propolis can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, reduce blood viscosity, reduce the aggregation of red blood cells and platelets, reduce thrombus formation, prevent atherosclerosis, and improve blood microcirculation.

10. Propolis can reduce inflammation, relieve fever, relieve cough, eliminate phlegm and relieve asthma. Propolis has good therapeutic effects on arthritis, bronchitis, pneumonia, nephritis, urethritis, cystitis, prostatitis and vaginitis.

What are the contraindications for taking propolis

1. People with severe allergic constitutions should use it with caution or stop using it

Due to individual differences, about 3 in 10,000 patients experience allergic reactions of varying degrees when using propolis liquid (it will not cause danger to life).

2. Pregnant women are forbidden to take it

After pregnant women consume propolis, it will stimulate the uterus, cause uterine contractions, and interfere with the normal growth and development of the fetus.

3. Infants and young children under 1 year of age should not take it

Its active ingredients may affect the normal development of the infant's immune system, and even when it is truly necessary to take it, the dosage must be extremely small. Infants and young children have delicate skin, so when using propolis externally to treat skin diseases, it should also be diluted before use.

4. It is advisable to take it half an hour apart from other medications, either before or after meals.

5. The black floating substances when propolis is added to water can be eaten

When propolis is added to water, there will be two kinds of floating substances on the surface of the water, one is a beige floating substance and the other is a black floating substance. Both of these floating substances are the main components of propolis. The beige floating substance is mainly flavonoids, and the black floating substance is mainly propolis oil. These substances are all good things and can be consumed with confidence.

6. It cannot be taken together with tea

When taking medicine, tea is generally not used to wash it down, because the active ingredients in some medicines easily react with substances such as tannic acid in tea, and some medicines contain caffeine. If taken with tea, the effect of caffeine will be too strong. Practice has proven that propolis can be drunk together with tea, but the color, aroma and taste of the tea will be affected, and at the same time propolis easily sticks to the cup wall, causing waste.