Many have a positive attitude to apitherapy and successfully use it in the treatment of many diseases.
Most often, they use honey to maintain health. But there is another beekeeping product that is not so popular, but very useful. This is propolis.
Propolis - bee glue, with which bees close up the cracks in the hive, strengthen the honeycomb, lubricate the inner walls of their home and mummify the uninvited guests, after killing them with their poison. Covered with a layer of propolis, the bodies of insects and even small rodents do not decompose and therefore do not violate the purity of the hive.
Bees produce propolis from resin collected from birch, alder, chestnut, ash, aspen, poplar and some herbaceous plants. They transfer this resinous substance on the paws to the hive, process it with their saliva, and then mix it with pollen and wax.
For bees, propolis is both a building material and a disinfectant. It protects the bee swarm from all kinds of pathogens and viruses.
Knowing the unique properties of propolis, people have long used it for medicinal purposes.
Propolis composition
Propolis is not a specific substance, but a resin whose composition is rather complicated.
- Among its components are balms, vegetable and essential oils, wax, resins, pollen and amino acids, which are important for maintaining human health.
- It contains a large set of trace elements. It has barium, nickel, titanium, manganese, vanadium. Also present are tin, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, zinc.
- Vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B6, H, P. are found in propolis.
Useful Properties
- It has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
- It has a positive effect on colds and rheumatic pains.
- It is used in otitis, sore throat, nose, and stomatitis.
- They treat skin diseases: burns, difficult-to-heal wounds. With the help of propolis remove corns.
- Propolis is prescribed for inflammation of the respiratory tract and the gastrointestinal tract.
- It fights viruses, germs, fungi, scab and lichen pathogens. In some cases, it is more effective than antibiotics. Therefore, they are successfully treated with bronchitis, asthma, laryngitis, pneumonia, tracheitis and rhinitis.
- Based on propolis, alcoholic and aqueous tinctures, emulsions, pastes, ointments, patches, and chewing gums are prepared.
Appearance of propolis
- It can be soft and firm. Soft propolis is considered more qualitative. In solid propolis more impurities and wax.
- Fresh yellow propolis with shades of brown. Old - usually dark.
- Fresh propolis is soft, sticky, similar to resin. The longer it is stored, the harder it becomes. From long storage becomes brittle.
- At temperatures above 20 °, it is soft, it freezes and crumbles in cold weather, and at + 80 ° it melts.
- Propolis is highly soluble in alcohol, very poorly stirred in water. It can be combined with oil and any fatty basis.
- The taste of propolis is bitter.
How to store propolis
To conveniently store propolis, it is rolled into balls or sausages are made of it.
The light has a detrimental effect on the active substances of propolis, therefore it is stored in a dark glass jar. So that it does not come into contact with air, the container should be well closed.
It can also be wrapped in parchment or wax paper, and then put in plastic or glass containers.
Store propolis in a dry, dark, cool place.
The kitchen is not the best place to store propolis, because the temperature in this room is far from ideal. She constantly jumps up and down because of the included stove and other appliances, as well as because of the frequent opening of the hot water tap. A constant temperature drop affects the quality of propolis.
Therefore, it is better to keep it in a closet or closet. But you need to be sure that propolis does not absorb foreign odors, which can emit substances that are in the neighborhood.
Under ideal conditions, the healing properties of propolis last for five years, or even longer.
How to store propolis alcohol tincture
To this tincture is not spoiled, it must be properly prepared.
- Propolis is well ground.
- Placed in a dark glass bottle.
- Fill with 96% alcohol (90 ml of alcohol are taken per 10 g of propolis).
- Tightly closed with a cork and clean in a dark place.
- Withstand 10 days at room temperature.
- The liquid is occasionally shaken.
- The solution is settled and refrigerated for 2 hours.
- Filter through cotton wool.
Alcoholic propolis tincture is also prepared on 30-40% alcohol.
Alcohol tincture with propolis is stored in a dry and cool place for no more than two years. It is best to keep it in the refrigerator. In order for the tincture not to absorb extraneous odors, and also that it is not affected by moisture, the liquid must be well corked. Soft extract of propolis is prepared in a similar way, but using other proportions.
- Propolis is crushed.
- Put it in a glass container.
- Fill with 96% alcohol (50 ml of propolis take 50 ml of alcohol).
- Insist and then filter. It turns out 50% propolis extract.
- It is evaporated in a water bath. In this case, the alcohol evaporates, and the substance of brown color, similar in consistency to honey, remains.
Store hood in a dark, dry and cool place.
How to store propolis tincture on water
Propolis tincture can be prepared on the water. But since propolis is poorly soluble in water, it is prepared in a special way.
- The crushed propolis is placed in the bottle and filled with the same amount of water.
- Heat up for 1 hour.
- Filter out.
- Before use, dilute with water to the desired proportion.
The qualities of propolis are such that it does not lose its properties even when heated and boiled. But in order to preserve more vitamins, propolis extract is prepared.
- Propolis crushed in a mortar is poured into the bottle.
- Pour water in a ratio of 1: 5. Close the cork.
- Insist 5-7 days, occasionally shaking well.
- Defend. The liquid without sediment is drained into another container and used for treatment.
Store the tincture on water in a dry, dark, cool place for no more than 10 days, as there is no preservative (alcohol) in it.
On the basis of propolis prepare oil and ointments, which are used externally.
How to store propolis oil
- In an enamel bowl, melt 200 g of butter.
- Cool to warm condition.
- Add 30 g of crushed propolis.
- Stir.
- After 20 minutes, the mixture is warmed to 90 °.
- Remove from heat and mix thoroughly for 15 minutes.
- The hot mixture is filtered through cheesecloth and poured into an opaque glass jar.
- Tightly closed lid.
Propolis oil is stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3 months.
How to store propolis ointment
- Mix 1 liter of boiled sunflower oil and 50 g of wax.
- Add 100 g of propolis.
- Heat the mixture for 30-40 minutes.
- Cool.
The ointment is stored in a tightly closed glass container in a dry, dark, cool place, such as on the door of a refrigerator. The shelf life of such an ointment is about 3 months.
Good advice
Pure propolis is stored for a long time. But if it is made from tincture or ointment, the shelf life is significantly reduced. Therefore, the drug is made in such a volume that it is enough for one course of treatment. It is better to prepare a fresh drug each time than to throw out a valuable product that has become unusable.
Before you start treatment, you should consult with your doctor, because even such a useful substance as propolis can provoke an allergic reaction.
