Propolis tincture: medicinal properties and contraindications, recipes, how to take

Propolis is a real miracle of nature, which is created by little working bees, and humanity has been using its magical properties to maintain its health since ancient times. The medicinal properties of propolis tincture and contraindications to its use are described in detail in this article, as well as specific recommendations and recipes for the use of this valuable substance in the treatment of many diseases.

Is it possible to drink propolis tincture?

Since propolis itself, otherwise known as bee glue, is a fairly solid substance, practically insoluble in water, a tincture of it is one of the most common medicinal forms that can be used for medicinal purposes.It can be taken internally or used externally. Aqueous tincture of propolis is quite acceptable for use even in childhood and during pregnancy and breastfeeding. However, even an alcoholic tincture of propolis, if necessary, can be given to children over 10 years old, dissolved in milk or water.

What are the benefits of propolis tincture?

The benefits of propolis tincture can hardly be overestimated. After all, this healing remedy contains more than 50 diverse elements and substances related to each other. These include resins, alcohols, balms, tannins, essential oils, wax, particles of plant and animal origin. Propolis and its tincture contain about 15 valuable chemical elements (calcium, sodium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, copper, silicon and others) and about 7-8 types of vitamins, including valuable provitamin A.

Its main and most valuable quality is its increased biological activity. Both water and alcohol tinctures of propolis help activate defense mechanisms in the human body, neutralize some bacterial poisons, and increase resistance to various diseases. Propolis not only prolongs and enhances the effect of antibiotics, but may well serve as a complete replacement for some of them.

The list of diseases for which propolis tincture can help is almost inexhaustible. It is probably easier to choose examples when its influence is powerless. And even the usual seasonal weakness of the body is an indication for the use of propolis tincture.

Propolis tincture has the following main medicinal properties:

a pronounced antimicrobial effect (and propolis is able to resist not only bacteria, but also fungi and viruses);
analgesic effect, which can appear within 8-10 minutes after the start of use and last for several hours;
antipruritic and anti-inflammatory effect;
wound-healing properties, by reducing body intoxication, plasma loss and increasing blood and lymph circulation.

Harm of propolis infusion

The use of propolis and its tincture is definitely contraindicated only for those individuals who have a pronounced allergy to honey and bee products. For everyone else, the effect of propolis tincture on the body will be extremely positive if you strictly follow the instructions for use and be sure that it is made from natural ingredients. Unfortunately, in recent years, numerous counterfeits of various medicines have not been ruled out. Therefore, it is safest to prepare a propolis tincture with your own hands at home - this way you can be 100% confident in the effective power of the drug.

What does propolis tincture help with?

As mentioned above, propolis tincture can provide effective help for a wide variety of diseases:

gastrointestinal tract;
pancreatitis;
ENT diseases;
problems with immunity and colds;
problems with the cardiovascular system;
skin infections;
urological and gynecological problems;
disorders associated with the functioning of the endocrine system and metabolism and others.

How to make propolis tincture at home

From propolis at home it is possible to prepare tinctures with alcohol, vodka, water, milk, as well as an oil emulsion.

Before making a medicinal tincture according to any of the recipes, propolis must be subjected to mandatory purification from unnecessary impurities. The cleansing procedure consists of the following steps:

First, it is crushed - the easiest way is to put the required amount of product in the refrigerator for several hours, and then grate it on a fine grater.
Then the crushed propolis is placed in a container with cold water, shaken and left for several minutes.
Attention! Waxy particles and other unnecessary impurities will float to the surface, and all the healing material will settle at the bottom.
It must be carefully collected and dried on a sieve or napkin.

To make an alcohol tincture of propolis, the crushed material is poured with 96% medical or food alcohol in the required concentration.

Infuse the solution for exactly 2 weeks in a dark glass container with a tightly sealed lid in a not very hot place. Then the product is filtered through several layers of gauze and, poured into dark bottles, stored in a cool room for about 2-3 years. Actually, a long shelf life and comparative ease of preparation are the main advantages of alcohol propolis tincture.

To obtain a 10% alcohol solution, you need to pour 10 g of propolis into 90 ml of alcohol. To get a 50% solution - 50 g of propolis is poured with 50 ml of alcohol.

An aqueous solution of propolis has an even more effective antimicrobial effect and can be recommended for oral use even by children and pregnant women, but it is stored for a very short time - a maximum of 10 days.

To make a 10% aqueous infusion, 10 g of propolis is poured into 100 ml of purified or boiled water.
Then place the vessel with the tincture in a container with warm water, which is placed on moderate heat.
Having brought the temperature of the water in the outer container to + 50 °C, steam it, maintaining minimal heat, for about 20-50 minutes, stirring the solution from time to time.
Leave for about 4-6 hours.
Then it is filtered using four layers of gauze and bottled for storage in dark bottles.

It is very easy to prepare an infusion of propolis with milk at home - the so-called propolis milk.

To do this, you need to boil fresh milk.
After removing it from the heat, add 100 g of crushed propolis to 1.5 liters of product.
Stir until as smooth as possible and strain through several layers of gauze.
Wait until the milk cools completely and carefully remove any wax particles that have formed from its surface.
Pour into an enamel or glass container and store in the refrigerator for several days.

How to take propolis tincture

Propolis tincture can be used in a variety of ways: consumed orally, diluted in milk or water, as a course of treatment, prepared for inhalation, dropped into the nose, lubricated internal and external parts of painful organs, including mucous membranes.

For sore throat

The remedy made according to the following recipe can be considered one of the most effective for the treatment of sore throat.

You will need:

1 tbsp. l. crushed plantain leaves;
1 glass of boiled water;
40 drops of 20% alcohol tincture of propolis.

Manufacturing:

The crushed leaves are poured with water and boiled for about 12-15 minutes.
Leave covered for an hour and strain.
Add propolis tincture.

Use for gargling as often as circumstances allow, but at least 5-6 times a day.

No less important in the treatment of sore throat is maintaining a weakened immune system. And a drink made from 200 ml of warm milk, mixed with 3 tsp, copes with this task perfectly. 10% alcohol propolis tincture.

For atherosclerosis

Propolis tincture is the most effective remedy for helping patients suffering from atherosclerosis. You can take it separately, an hour before meals, 3 times a day, diluting 30 drops of 20% tincture in 50 ml of warm water.

There are also equally valuable and time-tested recipes in which propolis is combined with medicinal herbs.

Tincture of hawthorn fruits from a pharmacy is combined in equal proportions with 20% alcohol tincture of propolis. Drink 2-3 times a day, 20-30 drops of the mixture, diluted in a small amount of water before meals.
Elecampane tincture (15%) is combined with an equal amount of 20% propolis tincture. Use in the same way as in the previous recipe, 25-30 drops of the mixture.

For gynecological diseases

For such diseases, formulations in the form of ointments, suppositories, tampons soaked in a healing solution are most often used.

Cotton swabs for insertion into the vagina can be soaked in 3% alcohol or 5% aqueous infusion of propolis. Typically the course consists of 10 procedures, which are performed overnight. The same solutions can be used for douching.

These procedures allow you to relieve pain syndromes, normalize the menstrual cycle, stop blood loss, and most importantly, avoid a course of hormonal therapy, the effect of which is sometimes completely unpredictable.

Bee glue is also effective in the treatment of uterine fibroids.Tampons can be moistened in a mixture of 10% aqueous propolis solution. And at the same time take the herbal infusion orally according to the following recipe:

20 g yarrow;
20 g pine buds;
20 g celandine;
20 g calendula;
20 g wormwood;
20 g marina root;
20 g crushed propolis.

All components are mixed, 500 ml of alcohol are added, and left for 2 weeks in a dark place, shaking the contents every day. After straining, drink ½ tsp. half an hour before meals three times a day.

For gastrointestinal diseases

The healing properties of propolis are especially effective in the fight against numerous diseases of the stomach and intestines.

Thus, propolis tincture turns out to be indispensable in the treatment of stomach and duodenal ulcers due to its antibactericidal properties. It is better to start treatment with 5-10% tincture and, if no pain in the stomach is observed within a week, move on to using a more concentrated 20% liquid.

From 40 to 60 drops of tincture are diluted in ¼ glass of water and taken 1.5 hours before meals 3 times a day for several months.

The positive effect of such treatment usually appears already 5-10 days after its start. Many painful symptoms, heartburn, nausea disappear and overall health improves. Because propolis relieves spasms and inflammation by enveloping the ulcer with a protective sheath. In addition, it promotes bile secretion and reduces high acidity.

For the treatment of chronic and acute colitis, erosive gastritis and other similar diseases, drinking propolis milk made according to the recipe described in detail above is ideal. It is usually taken half a glass before meals 3-4 times a day for 4-6 weeks.

Propolis milk can neutralize pathogenic bacteria, including pathogenic staphylococcus, heal the intestinal mucosa, stimulate local blood flow and generally increase the body's defenses. Therefore, treatment with them is especially recommended for elderly people and for those who have decreased tone and general weakening of the body.

When coughing

Cough can be a symptom of many diseases, and the method of using propolis tincture depends on the specific disease.

For example, for auxiliary therapy in the treatment of bronchial asthma, a 20% alcohol tincture is taken 3 times a day, diluting 20 drops in half a glass of milk or water, half an hour before meals. The course of treatment is 2 months.

For a common cold cough, the best help is a glass of warm propolis milk with the addition of 1 tsp. honey and a small piece of butter.

For skin diseases

Skin diseases are also very diverse. Most often, they combine the use of alcohol tincture of propolis internally to boost immunity and lubricating painful areas with a medicinal mixture with propolis.

To treat, for example, such a common disease as weeping eczema, prepare the following mixture:

1 part of crushed oak bark is diluted with 5 parts of water and boiled for 20 minutes.
Cool and filter.
1 glass of the resulting decoction is mixed with 1 tsp. 20% alcohol tincture of propolis.
The healing mixture is applied several times a day to damaged areas of the skin for 12-15 days.

Masks according to the following recipe help well against acne, pimples and other skin rashes:

1 tbsp. l. cosmetic clay;
2 tbsp. l. warm boiled water;
1 tsp. lemon juice;
1 tsp. olive oil;
½ tsp. propolis tincture.

All components are thoroughly mixed, applied to problem areas, kept for 15 minutes, and washed off with warm water.

For colds and flu

The best remedy for both treatment and prevention of influenza and colds is propolis milk, the method of making it at home was described in the previous chapter.

They usually drink it at night, one glass, slightly warmed.

This excellent remedy can be given even to children of almost all ages during seasonal epidemics.

For rhinitis

For instillation into the nose, both for acute and chronic forms of runny nose, drops with propolis tincture, made according to the following recipe, are excellent:

1 part alcohol tincture of propolis;
3 parts olive oil;
½ part freshly squeezed horseradish juice.

All parts are thoroughly mixed together and the resulting mixture is instilled into the nose, 3-4 drops in each nostril.

For tonsillitis

The remedy described in the chapter on the treatment of sore throat also copes well with tonsillitis. It allows you to stop inflammatory processes in the tonsils, remove respiratory tract infections, and relieve pain in the throat.

You can easily prepare effective “lollipops for sore throats” by dropping a few drops of propolis tincture onto pieces of refined sugar.

To strengthen the immune system

In order to strengthen the immune system, the easiest way is to drink propolis milk at night. In addition to making this healing drink using traditional technology, you can simply add 3 tsp to 200 ml of warm milk. alcohol propolis tincture.

Comment! For children, instead of three teaspoons of infusion, use only one.

In dentistry

Propolis tincture is a recognized remedy for the treatment of many diseases in dentistry. In particular, the following medicinal collection with the addition of propolis tincture is perfect for helping with periodontitis, gingivitis, caries and stomatitis.

You will need:

30 g eucalyptus leaves;
25 g chamomile flowers;
25 g linden blossom;
20 g flax seeds;
1 glass of water;
40 drops of 20% alcohol tincture of propolis.

Manufacturing:

1 tbsp. l. the herbal mixture is poured with 1 cup of boiling water and heated in a water bath for 15 minutes.
Then leave for 40 minutes and filter.
Add propolis tincture and stir.

Use as a mouth rinse at least 3 times a day.

Propolis tincture is no less effective for relieving toothache. To alleviate the painful condition, it is necessary to add 3 parts of purified warm water to 1 part of 20% alcohol tincture. Soak a cotton swab in the resulting solution and apply to the sore tooth.

Propolis during breastfeeding and pregnancy

For any colds or other ailments during pregnancy and lactation, recipes using a water infusion of propolis instead of an alcoholic one are perfect.

To improve the general condition of the body during these difficult periods for women, it is recommended to regularly drink the drink according to the following recipe:

500 g of rose hips are poured into 1 liter of water, heated until boiling, and steamed over low heat for about an hour.
Pour into a thermos, add a piece of propolis on the tip of a knife and leave to infuse overnight.

Contraindications to propolis tincture

The main contraindication to taking any propolis preparations is an allergy to honey and bee products.Therefore, it is advisable to start treatment with small doses and carefully monitor the possible appearance of symptoms such as redness, itching, headache, shortness of breath, fever, swelling, rash and general weakness.

If the recommended doses are observed, propolis has no contraindications even in cases of severe damage to the kidneys, liver and biliary tract.

But alcohol tincture in any degree of dilution is not recommended for use internally by pregnant and lactating women, children under 3 years of age and drivers.

Terms and conditions of storage

Alcohol tincture of propolis can be stored in cool conditions without access to light for 2-3 years. The water infusion is stored on average for about a week. Propolis milk (that is, an infusion of milk) is best stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3-4 days.

Conclusion

The medicinal properties of propolis tincture and possible contraindications have been studied by scientists and doctors from different countries for many years and centuries. However, it cannot be said that this process is complete, since more and more new properties of this mysterious substance are constantly being discovered, which make it possible to cope with many human health problems.