The Benefits of green propolis and black seed honey
By Dr Garth A. Cambray
In this article we first look at what green propolis and black seed honey are, and then examine some of the science behind how these two ingredients benefit your body. After looking at this, we then explore how Green propolis and black seed honey is a health tool we can use to improve how our body responds to viruses and pathogens.
Green propolis and black seed honey is a very clever combination of two natural medicinal products. We have already looked at the health benefits of black seed honey here and here. Additional research has shown that Black Seed and honey can help reduce some of the severity of COVID infections and may assist in recovery. In combination with Vaccines and modern medical care, this may help us recover faster from this problematic virus.
Propolis is collected by bees and used to seal and protect their hive from pests. When a plant is injured, it has to rapidly seal the injury to stop diseases entering the wound. The plant produces a mixture of phytomedicinal compounds and resins to seal the wound. Bees collect these resins and make propolis.
Green propolis vs propolis?
There are many types of propolis. People often ask what the benefits of green propolis are vs propolis. Well, most propolis is good, but green propolis has been studied well and we know what it is good for.
To understand what green propolis is, let’s have a look at where it comes from.
If we look at Brazil, most people think about the Amazon rainforest. Next to this ecosystem, we find the Cerrado, a huge humid subtropical ecosystem. The plants in this ecosystem have to adapt to a high level of grazing and damage by animals, birds and insects. The air is humid and rich in microbes. The trees have to produce strong medicines to protect themselves.
Bees in the Cerrado collect green propolis from the Baccharis dracunculifolia trees that are a dominant feature. The medicinal properties of the green propolis from these trees is well researched.
The Benefits of green honey propolis
Green propolis has been shown to assist in combatting ulcers. It has anti-inflammatory effects. Green propolis is also an antifungal agent with proven action against the human pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. This special propolis also has strong immunomodulatory effects. In addition to all of these effects it is an antioxidant.
To elaborate. Bad yeasts can infect parts of your body and cause irritation. Once such place is your mouth. A little bit of Green Propolis and Black seed honey in a cup of tea will help to lower the population of these problem yeast in your mouth.
Your immune system can get a bit jumpy and sometimes do silly things. It needs discipline and control. Immunomodulatory compounds help instil this discipline and control in your immune system. Oxygen is necessary for life, but, it also slowly kills you by oxidising parts of your body that are sensitive to oxygen. Antioxidants help to protect these parts of your body.
From all of the above hard science it is clear that combining black seed honey with the benefits of green propolis is a clever way of providing yourself with a lot of health benefits.
How to eat honey propolis?
Normal propolis is quite bitter. Green propolis has a pungent, pleasant taste once you get used to it. The mixture of honey and green propolis is a pleasant combination. The main taste compound in green propolis is Artepillin C, which has many health benefits.
You can put a teaspoon of this honey in your herbal tea. It can be mixed with peanut butter on a sandwich. I have even seen people mix it into cocktails and mocktails where the flavour melds will in the beverage. I personally love the taste of all propolis, and enjoy chewing on it like chewing gum. Hence my favourite way to eat this honey is straight out the bottle with a spoon.
The Benefits of green propolis and black seed honey in treating and recovering from COVID-19
COVID-19 has changed all of our lives. It has become very clear to all of us that our health is our greatest asset. It is also clear that a healthy, well-regulated immune system is critically important to our survival.
To use an analogy. An immune system is like an army. It needs to attack the enemy in such a way that it causes as little damage to friends and infrastructure as possible. In this regard an army needs to be well trained, have the appropriate weapons and know how to use them.
If we look at an “invasion” by COVID-19 – when the immune system “army” attacks the virus, some people have a well-trained, well regulated “army” to attack the virus and they will be asymptomatic, or at worse, get a little sick and then recover. Imagine clever snipers who just shoot the enemy dead without killing civilians or damaging buildings.
There are some of us however, who have “ill disciplined” soldiers in our immune system, and these will kill COVID-19, but, due to their ill-discipline they will damage “infrastructure” (you) and this damage can kill you.
In other words, in some of our bodies our immune systems are not well regulated and will choose methods of fighting COVID-19 that will harm or kill important parts of our bodies. Imagine your New York gets invaded by 100 pirates. For some reason the snipers don’t have bullets and the army does not have guns so it is decided to kill the pirates with bombs. The pirates die, but civilians and infrastructure also die.
In this example lies the key to understanding how a healthy diet rich in the right ingredients needed to both maintain and regulate the body and its defences is so important. The ingredients in Black Seed Honey with Green Propolis have some of the tools your body needs to mount safe, effective responses to invasions by dangerous viruses and bacteria.
This will work in conjunction with sound medical advice and best practices to help you live a healthy and long life.
We hope you enjoyed this blog. For more interesting honey products and mixes of herbs, spices and honey, check out Apilife.