Propolis and honey from the Swiss mountains: bee power against colds
31.12.2025
Translation: machine translated
Hardly any other natural substance has such superpowers as propolis. The resinous mass, produced by bees, supports the body's natural defences against viruses and bacteria.
High humidity, temperatures of 35 degrees, cramped conditions, thousands of bodies crowded together - on a cruise ship, these would be the best conditions for a party with the norovirus as the star. The same conditions prevail in a beehive. Here, however, diseases have little chance of damaging the bee colony. The reason: propolis.
Bees collect plant resins from tree buds and bark, then mix them with wax, pollen and the body's own saliva secretions. The enzymes contained in the saliva turn the mixture into a sticky, versatile substance.
The bees use it to inhibit the spread and effect of introduced bacteria, fungi and harmful microorganisms as well as pollutants. For example, the bees coat the honeycomb cells in which the brood grows with a thin film of propolis. Foreign bodies that the bees cannot get out of the hive are wrapped in propolis and encapsulated. The polyphenols in propolis support the body's own protective mechanisms, which has an anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antifungal effect.
We humans have known about propolis for a long time. Beekeepers scrape it out of cracks. Sometimes a special grid is also placed in the hive. The bees don't like cracks in their hive and fill them with propolis.
There is a whole list of things that the polyphenols in the miracle cure propolis are supposed to do. Here is a small selection:
- Antioxidant effect: Animal studies have shown that oxidative stress is reduced in rats when so-called prenylated flavonoids, a substance in propolis, are active in their bodies. Less oxidative stress protects against cell and tissue damage and slows down ageing.
- Antiviral effect: Tests have shown that individual ingredients in propolis reduce the load of rhino and herpes viruses.
- Promoting wound healing: The substances apigenin and luteolin are said to accelerate wound healing
- Promoting intestinal health: Studies show that taking propolis increases bifidobacteria (butyrate producers) and has a positive effect on intestinal health.
However, the truth is that the effectiveness has not yet been proven in such a way that a health-related advertising claim would be permissible, as the consumer advice centre explains. The fact that propolis powders of dubious Chinese origin occasionally attract negative attention is not really good advertising either.
Organic, sustainable and highly concentrated
You can now get your portion of locally produced propolis at Galaxus in the form of capsules or blends of honey and propolis from the company Bee People. Until now, the products have primarily been sold in selected pharmacies and drugstores.
Nutritional supplements
CHF54.90
Bee People Honig & Propolis Kapseln Nachfüllbeutel (60 Stk)
60 pcs., Capsules
The founders of Bee People are Daniel Meyer and his wife Marie. They live in the Engadin. The products are also produced in the region. The honey comes from beekeepers in the Ticino mountains and the propolis from Italy. Bee People works exclusively with beekeepers who are committed to ethical beekeeping.
You can find more information on the positive effects of propolis and the polyphenols it contains on the Bee People website. It's all pleasantly free of Marketing blah-blah, but focussed on scientifically reliable data and results from clinical tests.
I find it exciting that Bee People is very transparent about the proportion of effective polyphenol compounds in the product. As Daniel Meyer explains to me, the polyphenol content is crucial, whereas information on the amount of propolis or extract is actually meaningless «» . Raw propolis is available in different qualities with any concentration of polyphenols. In other words: capsules with 600 milligrams of propolis extract may contain fewer polyphenols than those with 100 milligrams.
However, it is difficult or at least expensive to determine the polyphenol content. Most manufacturers do not provide this information. The reason could also be that the content is often tiny. There are exceptions: Arkopharma states that each capsule contains 342 milligrams of propolis extract, of which 17.5 milligrams are polyphenols. For comparison: a Bee People capsule contains 24 milligrams of polyphenols - with 200 milligrams of propolis extract.
Absorption is crucial for effectiveness
Another factor that plays a role in whether propolis is beneficial: bioavailability, also known as absorption. This is about how well the human body can absorb the substances. Daniel Meyer explains that the Bee People capsules achieve a value of over 70 per cent here, thanks to a patented process. In contrast, the value for ten other products that they had tested was only between six and nine per cent.
And if, instead of swallowing capsules, you just want to eat a honey roll again that tastes like grandma used to make with her honey from the local beekeeper - you can do that too. I particularly recommend organic lime honey enriched with propolis. Sure, it's not cheap, but I savoured every spoonful like no other honey - and I also got propolis as a health booster.
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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