What Is Apitherapy? It’s Benefit & How It Is A Part Of Ayurveda?
In today’s world full of diseases, it has become difficult for humans to survive without medicines. Medicine has become an important part in our day to day life, be it modern, herbal or homeopathic medicine. People try everything to lead a normal and healthy life. Now if we go back to the ancient time, natural products have been used for many years in traditional medicine. One such natural medicine is ‘Apitherapy’. Apitherapy can be used to treat a number of different conditions. As people are now realizing that allopathy medicine is not the only remedy to get rid of infections in today’s time. So, now if we look back to the past for different ways to treat infection with least side effects, then we find ‘Apitherapy’ is the best solution. As it is a simple, convenient and affordable method to practice.
Introduction
All the existing methods of treatment available to a man should be applied depending on the contra-indications, indications and possibility for a person’s state of getting well completely. Therefore, Apitherapy holds the promise of treating various diseases well and curing the patient. Apitherapy relies on the usage of honeybee products. It is a medical concept based on scientific research providing traditional knowledge of treating the disease. But one should always consider the benefits and risks of the therapy method before its use.
Definition
Apitherapy is a type of therapy that uses the products that directly come from honeybees. It includes the medicinal use of honey, pollen, royal jelly, bee venom and propolis. It is used to treat the disease and its symptoms as well as pain from acute to chronic injuries. These honeybee products promote healing by improving circulation, decreasing inflammation and balancing a healthy immune response of a person. The properties of honeybees and their products for curing the disease are receiving a large amount of attention from doctors and people.
Benefits And Uses Of Apitherapy
1. Relieve arthritis pain
Bee venom therapy (BVT) has been used to help relieve the pain of ‘rheumatoid arthritis’. This is due to its anti inflammatory property and pain relieving effects. BVT can lead to decrease in pain, swelling and stiffness in people with rheumatoid arthritis. It has been found that bee venom therapy can also reduce the need of taking other medications related to arthritis.
2. Heal wounds
Honey has been used for a long time to treat wounds- including both open cuts and burns, due to its anti bacterial, anti inflammatory and pain relieving property. Honey is effective in helping heal wounds while lowering the risk of infection.
3. Benefits for skin health
Application of facial serum containing bee venom, twice daily, reduces wrinkle depth and total wrinkle count as compared to other medical treatments. Studies have shown that bee venom has powerful anti bacterial and anti inflammatory effects against the acne causing bacteria (Propionibacterium acnes).
4. Helps in treating allergies
Apitherapy can help treat allergies in several ways. Honey can comfort a sore throat caused by allergy and act as a natural cough suppressant. Apitherapy helps in treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis and has also proved to have good results in treating asthma.
5. Treat immune and neurologic conditions
Bee venom therapy can be used in the treatment for diseases related to both immune system and neurologic system, including-
- Lupus (Autoimmune disease)
- Parkinson’s disease
- Alzheimer’s disease (Neurological disorder)
- Multiple sclerosis (Disease of brain and spinal cord)
Bee venom boosts the immune system and reduces the symptoms of the above conditions in the body.
6. Regulate thyroid function
Bee venom therapy has been found to help regulate thyroid function in women who have ‘Hyperthyroidism’.
7. Work as a multivitamin
The royal jelly and propolis used in apitherapy contains a large number of vitamins and nutrients. They can be taken in the form of multi vitamins to improve the health and immune system of a person.
8. Has antiviral and antibacterial properties
Components (Melittin and PLA2) present in bee venom has anti microbial activities and thus can be used as complementary antibacterial agent. These components show the effects against bacteria by inducing pores through their membranes.
Is There Any Risk Or Side Effects Of Apitherapy?
This question can arise in anyone’s mind. So the answer to this question is that different methods of apitherapy have different risks. People who are allergic to bee products, all methods of apitherapy can be dangerous for them. Even if you aren’t allergic to bees, it could still lead you to experience negative side effects that includes- headache, cough, muscular weakness. Certain methods of bee venom therapy, such as acupuncture, can lead to pain and redness in some patients.
How Apitherapy Is A Part Of Ayurveda?
As we all know, Ayurveda is an alternative medicinal system with its ancient roots in the Indian subcontinent. Ayurveda therapies have evolved over more than two millennia. Ayurvedic medicines are based on complex herbal compounds, minerals and metal substances. Ayurveda treats patients slowly from the root of the disease, in a chemical free way. Same as in case of ‘Apitherapy’ – It is an alternative medicine as ayurveda, but this therapy uses honey bee products that are completely natural in their own way. This therapy was also practiced in ancient times like ayurveda. Apitherapy is a traditional medical practice like ayurveda which is now being practiced in western culture. In ayurveda, honey is used for both internal and external applications. It is used mainly in the treatment of cough, thirst, asthma, healing wounds and other diseases. So, basically in a way ayurveda involves apitherapy as a part of its treatment.
Conclusion
Bee Venom Therapy (Apitherapy) and bee venom product is a natural treatment that has gained popularity due to its variety of potential health benefits. However, before using bee venom products and undergoing bee venom therapy, be sure to consult a trained medical practitioner for advice, before trying it out.
