Apitherapy
Encyclopedia
Apitherapy is the medical use of honey bee
products. This can include the use of honey
, pollen
, bee bread
, propolis
, royal jelly
, apilarnil and bee venom.
Most claims of apitherapy have not been proved to the scientific standards of evidence-based medicine
and are anecdotal in nature. A wide variety of conditions and diseases have been suggested by believers in the therapy as candidates for it, the most well-known being bee venom therapy for autoimmune diseases and multiple sclerosis
.
and Quran. These are mostly attributed to nutritional benefits of consumption of bee-products and not use of bee venom.
The more modern study of apitherapy, specifically bee venom, was initiated through the efforts of Austrian physician Phillip Terc in his published results "Report about a Peculiar Connection Between the Bee sting
s and Rheumatism
" in 1888. More recent popularity can be drawn to Charles Mraz (1905-1999) a beekeeper
from Vermont, United States over the past 60 years. (Also see Bodog Beck
, M.D.)
the term is most commonly associated with bee venom therapy and not the consumption of honey or other bee products.
Bee venom therapy is claimed to be of use in arthritis, bursitis, tendinitis, dissolving scar tissue (e.g. keloids), and Herpes zoster
, among other illnesses.
The most abundant active component of the venom is melittin
, which has many useful properties, including powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-viral actions. However, bee venom is a complex mix of a variety of peptides and proteins, some of which have strong neurotoxic and immunogenic
effects.
There is no standardized practice for the administration of bee venom. Some purport that the location of the sting is important, with the sting acting as a sort of acupuncture
in combination with the effects of the venom, while others report the location is not important. The number of stings also varies widely from a few to hundreds and they may be administered either by live bees or by injection. This treatment can cause pain, and even result in death if the subject has an allergy to bee venom, which can produce anaphylactic shock.
, the animal model
for multiple sclerosis
. Additionally many of the animals expressed worse symptoms than those in the placebo groups.
A Phase I study at Georgetown University Medical Center
funded by the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) was geared towards safety in administering bee venom treatments to humans with multiple sclerosis. According to the authors, the study indicated "there was little evidence to support the use of honeybee venom in the treatment of MS" and that further study would be required to establish efficacy
.
A study at University Medical Center, Groningen, The Netherlands, involved supervised bee sting therapy (using live bees) administered to 26 patients over a period of 24 weeks, in comparison with a 24-week period with no treatment. They concluded: In this trial, treatment with bee venom in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis did not reduce disease activity, disability, or fatigue and did not improve quality of life.
Honey bee
Honey bees are a subset of bees in the genus Apis, primarily distinguished by the production and storage of honey and the construction of perennial, colonial nests out of wax. Honey bees are the only extant members of the tribe Apini, all in the genus Apis...
products. This can include the use of honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
, pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
, bee bread
Bee bread
Bee bread or bee pollen is a food supplement consisting of pollen that has been packed by worker honeybees into granules, with added honey or nectar....
, propolis
Propolis
Propolis is a resinous mixture that honey bees collect from tree buds, sap flows, or other botanical sources. It is used as a sealant for unwanted open spaces in the hive. Propolis is used for small gaps , while larger spaces are usually filled with beeswax. Its color varies depending on its...
, royal jelly
Royal jelly
Royal jelly is a honey bee secretion that is used in the nutrition of larvae, as well as adult queens. It is secreted from the glands in the hypopharynx of worker bees, and fed to all larvae in the colony....
, apilarnil and bee venom.
Most claims of apitherapy have not been proved to the scientific standards of evidence-based medicine
Evidence-based medicine
Evidence-based medicine or evidence-based practice aims to apply the best available evidence gained from the scientific method to clinical decision making. It seeks to assess the strength of evidence of the risks and benefits of treatments and diagnostic tests...
and are anecdotal in nature. A wide variety of conditions and diseases have been suggested by believers in the therapy as candidates for it, the most well-known being bee venom therapy for autoimmune diseases and multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
.
History
The exact origins of apitherapy are difficult to pinpoint and can be traced back, in a general sense, to ancient Egypt, Greece and China. Use of honey and other bee products can be traced back thousands of years and healing properties are included in many religious texts including the Veda, BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and Quran. These are mostly attributed to nutritional benefits of consumption of bee-products and not use of bee venom.
The more modern study of apitherapy, specifically bee venom, was initiated through the efforts of Austrian physician Phillip Terc in his published results "Report about a Peculiar Connection Between the Bee sting
Bee sting
A bee sting is strictly a sting from a bee . In the vernacular it can mean a sting of a bee, wasp, hornet, or yellow jacket. Some people may even call the bite of a horse-fly a bee sting...
s and Rheumatism
Rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.-Terminology:...
" in 1888. More recent popularity can be drawn to Charles Mraz (1905-1999) a beekeeper
Beekeeper
A beekeeper is a person who keeps honey bees for the purposes of securing commodities such as honey, beeswax, pollen, royal jelly; pollinating fruits and vegetables; raising queens and bees for sale to other farmers; and/or for purposes satisfying natural scientific curiosity...
from Vermont, United States over the past 60 years. (Also see Bodog Beck
Bodog Beck
Bodog Beck was an American physician. He became famous for his studies about apitherapy....
, M.D.)
Clinical practice
While apitherapy encompasses use or consumption of bee products, in the AnglosphereAnglosphere
Anglosphere is a neologism which refers to those nations with English as the most common language. The term can be used more specifically to refer to those nations which share certain characteristics within their cultures based on a linguistic heritage, through being former British colonies...
the term is most commonly associated with bee venom therapy and not the consumption of honey or other bee products.
Bee venom therapy is claimed to be of use in arthritis, bursitis, tendinitis, dissolving scar tissue (e.g. keloids), and Herpes zoster
Herpes zoster
Herpes zoster , commonly known as shingles and also known as zona, is a viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters in a limited area on one side of the body, often in a stripe...
, among other illnesses.
The most abundant active component of the venom is melittin
Melittin
Melittin is the principal active component of apitoxin and is a powerful stimulator of phospholipase A2. Melittin is a peptide consisting of 26 amino acids with the sequence GIGAVLKVLTTGLPALISWIKRKRQQ.-Biological effects:...
, which has many useful properties, including powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-viral actions. However, bee venom is a complex mix of a variety of peptides and proteins, some of which have strong neurotoxic and immunogenic
Antigen
An antigen is a foreign molecule that, when introduced into the body, triggers the production of an antibody by the immune system. The immune system will then kill or neutralize the antigen that is recognized as a foreign and potentially harmful invader. These invaders can be molecules such as...
effects.
There is no standardized practice for the administration of bee venom. Some purport that the location of the sting is important, with the sting acting as a sort of acupuncture
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
in combination with the effects of the venom, while others report the location is not important. The number of stings also varies widely from a few to hundreds and they may be administered either by live bees or by injection. This treatment can cause pain, and even result in death if the subject has an allergy to bee venom, which can produce anaphylactic shock.
Scientific research
In a controlled study from Allegheny University of the Health Sciences in Philadelphia, bee venom was found to have no positive effects at any dosage in mice with Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitisExperimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, sometimes Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis is an animal model of brain inflammation. It is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system...
, the animal model
Animal model
An animal model is a living, non-human animal used during the research and investigation of human disease, for the purpose of better understanding the disease without the added risk of causing harm to an actual human being during the process...
for multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
. Additionally many of the animals expressed worse symptoms than those in the placebo groups.
A Phase I study at Georgetown University Medical Center
Georgetown University Medical Center
Georgetown University Medical Center is the medical campus at Georgetown University. It is also a $225 million biomedical research and educational organization. The Medical Center contains over 80% of Georgetown University's sponsored research funding and is led by Howard J...
funded by the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) was geared towards safety in administering bee venom treatments to humans with multiple sclerosis. According to the authors, the study indicated "there was little evidence to support the use of honeybee venom in the treatment of MS" and that further study would be required to establish efficacy
Efficacy
Efficacy is the capacity to produce an effect. It has different specific meanings in different fields. In medicine, it is the ability of an intervention or drug to reproduce a desired effect in expert hands and under ideal circumstances.- Healthcare :...
.
A study at University Medical Center, Groningen, The Netherlands, involved supervised bee sting therapy (using live bees) administered to 26 patients over a period of 24 weeks, in comparison with a 24-week period with no treatment. They concluded: In this trial, treatment with bee venom in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis did not reduce disease activity, disability, or fatigue and did not improve quality of life.
External links
- Apitherapy from American Cancer SocietyAmerican Cancer SocietyThe American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
- Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Bee Venom Study
Advocates
- German Apitherapy Society
- American Apitherapy Society
- Romanian Apitherapy Society
- Hungarian Apitherapy Society
Critical
- Bee Venom Therapy - By Steven NovellaSteven NovellaSteven P. Novella is an American clinical neurologist, assistant professor and Director of General Neurology at Yale University School of Medicine...
MD, President of the New England Skeptical SocietyNew England Skeptical SocietyThe New England Skeptical Society is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting science and reason. It was originally founded in January 1996 as the Connecticut Skeptical Society...