Professor Lu Zetian, executive director of China Beekeeping Society and China Bee Products Association.
In recent years, propolis has attracted more and more attention, especially the attention of diabetic patients, because of its prominent "homology of medicine and food". However, with more and more propolis products on the market, many consumers feel helpless in the face of different brands and different prices. In this regard, I will answer a few questions that many consumers care about, hoping to help everyone.
What is propolis? What pharmacological effects does propolis have?
Propolis is a gelatinous substance made by mixing the resin collected by bees from gum plants with the secretions of mandibular gland, tongue gland and wax gland of bees. Studies at home and abroad and clinical studies have confirmed that the functions of propolis can be summarized as six resistances, four declines, one increase, one purification, one beauty promotion, that is, anti-infection, anti-virus, anti-tumor, anti-oxidation, anti-fatigue and anti-radiation; Reduce blood lipid, blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol; Enhancing immunity, scavenging free radicals, caring skin and promoting tissue regeneration. Among them, propolis has the most remarkable function of inhibiting and killing bacteria, fungi and viruses, and it is a precious natural broad-spectrum antibiotic.
2. Do I need to see a doctor to treat a disease with propolis?
Some people say, since propolis has so many functions, can you not see a doctor? This is obviously wrong. If you have a disease, you must first be diagnosed by a doctor. Don't judge yourself blindly and delay treatment. Secondly, after the diagnosis, we should listen to and respect the doctor's treatment, and at the same time, supplemented by propolis treatment, which can achieve better results. Of course, if it is health care, taking some propolis often will be good for your health.
3. What is the difference between alcohol-soluble propolis and water-soluble propolis?
At present, there are two kinds of propolis products circulating in the market. One is water-soluble propolis; The other is alcohol, called alcohol-soluble or alcohol-soluble propolis. It should be pointed out that if propolis is to be completely dissolved in alcohol, the alcohol concentration needs to be above 75%. According to the relevant regulations of the Ministry of Health, the alcohol content in food and health food should not exceed 38%. When using alcohol as solvent, you must use medicine or edible alcohol, not industrial alcohol, which contains methanol harmful to human body. The difference between the two propolis solutions is the comparison between water and alcohol. When your skin is broken, propolis alcohol solution is better than water solution, because alcohol also has antibacterial effect. If it is taken orally, water-soluble propolis is better than alcohol-soluble propolis: (1) alcohol is easy to make people allergic. (2) Alcohol is irritating, and patients with gastroenteritis should not be stimulated by alcohol; (3) The liver detoxification function of hepatitis patients is poor, and even a small amount of drinking is not conducive to detoxification.
4. Why do some propolis liquids feel very hot in your mouth?
Propolis is insoluble in water. If propolis is simply extracted with water, a large number of fat-soluble components cannot be extracted naturally. Although it can be treated to increase its water solubility, this extract is by no means true propolis. Some manufacturers often add sodium carbonate and sodium hydroxide to increase the solubility of propolis when using water as the main solvent. This method has great defects: first, the low leaching rate of propolis causes waste of resources, and if the sediment is reused, the product quality will be greatly affected; Secondly, high temperature is often needed in the extraction process, which is easy to destroy the activity of some components in propolis; Thirdly, the PH value of the extract is alkaline, which affects the stability of propolis and its absorption by human body. Fourth, it is easy to cause the human body to ingest more sodium, which has adverse effects on the heart. So sodium carbonate and sodium hydroxide can't be used to dissolve propolis.
It's no secret that some manufacturers use lye to dissolve propolis. The PH value of the so-called water-soluble propolis solution is as high as 9 or above, and consumers will definitely feel hot when taking it. In order to distinguish whether propolis solution is dissolved by alkaline solution, acidic substances, such as vinegar, can be dripped into propolis solution. If foam reaction occurs, sodium carbonate is likely to be used as a cosolvent, and carbon dioxide, salt and water will be produced during neutralization reaction. For example, the propolis solution dissolved with sodium hydroxide as cosolvent, although there is no foam when neutralized, will also produce salt and water, and the taste is salty. Soft capsules can also be tested in the same way, just squeeze their contents into a cup and add water. Because the products made of sodium carbonate and sodium hydroxide have low production cost and attractive price, operators and consumers should pay attention to identification when purchasing. Secondly, many manufacturers achieve the purpose of water solubility of propolis by adding emulsifier. Emulsification technology is often used in food and drug production, but since the HLB (Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance Point) of propolis has not been finalized, Tween and Span emulsifiers are often used as substitutes, which may easily lead to excessive addition of emulsifiers, exceeding the relevant emulsifier addition standards, and will have side effects on human body after long-term use.
It is not that there is no qualified water-soluble propolis without emulsifier, which requires special technology. At present, only a few domestic manufacturers have this technology. It is necessary to carry out a series of technical treatments on the extract to overcome the problems of high PH value, liquid stratification, precipitation and concentration adjustment. The water-soluble propolis made by this technology has good water solubility and high bioavailability, and the effective components of propolis can be more fully absorbed by human body, so consumers can take it with confidence.
5. Why are the prices of the same propolis solution very different?
The same product has different prices, which is also a normal phenomenon in the market economy. The quality of a product is often not the price, but the content. When the supply price of propolis producers is lower than or very close to the normal production cost, everyone should pay special attention to the quality of their products. As for some so-called "imported" propolis, according to a comment by a person in charge of the National Center for Food Hygiene Supervision and Inspection, "Most of the' foreign health products' hidden in the market have not yet obtained the' access certificate' for selling in the domestic market. Many "foreign health products" are smuggled in. These products have escaped the supervision of the national quality inspection and supervision department, and the quality is difficult to guarantee, even endangering the health and safety of consumers. " Tests have proved that the quality of some so-called "imported" propolis products is not as good as that of domestic products with good quality. In this regard, consumers need to pay attention to their consumption choices and should not blindly worship foreign things.
As a diabetic, when choosing propolis, we should combine our own situation and use it scientifically under the guidance of a doctor. I hope that in the near future, better and better propolis products will appear to benefit the majority of diabetic patients.
Editor's Note: Recently, propolis has become a topic that people often talk about, and the editorial department has been receiving letters from some readers asking about the specific situation of propolis. In the column of "Expert Clinic" in the third issue of our magazine in 2004, the problem of propolis was briefly explained, but some readers still want to introduce it in detail. To this end, we invited Professor Lv Zetian, the executive director of China Beekeeping Society and China Bee Products Association, to write a special article to explain propolis from all aspects. I believe that after reading it, you will have a more comprehensive understanding of propolis products. In addition, we also remind diabetics once again that propolis products are health products for everyone to choose from. At the same time, we should pay attention to the detection of blood sugar, and we should not stop using hypoglycemic drugs on our own, so as to further observe and summarize the long-term effect.
Shenqi propolis
Chi Jiaping, 306th Hospital of PLA
Propolis, as a kind of health food, has attracted wide attention of diabetic patients.
Propolis is a natural substance collected by bees from buds and branches of some plants (such as pine trees), which is mixed with pollen and bees' own secretions. Propolis contains many substances secreted by animals and plants, and its chemical composition is complex. Studies have proved that propolis contains more than 20 kinds and more than 300 kinds of natural ingredients, including a variety of essential trace elements, amino acids, aromatic compounds and flavonoids, as well as rich bioactive components such as organic acids, terpenoids, vitamins, enzymes and polysaccharides. Propolis is rich in flavonoids and terpenoids, which is the biggest feature of propolis. It endows propolis with many wonderful and unique biological functions. Propolis has a complex composition and a wide range of functions, which surprised scientists. It is impossible to synthesize similar products artificially.
Flavonoids are the main active substances in propolis. Studies have proved that propolis can improve immune function, promote wound healing and tissue repair, and diminish inflammation.
Excessive free radicals and lipid peroxides in human body are related to diseases. Studies have proved that flavonoids in propolis have the functions of anti-oxidation and improving immunity.
In fact, the significance of propolis lies not in its hypoglycemic effect, but in its comprehensive therapeutic effect. Propolis has no effect on insulin secretion, nor does it play a role by changing the secretion of islet cells.
Propolis is rich in water-soluble fiber, which can prevent and improve various infections, soften blood vessels, improve microcirculation and prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications. Flavonoids and terpenoids have the effects of improving capillary permeability and reducing blood viscosity, as well as the immunomodulatory effect of propolis, which has a positive effect on treating diabetes and its complications.
The cases we observed found that propolis has a therapeutic effect on periodontitis or oral fungal infection, and taking propolis can improve the symptoms of hunger, fatigue and limb weakness of diabetic patients.
The treatment of propolis is summarized as follows:
1. Propolis contains flavonoids and terpenoids, which can regulate metabolism and enhance immunity. ;
2. Propolis has broad-spectrum antibacterial and tissue regeneration promoting effects;
3. Propolis is a strong natural antioxidant, which can significantly reduce the damage of free radicals to cells;
4. Propolis can improve blood circulation and protect blood vessels, which is an important factor to control diabetic complications;
5. Propolis is rich in trace elements and plays an important role in the adjuvant treatment of diabetes.
From the current research situation, people with diabetes can use propolis as a health care treatment. There are three points to remind patients: first, patients who use hypoglycemic drugs or insulin should not stop using hypoglycemic drugs after taking propolis; Second, during taking propolis, we should insist on regular blood sugar monitoring. Third, the beneficial effects found so far are still short-term. What is its long-term effect? Need further observation.