Apitherapy
Apitherapy

Background

Apitherapy is the use of honeybee products such as bee pollen, bee venom, honey, "bee glue" used for hive construction (propolis), and special honey used to feed queen bees (royal jelly) for medical purposes. There is no specific training or licensing standard for practitioners of apitherapy in North America. In many instances, apitherapy is practiced by nurses, physicians, acupuncturists, or naturopaths.

Apitherapy is used for multiple sclerosis (MS), osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), pain, and many other conditions, but there is limited scientific evidence to support the use of apitherapy for these uses.
Apitherapy is the use of various beehive products, including honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, and bee venom. See specific products for safety information.

Effectiveness

NatMed Pro rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate.
Likely effective Effectiveness definitions
Possibly effective Effectiveness definitions
Likely ineffective Effectiveness definitions
Possibly ineffective Effectiveness definitions
Insufficient evidence Effectiveness definitions
Apitherapy is the use of various beehive products, including honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, and bee venom. See specific products for effectiveness information.

Dosing & administration

Apitherapy is the use of various beehive products, including honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, and bee venom. See specific products to learn how they are used.

Interactions with pharmaceuticals

It is not known if this treatment interacts with any medicines. Before using this treatment, talk with your health professional if you take any medications.

Interactions with herbs & supplements

There are no known interactions with herbs and supplements.

Interactions with foods

There are no known interactions with foods.

Action

Apitherapy is the use of honeybee products for medical conditions. Different honeybee products are thought to have different actions in the body. See specific products for more information on how they might work for medical uses.
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This monograph was last reviewed on 07/12/2023 11:00:00 and last updated on 10/06/2015 03:30:48. Monographs are reviewed and/or updated multiple times per month and at least once per year.
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