Apitherapy Or Bee Therapy: What Is It And What Is It Used For?
In apitherapy or bee therapy, the toxin from these insects is used to treat various diseases. It is effective? Are there contraindications? In this space we detail it.
Humans have a very important relationship with bees, not only because of the role that this insect plays in nature, but also because of the use of its products, among which honey, wax, royal jelly, propolis and apitoxin, used in apitherapy.
The latter is an alternative treatment that has been practiced since the times of the Egyptian Empire, as well as in Ancient Greece and ancient China. According to its promoters, bee therapy provides multiple health benefits and, in fact, favors disease prevention.
Now, it is worth wondering if this therapy is supported by scientific research. In this article we will know the answer to this and other related questions. Continue reading!
What is bee venom like?
Although they are not aggressive insects by nature, bees have a way to defend themselves in case of potential aggression. In this sense, they have a stinger, which produces a painful prick. There is no doubt that a bee sting can be an unpleasant experience for anyone.
But it is not only the prick itself that the intruder suffers, but a poison called “apitoxin” is injected. It is composed of substances such as the following:
Amino acids.
Peptides
Lipids
Gucids.
Hyaluronidase.
Melitina.
Phospholipase.
Apamina.
Other proteins.
In small animals, apitoxin can be fatal. However, in larger ones, including humans, the sting of a single bee may not affect it, unless the person is allergic.
Of course, when the dose is increased – that is, if there are many bee stings – this poison can have serious consequences. The tolerable toxin dose varies with the person. Between 100, 200 and 500 bees could cause death.
Even, according to an article published in the Medical Gazette of Mexico, the amount of venom in a bee is variable, as well as the proportion of the components. There are specimens that have 300 ug of apitoxin.
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