Honey and propolis are natures gift to healing.

Propolis acts as the bees external immune system. It protects the hive against infection and disease, making the hive one of the most sterile environments in nature.

Propolis has many properties that natural healers have used to their advantage for hundreds of years. But what use does it have in today's modern world of man- made drugs and chemicals?

Research all over the world has identified the many valuable properties that propolis has, these include antibacterial, antifungal and even antiviral. These attributes as well as the highly antiseptic value of propolis make it ideal for use against many modern disease challenges.

Many chemical antibiotics destroy all the bacteria in the body, including the friendly bacteria the body needs to defend itself against illness. Propolis on the other hand does not depress the bodies immune system. It works positively to boost the bodies defences. Some harmful strains of bacteria develop a resistance to modern antibiotics. This is further aggravated by the fact that the helpful and healing bacteria have also been destroyed at the same time, enabling the harmful bacteria to become even more potent. Propolis being a natural antibiotic works against the bad bacteria without destroying the friendly bacteria your body needs.

Honey whilst an excellent food source has also over the ages been used to aid in the healing of wounds and burns. Today modern medicine is increasingly recognising the benefits of honey in the fight against disease. The antiseptic properties of honey make it ideal for keeping wounds and external ulcers clean and allowing the body a sterile environment in which to rebuild healthy tissue.

The University of Waikato in New Zealand has done extensive research into the healing qualities of honey. They have found that honey made from the manuka bush has higher antibacterial properties than most other honey. Manuka honey has been found to not only contain hydrogen peroxide produced from an enzyme that bees add to the nectar, but also an additional ingredient that even after more than 20 years of research the university has been unable to pin down.

However they have given it a name, the unique manuka factor or UMF. They may not have been able to clearly identify what it is, but they are able to measure its antibacterial efficacy, by comparing UMF manuka honey with a standard antiseptic (carbolic or phenol) in its ability to fight bacteria. The results are astonishing.

Professor Peter Molan Head of the team said, "It works on bacteria, fungi and protozoa. We haven't found anything it doesn't work on among infectious organisms"

In fact he says UMF manuka honey can even tackle antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria - a growing problem for hospitals around the world.

"Staphylococcus aureus is the most common wound infecting species of bacteria, and that's the most sensitive to honey that we've found. This includes the antibiotic resistant strains - the MRSA - which are just as sensitive to honey as any other staphylococcus aureus" said Professor Molan.

So if you are looking for a natural alternative then propolis and honey can help heal everything from a scratch to a sore throat. The range of propolis products includes cream for external use, tablets as a food supplement to boost the immune system, throat spray for relief from throat infections and propolis liquid for direct application either internally or externally. Particularly useful for the healing of wounds or anything where the body requires a sterile environment to assist in recovery.

As both Propolis and Honey are natural products we do not make any specific medical claims for their use. We would always advise seeking professional medical help before starting any course of treatment for a specific illness. But as more and more scientific research is done with these two remarkable products there is no doubt that their use will become more mainstream. Modern medicines with all their man-made side effects do not always produce the best results and since time began man has found that very often nature has an answer for it's own ills. Propolis and honey are two perfectly natural products that might just be the answer to a lot of our modern disease problems and so we should be grateful for yet another gift from nature.