Apitherapy
From Free net encyclopedia
Apitherapy is the medical use of honeybee products. This can include the use of honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, 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 that Apitherapy can cure or help with, though most associated is bee venom therapy (BVT) for autoimmune diseases and Multiple Sclerosis.
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History
The exact origins of Apitherapy is difficult to pinpoint and can be traced back 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, Bible and Koran.
The more modern study of apitherapy was initiated through the efforts of Austrialian physician Phillip Terc in his published results "Report about a Peculiar Connection Between the Beestings and Rheumatism" in 1888. More recent popularisation can be drawn to Charles Mraz a beekeeper from Vermont, United States over the past 60 years.
Clinical Practice
While many areas of apitherapy is often just consuming bee products, bee venom treatments involve being stung numerous times. There is no standardized practice as some proport the location is important and is likely a combination of Accupuncture while others report the location is not important. Number of stings also varies wildly from a few to hundreds. Extreme caution should be used before considering this, as Anaphylactic shock can kill.
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 EAE, the animal model for Multiple Sclerosis. Additionally many of the animals expressed worse symptoms from the placebo groups. [1]
Phase I of a study at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC, funded by the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) was geared towards saftey in humans with Multiple Sclerosis. [2]
Saftey and Risks
Before considering any kind of Bee Venom Treatment, you should consult your doctor. Dosage and many other factors of bee venom can range from extreme pain to even death.