Apitherapy
Alternate names: Apipuncture, Apis Mellifera Venom, Apis Venenum Purum, Apiterapia, Api-therapy, Api-treatment, Apithérapie, Api-Venin-Thérapie, Bee Sting Therapy, Bee Therapy, Bee Treatment, Bee Venom Therapy, BVT, Honey Bee Venom Therapy, Thérapie des Abeilles, Thérapie par Venin d'Abeille, Traitement par Piqûres d'Abeilles
Actions: Bee pollen, Bee venom, Honey, Propolis, Royal jelly
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 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.
Safety Safety definitions
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.
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.
vital.ly has licensed monographs from TRC Healthcare.
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.
Natural Medicines disclaims any responsibility related to medical consequences of using any medical product. Effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this monograph is accurate at the time it was published. Consumers and medical professionals who consult this monograph are cautioned that any medical or product related decision is the sole responsibility of the consumer and/or the health care professional. A legal License Agreement sets limitations on downloading, storing, or printing content from this Database. No reproduction of this monograph or any content from this Database is permitted without written permission from the publisher. It is unlawful to download, store, or distribute content from this site.
Natural Medicines rates safety based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Likely Safe, Possibly Safe, Possibly Unsafe, Likely Unsafe, Unsafe, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate. For more information about Natural Medicines’ Safety Rating System, click here.
The Natural Medicines Effectiveness Ratings are assigned for specific indications. A product might be rated "Possibly Effective" for one condition, but be rated "Likely Ineffective" for another condition, depending on the evidence. For more info click here.
