Propolis Herbal Elixir

With propolis, the format makes all the difference. These are the questions our naturopaths ask in store before picking one off the shelf.

A good fit if

• You want it for your mouth, gums or throat, which is where most of the evidence is
• You'd rather use a mouthwash or lozenge than swallow a capsule
• You want a standardised extract and understand why that matters with propolis
• You've used it before with no reaction

Check with us first if

• You react to bees, bee products, pollen or tree resins, because propolis is a known allergen.
• You're having cancer treatment. Mouth care is worth talking through with your treating team.
• You're thinking of using it for blood sugar alongside diabetes medicine.
• You're buying for a child. There's no safety data for children.
• You've had contact dermatitis from a skin product before.

• Mouthwash. Best known for: Mouth sores from cancer treatment (oral mucositis). This is the clearest result in the evidence. Absorption: Works by direct contact with the lining of the mouth rather than being absorbed into the body. Typical use: The format most of the mouth trials actually used.
• Toothpaste, dentifrice or lozenge. Best known for: Plaque and bacteria levels in the mouth. Absorption: Delivered every day as part of your oral care, with repeated contact. Typical use: Plaque scores improved compared with no-treatment controls across 45 studies.
• Standardised Brazilian green propolis extract. Best known for: A defined, well-characterised extract rather than a raw material that varies. Absorption: Studied at 900 mg a day for 10 days in hospital patients. Typical use: The way around the problem of variable make-up, if that matters to you.
• Tincture. Best known for: The traditional liquid, extracted in alcohol. Absorption: None of the trials we reviewed used a tincture. Typical use: Familiar, but not the format that was studied.
• Capsules. Best known for: Propolis you swallow, studied for blood sugar and markers of inflammation. Absorption: Absorbed into the body rather than working locally. Typical use: This is where the blood sugar evidence sits, rather than the mouth evidence.

Reference values. There's no Nutrient Reference Value for propolis, because it's a hive product, not a nutrient.

Typical supplemental range. Trial doses depend on the format. Trials for mouth ulcers during cancer treatment (oral mucositis) used a propolis mouthwash rather than a set milligram dose. A standardised Brazilian green propolis extract was studied at 900 mg a day for 10 days in people in hospital. The blood sugar review pooled 21 randomised trials using different doses, rather than settling on one.

Upper level. None is set, and Australia's permitted ingredients list (Schedule 1) has no daily dose cap for any form of propolis. The one firm number is a purity limit rather than a dose: lead must be no more than 0.001% of the medicine.

Worth knowing. Match the format to the job: mouthwashes, sprays and lozenges for your mouth and throat, and capsules if you're following the research on swallowed propolis. What you need depends on your age, diet and health, so talk to one of our naturopaths.

If any of these sound like you, talk to one of our naturopaths or your doctor before you start.

• You are allergic to bees, pollen or resins. Propolis is a known allergen, which is why both Australian warnings exist. We found no source that puts a number on how often reactions happen.
• Taking it by mouth. The required warning (PROP2) reads: "Warning: Propolis may cause allergic reactions. If irritation or swelling of the mouth or throat occurs, discontinue use."
• Using it on the skin. The required warning (PROP1) reads: "WARNING: Propolis may cause skin irritation. Test before use".
• Lead content. Schedule 1 caps lead at no more than 0.001% of the medicine, because lead is a listed component of propolis.
• Children. The propolis items have no age limit, but we hold no safety data on propolis in children either.
• You have diabetes and take medicine for it. Propolis lowered fasting glucose and HbA1c in pooled trials, so talk to us before adding it.
• If you take prescription medicines, check with your doctor, pharmacist or our naturopaths before you start.