What is PROPOLIS?

Propolis is a sticky resin that oozes from the buds of certain trees. It is collected by bees in their pollen baskets and brought back to the hive to use as a caulking material to fill unwanted holes or openings. More importantly, bees use Propolis to line the interior of brood cells in order to prepare them for the Queen bee to lay her eggs. Its powerful antiseptic properties insure a hospital-clean environment for the rearing of offspring. Propolis is also used to "sanitise" the hive, preventing outbreaks of disease, and it is used to encase the bodies of invaders that are too large to be carried out of the hive after they have been killed.

The word "Propolis" is thought to have been coined by Aristotle (384 - 322 BC) and is derived from two Greek words; "pro" meaning for or before, and "polis", meaning city. Hippocrates, a Greek physician credited as being the father of medicine, used it extensively as a natural antibiotic, and the great scholar Pliny (23 - 79 AD) described it in his comprehensive work ‘Natural History’ as being able to reduce swellings, soften indurations (hard tissues), soothe sinew pain and heal sores that otherwise seem impossible to mend.

An analysis of Propolis shows that it contains some 150 complex compounds, amongst them bioflavonoids, a whole range of vitamins including A, B1, B2, B7, E, C, H, P, D, folic acid and nicotinic acids, and minerals including iron, copper, zinc, manganese, aluminum, magnesium, cobalt, vanadium, strontium, silicon and calcium.

Propolis is well known for its anti-styptic, anaesthetic and astringent qualities. It provides quick wound healing properties and may be used in the treatment of ulcers and symptoms of colds and flu.

Bees have used Propolis for millions of years and it can certainly be credited for their survival as a species for so long. Humans have only been aware of its uses for mere thousands of years and we are now discovering further benefits from it.

Health and Beauty from the Hive

Chalmers Dale uses Propolis collected in Australia that is certified to be free from lead and other heavy metals. The fact that Propolis comes from tree and plant sources collected by bees makes it extremely important that there be no contamination from either pesticides or heavy metals. Once included in Propolis, these pesticides or heavy metals are difficult to remove and there are no known processes that can purify Propolis without removing certain important components, thereby making it less effective.

The Propolis extract that Chalmers Dale uses has been purified using a unique process of "cryogenic" filtration, whereby the extract is subjected to extremely low temperatures, where impurities can be crystallised and filtered out. The result is an extract that is extremely pure in nature, possessing all the attributes of Propolis without the impurities.

Chalmers Dale use standardised pure Propolis extract to ensure the consistency of the products.

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