Kiwi in Pregnancy: Benefits, Side Effects, and More
Bee Venom: Potential Benefits And Side Effects
Bee venom's anti-inflammatory properties may benefit skin health, improve immunity, and relieve arthritis symptoms. However, more research is needed to confirm these potential health benefits.
As the name implies, bee venom is an ingredient derived from bees. It's used as a natural treatment for a variety of ailments.
Proponents of bee venom claim that it offers a wide range of health benefits, from reducing inflammation to treating chronic illnesses. However, research in some of these areas is either lacking or conflicting.
This article takes a research-based look at bee venom, including its ingredients, uses, benefits, and potential side effects.
Bee venom is a colorless, acidic liquid that bees excrete through their stingers into a target when they feel threatened.
According to a 2018 study, bee venom contains both anti-inflammatory and inflammatory compounds.
Melittin — a compound that consists of 26 amino acids — comprises about 50% of the dry weight of the venom. According to this 2017 study and this 2023 review of studies, melittin has been shown to have antiviral, antibacterial, and anticancer effects in mice and in vitro.
Bee venom also contains phospholipase A2, an enzyme and major allergen that causes inflammation and cell damage. However, according to this 2016 study, phospholipase A2 in bee venom may also have anti-inflammatory and immunoprotective effects.
As you can see, the substances in bee venom have been associated with both positive and negative health effects.
It's also worth noting that while some research points to the beneficial properties of certain compounds in bee venom, the isolated effects of each component are unknown, as many components have not been well studied.
Apitherapy is an alternative medicine practice that uses bee products — including their venom — to treat and prevent illnesses, pain, and more.
Although bee venom has recently experienced a surge in popularity, it has been used in both human and animal medicine for thousands of years.
The venom is used in a number of ways and is available in many forms. For example, it's added to products like extracts, supplements, moisturizers, and serums. You can purchase bee-venom products online or in specialty stores.
A 2020 study has also reported the effectiveness of bee-venom injections for inflammation, pain, arthritis, Parkinson's disease, and cancer. However, researchers note that more controlled trials are needed to confirm the therapeutic effectiveness of bee venom for these health issues.
Lastly, bee venom is used in live bee acupuncture or bee-sting therapy — a treatment method thought to relieve pain, according to this 2023 review of studies, in which live bees are placed on your skin and a sting is induced.
Summary
Some substances in bee venom, including melittin and apamin, may have medicinal properties. Bee-venom therapy has been used for thousands of years as a natural treatment for a variety of conditions.
While not all of the purported benefits of bee venom are backed by science, research has shown that it has several powerful medicinal properties.
Has anti-inflammatory properties
One of the most well-documented benefits of bee venom is its powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Many of its components have been shown to reduce inflammation, particularly melittin — its main component.
May reduce arthritis-related symptoms
The anti-inflammatory effects of bee venom have been shown to especially benefit those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a painful inflammatory condition that affects your joints.
A 2018 study of 120 people with RA found that bee-venom acupuncture, which employed 5 to 15 bee stings every other day, provided symptom relief similar to those of traditional RA medications like Methotrexate and Celecoxib.
A 2017 study showed that bee-venom acupuncture, along with traditional medication, significantly reduced pain and improved functional status in 54 patients with chronic lower back pain, compared with the placebo group.
While researchers believe bee venom may have promising therapeutic effects for RA, more high quality studies are needed to confirm these effects.
May benefit skin health
Multiple skin care companies have started adding bee venom to products like serums and moisturizers. This ingredient may promote skin health in several ways, including:
A 2015 12-week study in 22 women, ages 30 to 49, demonstrated that applying a facial serum containing bee venom twice daily significantly reduced wrinkle depth and total wrinkle count, compared with the placebo.
A small 2016 study found that 77% of 30 participants with mild to moderate acne who used a serum containing purified bee venom twice daily experienced an improvement in acne compared with the placebo.
May benefit immune health
Bee venom has been shown to have beneficial effects on immune cells that mediate allergic and inflammatory responses.
Animal research, such as this 2017 study, found that the enzymes in bee venom had anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, and immunity-promoting characteristics.
Other animal research, like this 2015 study, suggests that bee venom therapy suppresses inflammatory response in mice with chemical-induced asthma.
Additionally, venom immunotherapy, in which bee venom is administered by a healthcare professional by injection — is used to treat people with severe allergies to bee stings.
Research has shown that this treatment is safe and effective and can reduce the future risk of serious reactions to bee stings. In fact, it's recommended as a first-line treatment for those who are allergic to the venom.
Summary
Bee venom has powerful anti-inflammatory properties and may benefit the health of your skin and immune system. It may also improve certain medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and chronic pain.
While bee venom has been shown to offer several potential benefits, it's important to note that studies supporting these benefits are limited. In fact, most available research has been conducted on animals or in test tubes.
Thus, it's unclear how effective bee-venom therapy is as an alternative medicinal treatment, as well as whether it's any more effective than traditional treatments for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, chronic pain, or autoimmune diseases.
Certain methods of bee-venom therapy, including acupuncture, can lead to side effects, such as pain, swelling, and redness or discoloration.
Additionally, bee-venom therapy can cause serious side effects or even death in people allergic to bee stings by causing anaphylaxis, a potentially life threatening allergic reaction that can make it hard to breathe.
According to a 2016 study, using topical bee-venom products like serums and moisturizers can also cause adverse reactions in susceptible individuals, such as itching, hives, and redness.
Based on the available research, it's safe to say that adverse reactions — ranging from mild to potentially fatal — are common when using bee venom. For this reason, you should exercise extreme caution when using these products or treatments.
Bee-venom therapy and acupuncture should only be administered by a qualified medical professional.
Summary
Bee venom can cause side effects, ranging from mild to life threatening. Bee-venom therapy should only be administered by medical professionals.
Bee venom is a natural product that has risen in popularity due to its variety of potential health benefits.
It has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, may benefit skin health, and can possibly help treat symptoms related to various health conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis and chronic pain.
However, using bee-venom products or undergoing bee-venom therapy may cause serious side effects, so be sure to practice caution and consult a trained medical professional for advice before trying it out.
Father Dies After Bee Sting
by ROBIN YAPP, Daily Mail
A company director has died ten days after suffering a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting.
Graham Williamson, who was 6ft 5in tall and weighed 17stone, collapsed when the insect stung him on the foot in his back garden on July 9.
He died in hospital at the weekend without ever regaining consciousness.
The 47-year-old father of three, nicknamed 'Hulk' by friends because of his stature, stopped breathing after being stung as he cut the grass at his home in Hampton in Arden, near Solihull, West Midlands.
His wife, Julie, tried to resuscitate him before he was taken to Solihull Hospital.
Speaking shortly afterwards, she said: "I had to give him mouth-to-mouth.
"It was a bit difficult moving him because I am only 5ft 4ins and nine stone, but we have some good neighbours and they helped."
She and the couple's sons - Andy, 16, Matt, 15 and 11-year-old Chris - kept vigil at the hospital where doctors kept the computer firm director sedated in an attempt to give his system time to recover.
Hopes rose when his kidneys started functioning again, but Mr Williamson eventually lost his fight for life.
A hospital spokesman said he had suffered anaphylactic shock after the sting but it was 'highly unlikely' he had been aware of his allergy or he would have kept an emergency pack of adrenaline-filled syringes to counter the effects.
Bee stings trigger the release of chemicals, including histamine, from the immune system into the bloodstream.
An allergic reaction occurs when the body's defence system overreacts, often causing breathing difficulties, low blood pressure and a swelling of the face, tongue, mouth and lips, so that the airways become obstructed.
Death can come from heart failure.
Mr Williamson had played for Knowle and Dorridge Cricket Club for more than ten years and was captain of its Second XI.
A club spokesman described him as 'a fine upstanding guy and a good cricketer'.
He added: "Our hearts go out to his family."
On average, four people die as a result of allergic reactions to bee or wasp stings in the UK each year.
Businessman Mike McShane, a 48-year-old father of two, died in front of his wife Lesley after being stung on the neck by a bee near his cottage in the Scottish Highlands last month.
It is believed he also suffered anaphylactic shock.
r.Yapp@dailymail.Co.Uk
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The sun is out and you're probably outdoors more often, so what do you need to know about bee and wasp stings? Well, apart from that they hurt!
Different stingsAlthough a bee dies after it has issued its sting, wasps and other stinging flying insects do not and, if trapped, can cause several stings before you can do anything about it.If your child has been stung inside her mouth or on her lip, seek medical advice as soon as possible because there may be a chance that swelling will hamper breathing.
Symptoms of a stingA red swelling will appear immediately in the spot where the insect has stung and this can cause a throbbing pain and feel very tender. This will pass over the hours that follow and almost certainly present no discomfort by the next day.If the child has been stung several times (but not just once or twice), there is a danger that the body might have taken in too much of the insect's poison ('venom'). The child might get a fever or be sick, which means that suspected intake on this scale should be checked out by a medical professional.
Treatment for stingsHome remedies include dabbing malt vinegar (the kind you put on chips!) on the wound. This immediately reduces swelling and discomfort. (This worked very well for us when our poor daughter was stung by a bee at her first birthday party. It is useful to bear in mind if you are in a park, and there might be a cafe nearby.)Baking soda has also been recommended, rubbed lightly onto the skin around the wound.A cold compress or ice wrapped in a flannel (so it doesn't burn the skin) can help reduce the swelling and throbbing sensation.There are many insect bite treatments on the market but make sure you choose one which is suitable for infants, if you want to keep one in your cupboard at home.If your child has been stung by a bee, there may still be a 'stinger' (which looks a lot like a splinter) in the wound. Remove this as quickly as you can, by scraping a blunt flat instrument like a blunt knife or your fingernail across the wound to sweep it out. If you squeeze on the stinger, the danger is that you will cause more poison to ooze out into the wound before you get it out.
Allergic reactionsIf you already know your child is allergic to stings and bites, you will no doubt have a pre-prepared treatment with you at all times in case such an incident occurs.If you do not know if your child reacts badly to stings, bear in mind the following danger signs. When stung, she may get: an itchy, blotchy and irregular raised rash; she may have breathing difficulties; the swelling may seem extreme and does not go down after a few hours; there may be swelling to other parts of the body (including the tongue); her face may swell up. If you experience any of these symptoms you should seek medical help as soon as possible.If it possible your child has simply had a bad reaction and not an allergic one. But you should be advised on this by a doctor and act accordingly in the future. (In extreme, long-term allergy cases of this kind, treatment can be given in the form of vaccine.)
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AvoidanceTeach your child that bees, wasps etc do sting and should be avoided. That they should not be taunted or played with and that they should not be trapped. Also, that you child should draw an adult's attention to the flying enemy in case it crawls into a shoe (for example) and remains there unseen.HOWEVER, do not scare a child so that he or she is hysterical when a bee or wasp is spotted. Calm avoidance is far better and it will make the child easy to treat if they do suffer a sting.
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