The Many Therapeutic Uses of Bee Venom

What’s in a bee sting? Generally, a lot of pain, and for a few people, an allergic reaction. However, scientists are discovering innovative uses for bee sting venom, including a potentially potent anti-cancer treatment.

Let’s take a deeper look at this exciting field of research.

Apitherapy is an alternative therapy that uses honey bee products including bee sting venom to treat a wide array of illnesses.

Specifically, this venom comes from the honey bee Apis mellifera. The medicinal use of bee venom dates back to ancient Greece and Egypt as well as ancient China. Modern interest in bee venom dates back to 1868, when Russian scientists, Lubarski and Lukomski, published their paper “Bee Venom, A Remedy.”

Today, doctors and licensed apitherapists use bee venom to treat chronic and autoimmune diseases. Bee venom can fight inflammation and the destruction of connective tissue in conditions like rheumatism and arthritis. In addition, it can support the body’s natural defenses in conditions like lupus and multiple sclerosis.