Propolis

Bee propolis · Brazilian green propolis

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Oral mucositis^{1, 2} Gingivitis^3–8 Glycemic control in diabetes^{9, 10} Blood lipids^{9, 11, 12} Inflammatory markers¹³ Skin wound healing^{14, 15} Proteinuria in chronic kidney disease¹⁶	Allergy to bee products¹⁷ Allergy to poplar or balsam of Peru¹⁷ Warfarin use¹⁸

Propolis is a resinous mixture of plant exudates and beeswax collected by honeybees¹⁸. In adults, oral propolis lowers inflammatory markers and raises antioxidant capacity, the effect behind most supplementation¹³. Uses that follow include cardiometabolic risk markers such as glucose and lipids^{10, 11}, gingivitis and radiotherapy-related oral mucositis, and skin wound healing. Typical patients are adults with type 2 diabetes or head and neck cancer receiving radiotherapy.

Meta-analyses of randomized trials point toward lower glucose, lipids, and inflammatory markers^{10, 11}, though heterogeneity is substantial and certainty low. Dental evidence comes largely from studies with methodological flaws¹⁹. In 2022, a two-center volunteer study in healthcare workers, with an untreated comparison group, found fewer confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases with propolis drops. Roughly 577 products listing propolis are sold in the United States, mostly liquids, with capsules also available; see Form comparison.

Allergy is the main concern, because propolis is a strong contact sensitizer¹⁸. Health Canada labels ask for a practitioner's advice before use in pregnancy or breastfeeding¹⁷.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

73 sources, 64 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources