Honey and bee venom fights tumors – new research

30 May 2005

Honey and bee products including bee venom could one day be used to help prevent cancer, new research* suggests. Bee venom and honey significantly decreased tumor growth and spreading (metastasis) in mice when they were applied orally or by injection.

Researchers at the University of Zagreb say it’s too soon to tell whether taking honey in your tea can reduce the risk of cancer, but their findings suggest that adding honey or other bee products to traditional chemotherapy could have benefits.

The study tested the effects of isolated honey, propolis, royal jelly and bee venom on tumor cells implanted in mice.

In the prevention studies, the honeybee products were administered before inoculation with the tumor cells. In the curative studies, the products were administered after tumor inoculation.

When bee venom was injected into the tumor, it shrunk and growth was delayed.
Mice treated with bee venom survived longer than control mice.

A number of studies have pointed up the cancer fighting potential of honeybee products.
Honey has been shown to boost antioxidants, which neutralize free radicals, byproducts of normal cell metabolism which can cause joint damage and contribute to cancer and heart disease.

An active component in bee venom called melittin may keep cancer cells from growing.

Three of the seven animals given bee venom showed complete remission, according to the study.

*Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, December 2004

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