the science of bee venom therapy.
Bee venom has the potential to shape the future of medicine for a wide range of conditions— Lyme disease, Cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Multiple Sclerosis, and the majority of chronic inflammatory disease. Humans have been using bee venom medicinally for thousands of years and the science is finally beginning to catch up. Bee venom is composed of over 60 different actives that have both individual and synergistic effects, making it one of the most powerful antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, selective cytotoxic, and neuroprotective compounds that exists.
Fig. 2 // Mechanism of antimicrobial activity of honeybee venom on Gram-negative bacteria
Fig. 3 // Administration of live bee venom therapy on a Lyme disease patient’s back.
Fig. 1 // Nervous system of Apis Mellifera (western honeybee). Illustration by Eric Keller.
bee venom therapy for Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is difficult to treat for a few reasons: The Borrelia bacteria that causes Lyme disease is a gram-negative spirochete bacteria that can very easily morph from one generation to the next to evade treatment. It is able to very easily burrow into the body’s tissues, including the brain and central nervous system, allowing it to wreak havoc on the entire body and brain. The Lyme bacteria builds biofilms around itself, which are protective shields that are impenetrable to antibiotics, herbs, and the body’s own immune system. These biofilms allow the bacteria to thrive and remain protected even amidst heavy courses of treatment.
Bee venom is uniquely suited to overcome these obstacles: It contains mellitin, which reliably breaks through the biofilm layer that surrounds the Lyme bacteria and kills it more effectively than antibiotics. It also has anti-morphogenic properties which prevent the bacteria from changing to evade treatment. Bee venom is also able to cross the blood brain barrier and kill the bacteria causing neurological symptoms.
-
Besides killing the Borrelia bacteria, studies have shown bee venom to be effective against many other tick borne coinfections.
-
Bee venom has been shown to improve neuronal communication, which has the potential to relieve brain fog, neuropathy, and memory loss.
-
Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, bee venom has the potential to reduce joint and muscle pain throughout the body.
-
Bee venom has been shown to degranulate biofilms that surround the Lyme bacteria.
-
Bee venom has been shown to create localized inflammation but a systemic anti-inflammatory effect.
-
Bee venom crosses the blood-brain barrier and kills Lyme in the brain and CNS.
