Bee venom: A possible cure for AIDS

New posibilities of health treatments with Bee venom. A few years ago, AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) was considered a fatal illness which depleted the quality of life of those who suffered it. Today, modern medicine has developed various different medications and treatments that can improve the quality of life of those who suffer from this disease and slow down its development, thus prolonging patients’ life expectancy considerably.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) attacks the cells of our immune system, affecting the body’s ability to defend against environmental micro-organisms, such as bacteria and fungi, among others. This means that if a person with AIDS comes into contact with these micro-organisms, infections can be more serious and have terrible outcomes.

Since its discovery, medics and scientists have tirelessly sought a cure, however, a common feature of viruses is that they have the ability to mutate and adapt to the treatments, often outlasting them. This difficulty has made it that treatments must be changing and in constant continuous development. On the other hand, bee venom seems to be a more realistic alternative treatment which is currently under studies by the School of Medicine at Washington University. The initial experiment was conducted using cells, but it is expected that the results will be able to be replicated in patients in order to synthesise the beneficial substances contained in bee venom.

What is bee venom?

This substance is secreted by bees as a defence mechanism and in fact, it is commonly used to treat certain diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, lupus erythematosus, psoriasis and vasculitis, among others, with very positive effects.

It consists of a cytotoxic polypeptide melittin which is analgesic, anti-inflammatory and used to treat various autoimmune diseases and, indeed, some cases of cancer.

Bee venom is injected into the body for therapeutic effects. It can be directly injected from a bee sting or extracted from bees for subsequent injection. The latter, of course, should be done by an expert. Often bee venom injections are applied to acupoints, ie acupuncture pressure points.

Bee venom and AIDS

The venom secreted by bees seems to continue to demonstrate its healing capabilities as new applications are discovered. Very encouraging results says it could even be useful for AIDS treatment.

Although its therapeutic functions are still continuing to be investigated, bee venom is reported to have a strong antiviral capacity which can affect the HIV virus, destroying its defence system. The advantage, according to investigations, is that bee venom is selective, i.e. it does not affect healthy cells and its antiviral effect is attributed to melittin, the main component of bee venom. It has also been mentioned that bee venom has nano particles which directly attack the HIV virus and may, in addition, be useful in the treatment of tumours as well.

Experts also advise that using other bee products such as propolis and honey can help to improve the immune system.

Finally, it is important to note that AIDS treatments are not effective due to the virus’ ability to mutate. However, as experts have mentioned, bee venom attacks a property of the virus that is inherent to it and therefore it is not subject to mutations, as the protective layer that covers it is attacked by the venom.

As a result, conclusions of various investigations point to bee venom as a potential cure for AIDS in the future.

Bee venom gel as a preventative measure

Following these promising results on the effect of bee venom on the HIV virus, a product consisting of a vaginal and oral gel has been developed, whose function is to prevent the possible spread of AIDS.

This certainly could be another line of prevention of this disease, as it is a fast acting method.

Other applications for Bee venom

Bee venom for medicinal use is still a debated subject nowadays. However there are many people with various ailments who have benefited greatly from the application of bee venom. It is noteworthy that not only can it be used for therapeutic purposes, but it is also gaining popularity in cosmetic uses too.

Bee venom seems to have positive effects for skin rejuvenation, and if applied properly, it can help to stimulate blood circulation and the production of collagen. It has even been argued that it could be used as a natural alternative to botox, although it should be clarified that it does not operate as a treatment for tensing the skin, but only for the above mentioned treatments.

Thanks to its ability to improve blood circulation, it is also used to treat spider angiomas and varicose veins.

Warnings

Despite its virtues, bee venom is not a suitable treatment for everyone. This is because it can trigger an allergic reaction in some people.

It is advisable to test your reaction before application, which must be done by an expert since allergic reactions can be dangerous.

Revised by: Dra. Loredana Lunadei on 08/30/2018

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