Honey Bee Propolis Chemical: The Next Natural Cancer Treatment?

A natural substance found in beehives may be able to stop the growth of prostate cancer, according to a new study from the University of Chicago Medicine. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a compound found in propolis, a unique resin made by honeybees, and it appears to shut down the growth of tumor cells -- arresting the growth of the cancer.

In the study, mice who ate propolis/CAPE experienced a big reduction in tumor size while those who didn't experienced an increase. One of the best things of all is that the natural compound didn't cause any weight loss in the mice, meaning that it probably has little or no toxicity. Experts believe this research could lead to new ways to stop the growth of early stage cancers, in the prostate and possibly in other parts of the body.

According to the senior of the study, Richard B. Jones, PhD:

"If you feed CAPE to mice daily, their tumors will stop growing. After several weeks, if you stop the treatment, the tumors will begin to grow again at their original pace... [CAPE] doesn't kill the cancer, but it basically will indefinitely stop prostate cancer proliferation."

We say: This news is extremely interesting because bee propolis has been considered a powerful natural health remedy for centuries and is used as a natural cure/treatment for a variety of ailments. Like many alternative health treatments is has been largely ignored by mainstream medicine, especially in the US and Europe. But now there's some very strong scientific evidence that it really does contain some powerful stuff!

Learn some mo': From Beehives to Prostate Cancer Treatment