Almost all beekeeping products have many unique properties - each of them is used to some extent by people. Among them, one of the most important products is propolis.
It is also called bee glue, since bees use it to seal the hive and protect it from all kinds of diseases and pests. This material will be devoted to how propolis tincture is prepared at home, its most popular recipes.
Composition and properties of propolis
Propolis is a healing substance with a wide range of actions. Its composition may differ, and not necessarily in different hives, it may vary even within the same hive. As a rule, its lower saturation is observed at the opening of the notch and on the frames located closest because of the presence of a greater amount of wax.
Propolis is a complex combination drug, which includes a large number of different elements. By classification, they can be divided into several groups:
1) vegetable resins - their number is about 50% of the total composition of propolis, which includes such organic acids as benzoic, ferulic, coffee and others. These substances have increased bioactivity and are able to fight inflammation and viruses, as well as heal wounds;
2) balsamic substances - mainly consist of tannins, which can inhibit the development of pathogenic microflora and help wounds heal faster;
3) essential oils. It is their presence that gives propolis a familiar smell and a sharp bitter taste;
4) waxes. Their number can vary, even in the same hive.
Such a rich composition gives the right to call propolis one of the most popular medicines from beekeeping. However, on the other hand, such a complex composition complicates the manufacturing process.
Propolis, like tincture from it, is a very useful medicine and can become a panacea for many diseases. There are actually quite a lot of recipes for propolis tincture, in different parts it is prepared in its own way, but we present to your attention the most popular recipes.
Classic propolis tincture at home
The most familiar version of the tincture is the classic. To make it, we need 10 g of propolis and 1 liter of 70 or 90% alcohol.
The cooking process looks like this:
1. First of all, we need to get a real propolis. You can buy it from beekeepers or specialized stores. Fresh product should crumple well, like plasticine. Please note: if propolis has hardened and has a dark color - the question regarding its freshness remains open. However, in this case it is not so important, since any product is suitable for preparing tinctures.
2. After propolis, you need to grind it well. It is much more difficult to work with a fresh product, since it does not crumble as well as the old one. The largest pieces can be ground on a grater.
3. Pour the finished powder into a pre-prepared bottle, into which we pour over alcohol of our own preparation or purchased at a pharmacy (over the second option is preferable).
4. In order for the tincture to unfold completely and the effect of it to be maximal, it should stand for at least 15 days in a dry, dark room. Also, do not forget to shake the bottle with the mixture a couple of times a day, so propolis dissolves much faster in alcohol.
5. When the settling period has passed and the tincture is ready, it should be filtered through several gauze layers. On this, the manufacturing procedure can be considered completed. All that remains for us is to put the tincture in the refrigerator for storage.
As we see, the process of preparing propolis tincture at home on alcohol is quite simple. Next, we will analyze other popular recipes.
Propolis tincture at home on vodka
To prepare tincture of vodka, we need 80 g of propolis and 0.5 of any vodka.
So, we take the product, put it in the dishes and add on top of 0.5 vodka, preferably of high quality.
Then we expose the mixture in a dry, dark room and wait 15 days, without forgetting to mix it from time to time.
Propolis tincture at home: an accelerated recipe for vodka
If you do not have time to wait 15 days, and the tincture is needed now, you can use the instant recipe. In order to get the tincture as quickly as possible, you need to take 100 g of propolis, chop it well, put it in a container and pour 250 g of vodka.
Before putting the infusion on ripening, for a start it should be thoroughly shaken for at least 30 minutes. After that, you can clean it and put it in storage. After two days, the tincture will be ready, and it can be used for your own purposes.
Use the infusion should be very careful, especially for children and allergy sufferers. There is nothing surprising, because it consists of vodka and propolis. If you need to undergo a full course of treatment, you must first consult with a specialist regarding the correct dosage of infusion. Doctors advise taking 20 drops by mouth for 30 days. Also, the product can be added to milk or warm tea, because not everyone can tolerate the taste of tinctures.
20% propolis tincture at home
To prepare a 20% tincture, we need 20 g of propolis and 70 or 95% alcohol. The percentage is completely dependent on the amount of product per 100 g of ether. The manufacturing process of the infusion is as follows:
To get a 20% tincture of the procedure, you need to observe almost the same, but propolis should not be 10, but 20 g. Dilution with water or less strong alcohol is not needed: only 70 or 95% so that the effect of propolis is preserved as best as possible .
Of course, not everyone can drink a drink with such a fortress, so you still need to dilute it before drinking.
Propolis water tincture at home
For people who do not really welcome the constant use of alcohol as a medicine, there is another, no less effective recipe. So, with its help you can prepare a tincture without alcohol.
1. For its preparation, we need 10 g of propolis and 1 liter of water. We grind propolis, as in other recipes, but it should be put to ordinary boiled water in a ratio of 1 to 10.
2. The infusion should be heated in a water bath and stirred all the time during the manufacturing process.
3. When the mixture is ready and has cooled, it should be stored in the refrigerator.
Propolis oil tincture at home
Another popular option is oil tincture. For its manufacture, we need 15 g of propolis, 100 g of butter, a small amount of boiled water and a container.
So, take propolis, grind it and throw it with oil in a container of water. Please note: the mixture should not be thick, so it is recommended to hold it in advance for 1-2 hours at room temperature.
The resulting mixture is placed in a refractory container and cooked for 15 minutes, not forgetting to stir all the time. As with other recipes, be sure to filter the mixture. But in this case, this must be done immediately after removing the liquid from the boiling water. This completes the manufacturing process. The best place to store would be a refrigerator.
Propolis tincture at home on medical alcohol
To prepare this version of tincture, we need 80 g of propolis, 300 ml of medical alcohol and 1 bottle with dark glass.
The principle of its preparation is absolutely no different from previous recipes, you still need to mix, cook and leave it in the refrigerator. It is not recommended to use moonshine because of the presence of fusel oils and other harmful impurities in it, they obviously will not benefit the body.
Contraindications and side effects
Despite the mass of medicinal properties, propolis also has some contraindications, so not everyone can use tincture from it.
The list of contraindications is as follows:
- an allergic reaction to any of the beekeeping products;
- all kinds of liver diseases;
- cholelithiasis;
- inflammation of the bile ducts;
- stones and sand in the kidneys;
- pancreatitis.
Patients suffering from chronic diseases should be careful and take the infusion only after consultation and permission of the doctor. Inside, tincture is also prohibited for children and pregnant women, as well as nursing mothers due to the presence of alcohol and other active substances in it.
For these categories of people it is better to use water tincture. If you cook it according to the recipe and clearly withstand the ingredients and the manufacturing procedure, the tincture can bring tangible benefits to the body.
As for the side effect, the most common is an allergic reaction, accompanied by a skin rash, swelling, nausea and vomiting. In case of an overdose, headache, stomach cramps, diarrhea and general weakness of the body are also possible.
The daily norm for an adult should not exceed 20 drops, a child 1/20 of the adult dose for the year of the baby's life.
Before using propolis, especially in the treatment of complex chronic diseases, first consult with a doctor without fail, because you must be sure that the tincture will bring exclusively benefit to your body.
