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A study carried out by USP (University of São Paulo) shows that the use of propolis in the treatment of patients infected with the coronavirus can help reduce hospital stays.
The study “Effectiveness of propolis as an adjuvant treatment for hospitalized patients with COVID-19: a randomized controlled clinical trial”, in collaboration with Apis Flora, evaluated 124 people admitted to São Rafael Hospital in Salvador.
All patients received standard treatment, and 40 subjects received 400 mg of propolis per day; 42 received 800 mg/day propolis; and 42 did not receive propolis. The groups that did not receive propolis were hospitalized for 12 days, while in patients where the substance was administered orally, the average hospital stay was six to seven days.
According to the UOL portal, the study has not yet been reviewed or published. Further research with a larger number of people and other scientific methods must be done to prove this.
The researchers believe that the reduction in hospital stays was due to the fact that propolis can interfere with a protein that is involved in the process of entering and spreading the virus in the body, as well as in the anchoring of the virus in the protein that helps its entry into cells.
The study also found a lower incidence of kidney damage among patients who took 800 mg daily. The control group showed 23,8% of injuries, compared to 4% among those who received the highest dose of propolis. Kidney damage can be a risk factor for those infected with the virus that causes Covid-19.
The research did not record negative events and was to be expanded in a double-blind clinical trial with the involvement of a larger number of patients.
Despite the results, there is no scientific evidence that the daily consumption of propolis prevents the disease. The best treatment for coronavirus remains to avoid crowding and maintain social distancing, wear masks, constantly clean your hands and avoid touching your nose, mouth and eyes if your hands are not clean.