The cold comes and often brings with it the typical colds, such as sore throat, cough, cold.
In herbal medicine we have many natural remedies available, but sometimes it happens that under certain conditions even those must be taken with great care.
One of these alert conditions is during pregnancy and lactation: phases in which the symbiosis between mother and child is total and what the mother feeds on becomes nourishment for the child.
As regards the use of propolis, controversial opinions exist. We refer to the current legislation which advises not to take propolis during pregnancy and obliges us to say "do not take during pregnancy " on propolis packages.
It is a precautionary indication because propolis contains essential oils, bioflavonoids and alkaloids that could damage the fetus, promote premature detachment of the placenta and possibly damage the chromosomal heritage of the unborn child.
And during lactation is it possible to use propolis to soothe a sore throat, oral infections, gum inflammation?
Propolis during lactation
Even during breastfeeding the mother must pay a lot of attention to what she eats, the drugs she takes and also herbal remedies to use as an alternative.
Propolis remains a topic of difficult treatment, even if the type of assumption that one would do for problems of sore throat or inflammation of the oral cavity would be symptomatological and therefore in very limited doses and almost harmless for the nursing infant .
However, as a precautionary principle, a completely non-alcoholic spray formulation is recommended, to be sprayed directly into the throat or on the inflamed part of the oral cavity; in this way the assumption of alcoholic forms is avoided and, as said before, it would be a use linked directly to the symptom.
Some sources advise taking propolis even in dry extract, always to avoid the alcoholic formulation, but since we cannot establish a priori if some components can be allergenic for the newborn and above all the dry extract provides a different dosage compared to a nebulized one, I would like to say that it would be better to avoid this remedy and to prefer something different, like myrrh for example and in any case I always recommend to consult the doctor first.
What is propolis?
Propolis is called a natural antibiotic, but what is it exactly? Propolis is a resinous compound of various substances collected by bees on plants and reworked with saliva, wax and pollen and is used by these laborious insects to protect their hive cells.
Propolis is rich in flavonoids, essential oils, mineral salts, B-group vitamins and acts as an anti-inflammatory, immunostimulant, antiviral, cicatrizant ; it is an excellent remedy in case of throat disorders, to prevent seasonal ailments and to strengthen the immune system, but as already mentioned it is not recommended for use during pregnancy.
