Bee propolis is a resin-like substance bees make from plants and use to protect the hive. People use it for a range of things, from soothing a sore throat to helping with minor skin problems and wound healing, and many people also take it for immune support.
But can propolis also help with allergies? The short answer is: maybe, but we don’t have enough good human research yet to know for sure.
Lab and animal studies are promising, and there are a few human studies too. But so far, the evidence isn’t strong enough to say that propolis reliably helps with hay fever or allergic rhinitis.
It can also cause allergic reactions in some people, which is worth knowing before you try it.
Let’s look at what the research actually shows.
Why do researchers think propolis might help?
Propolis contains natural plant compounds that seem to affect some of the processes involved in allergic reactions.
It may affect histamine release
During an allergic reaction, certain immune cells release histamine. This is one of the main chemicals behind symptoms such as sneezing, itching and a runny nose.
One lab study suggest that propolis may reduce the release of histamine. Research using cells from people with allergic rhinitis has also found that propolis may reduce the release of other substances involved in allergic reactions.
It may help calm inflammation
Allergies also cause inflammation, which can make symptoms worse.
Propolis has shown anti-inflammatory effects in human research too. A 2024 review of randomised controlled trials found that propolis supplements reduced several signs of inflammation in the body, although these studies weren’t specifically looking at allergies.
This doesn’t prove that propolis will relieve allergy symptoms, but it helps explain why researchers are interested in it.
It may affect other parts of the allergic response
An allergic reaction involves more than histamine. Other parts of the immune system also release substances that can keep the reaction going and increase inflammation.
In one study, propolis reduced the release of some of the substances that help drive allergic reactions. This suggests it may affect several parts of the allergic response rather than just histamine release.
So, what happens when propolis is tested in people?
This is where the evidence becomes more useful, because lab and animal studies can only tell us so much.
Oral propolis for allergic rhinitis
One small randomised controlled trial looked at 30 people with perennial allergic rhinitis, which means symptoms that can happen throughout the year rather than only during pollen season.
Half took 200 mg of propolis a day for four months, while the other half took a placebo. Both groups also continued using a steroid nasal spray.
Symptoms improved in both groups, but propolis didn’t clearly work better than placebo. There was also no clear difference in quality of life or allergy-related IgE levels.
So while this study doesn’t rule out a benefit, it doesn’t give us strong evidence that taking propolis by mouth helps allergic rhinitis either.
Propolis nasal sprays look promising, but there’s a catch
There have also been much larger studies looking at nasal sprays containing propolis.
In one 2024 study involving 10,000 people with allergic rhinitis, symptoms such as sneezing, itching, a runny nose and a blocked nose improved after three weeks of using a spray containing Anatolian propolis and hypertonic saline.
A second European study involving 440 people found similar improvements after three weeks.
The results sound encouraging, but there are two important limitations.
Neither study included a placebo group, so we can’t be sure how much of the improvement came from the spray itself. The sprays also contained hypertonic saline, a stronger salt-water solution that can itself help with nasal symptoms.
So these studies suggest that propolis-containing nasal sprays may be useful, but they don’t prove that propolis on its own is what made the difference.
What about propolis for hay fever?
We don’t yet have good human evidence showing that propolis works specifically for seasonal hay fever.
The small oral study above looked at perennial allergic rhinitis, where symptoms can happen throughout the year, rather than seasonal pollen allergy.
That means we can’t assume the results from allergic rhinitis studies will apply to someone with seasonal pollen allergy.
What have animal studies found?
Animal studies have been more promising. In research on allergic rhinitis, propolis has been linked with reductions in symptoms such as sneezing, nose rubbing, nasal discharge and swelling inside the nose. Some studies have also found less inflammation and lower histamine release.
For example, one study in mice found that repeated doses of Brazilian propolis reduced sneezing and nose rubbing, while another study in rats found improvements in nasal symptoms and inflammation.
These findings help explain why researchers are interested in propolis, but animal studies can only take us so far. They can’t tell us how well propolis will work for allergies in people.
Has propolis been studied for other allergic conditions?
Asthma
There have been a couple of small human studies looking at propolis in people with asthma.
In one randomised controlled trial, people who took propolis alongside their usual asthma treatment had better asthma control and improvements in some measures of lung function and airway inflammation.
An older study also found improvements in symptoms and inflammation.
These results are interesting, but the studies were small and propolis was used alongside normal asthma treatment, not instead of it.
What about eczema and food allergies?
Propolis has also been studied for eczema, but much of the research so far comes from lab and animal studies rather than good-quality human trials.
Food allergy research is even more limited. Animal studies suggest propolis may affect some of the immune reactions involved, but there is no good evidence that propolis can prevent or treat a food-allergy reaction in people.
Not all propolis is the same
Another thing to keep in mind is that propolis can vary quite a lot depending on where it comes from.
Bees make propolis using plant materials from their surroundings, so Brazilian green propolis, Chinese propolis and Anatolian propolis can all contain different amounts and types of active compounds. How the propolis is processed also makes a difference.
This matters because research shows that different types of propolis can behave differently.
Propolis is also quite different from bee pollen, even though the two are sometimes confused. I’ve compared them in more detail in my guide to bee pollen vs propolis.
So a positive study using one particular propolis extract doesn’t mean every propolis supplement will have the same effect.
Can propolis make allergies worse?
Yes. Propolis can itself cause allergic reactions in some people.
One of the better-documented problems is contact allergy, where propolis can cause red, itchy or inflamed skin.
Research has confirmed that propolis is a recognised cause of contact allergy, although reactions seem to vary depending on the type of propolis and the person using it.
Reactions after taking propolis by mouth have also been reported, although they appear to be less common.
Some people who react to certain fragrances or plant resins may also be more likely to react to propolis because they contain some similar substances.
Having hay fever doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be allergic to propolis, and a bee-sting allergy isn’t the same thing as a propolis allergy. But if you’ve reacted to propolis or other bee products before, it makes sense to be cautious.
So, is propolis worth trying for allergies?
Propolis is interesting, but I wouldn’t consider it a proven allergy remedy yet.
Lab and animal studies are promising, and there are a few encouraging human studies too. But when it comes to hay fever and allergic rhinitis, the evidence is still too limited to say that propolis works reliably.
I also wouldn’t use propolis instead of proven allergy treatments, especially if your symptoms are severe or you have asthma.
If you already use propolis and tolerate it well, the research is worth watching. But if you’re thinking of buying it specifically for allergies, I’d keep expectations realistic.
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