Apitherapy
Apitherapy is the medical use of honeybee products. This can include the use of honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, and bee venom, but most commonly refers to use of bee venom, called bee venom therapy (BVT). Beekeepers have noted anecdotally that bee stings help arthritis, and other inflammatory and degenerative diseases. Recently there has been more interest in studying bee venom for other autoimmune diseases.
In some cases, bee venom is used to treat chronic symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. The Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Association of America recently awarded a grant to Dr. John Santilli, an immunologist in Bridgeport, Connecticut, who will be working with consulting neurologist Dr. Jay Rosenberg of Kaiser Hospital in San Diego, California to identify what, if any, neurologic benefits bee venom produces in humans.
Research projects are underway on the use of honey for treatment for Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that can cause ulcers and other gastric problems, as well as the bacterium that causes tooth decay.