Scientific fitness network

Bee venom’s anti-inflammatory properties may benefit skin health, improve immunity, and relieve arthritis symptoms. However, more research is needed to confirm these potential health benefits.

Share on Pinterest

As the name implies, bee venom is an ingredient derived from bees. It’s used as a natural treatment for a variety of ailments.

Proponents of bee venom claim that it offers a wide range of health benefits, from reducing inflammation to treating chronic illnesses. However, research in some of these areas is either lacking or conflicting.

This article takes a research-based look at bee venom, including its ingredients, uses, benefits, and potential side effects.

What is bee venom?

Bee venom is a colorless, acidic liquid that bees excrete through their stingers into a target when they feel threatened.

According to a 2018 study, bee venom contains both anti-inflammatory and inflammatory compounds.

Melittin — a compound that consists of 26 amino acids — comprises about 50% of the dry weight of the venom. According to this 2017 study and this 2023 review of studies, melittin has been shown to have antiviral, antibacterial, and anticancer effects in mice and in vitro.

Melittin is also responsible for the pain associated with bee stings.

In addition, bee venom contains the peptides apamin and adolapin. Although they act as toxins, these peptides have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties.

Bee venom also contains phospholipase A₂, an enzyme and major allergen that causes inflammation and cell damage. However, according to this 2016 study, phospholipase A₂ in bee venom may also have anti-inflammatory and immunoprotective effects.

As you can see, the substances in bee venom have been associated with both positive and negative health effects.

It’s also worth noting that while some research points to the beneficial properties of certain compounds in bee venom, the isolated effects of each component are unknown, as many components have not been well studied.

What are the uses of bee venom?

Apitherapy is an alternative medicine practice that uses bee products — including their venom — to treat and prevent illnesses, pain, and more.

Although bee venom has recently experienced a surge in popularity, it has been used in both human and animal medicine for thousands of years.

The venom is used in a number of ways and is available in many forms. For example, it’s added to products like extracts, supplements, moisturizers, and serums. You can purchase bee-venom products online or in specialty stores.

A 2020 study has also reported the effectiveness of bee-venom injections for inflammation, pain, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer. However, researchers note that more controlled trials are needed to confirm the therapeutic effectiveness of bee venom for these health issues.

Lastly, bee venom is used in live bee acupuncture or bee-sting therapy — a treatment method thought to relieve pain, according to this 2023 review of studies, in which live bees are placed on your skin and a sting is induced.

Some substances in bee venom, including melittin and apamin, may have medicinal properties. Bee-venom therapy has been used for thousands of years as a natural treatment for a variety of conditions.

What are the potential health benefits of bee venom?

While not all of the purported benefits of bee venom are backed by science, research has shown that it has several powerful medicinal properties.

Has anti-inflammatory properties

One of the most well-documented benefits of bee venom is its powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Many of its components have been shown to reduce inflammation, particularly melittin — its main component.

Although melittin can cause itching, pain, and inflammation when delivered in high doses, it has potent anti-inflammatory effects when used in small amounts.

Melittin has been shown to suppress inflammatory pathways and reduce inflammatory markers, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β).

May reduce arthritis-related symptoms

The anti-inflammatory effects of bee venom have been shown to especially benefit those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a painful inflammatory condition that affects your joints.

A 2018 study of 120 people with RA found that bee-venom acupuncture, which employed 5 to 15 bee stings every other day, provided symptom relief similar to those of traditional RA medications like Methotrexate and Celecoxib.

A 2017 study showed that bee-venom acupuncture, along with traditional medication, significantly reduced pain and improved functional status in 54 patients with chronic lower back pain, compared with the placebo group.

While researchers believe bee venom may have promising therapeutic effects for RA, more high quality studies are needed to confirm these effects.

May benefit skin health

Multiple skin care companies have started adding bee venom to products like serums and moisturizers. This ingredient may promote skin health in several ways, including:

• reducing inflammation
• providing antibacterial effects
• reducing wrinkles

A 2015 12-week study in 22 women, ages 30 to 49, demonstrated that applying a facial serum containing bee venom twice daily significantly reduced wrinkle depth and total wrinkle count, compared with the placebo.

A small 2016 study found that 77% of 30 participants with mild to moderate acne who used a serum containing purified bee venom twice daily experienced an improvement in acne compared with the placebo.

May benefit immune health

Bee venom has been shown to have beneficial effects on immune cells that mediate allergic and inflammatory responses.

Animal research, such as this 2017 study, found that the enzymes in bee venom had anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, and immunity-promoting characteristics.

Other animal research, like this 2015 study, suggests that bee venom therapy suppresses inflammatory response in mice with chemical-induced asthma.

It’s thought that bee venom increases the production of regulatory T cells, or Tregs, which inhibit allergen responses and reduce inflammation. Although promising, the effects of bee-venom therapy in humans with allergies is unknown.

Additionally, venom immunotherapy, in which bee venom is administered by a healthcare professional by injection — is used to treat people with severe allergies to bee stings.

Research has shown that this treatment is safe and effective and can reduce the future risk of serious reactions to bee stings. In fact, it’s recommended as a first-line treatment for those who are allergic to the venom.

Bee venom has powerful anti-inflammatory properties and may benefit the health of your skin and immune system. It may also improve certain medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and chronic pain.

What are the precautions and potential downsides of bee venom?

While bee venom has been shown to offer several potential benefits, it’s important to note that studies supporting these benefits are limited. In fact, most available research has been conducted on animals or in test tubes.

Thus, it’s unclear how effective bee-venom therapy is as an alternative medicinal treatment, as well as whether it’s any more effective than traditional treatments for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, chronic pain, or autoimmune diseases.

Certain methods of bee-venom therapy, including acupuncture, can lead to side effects, such as pain, swelling, and redness or discoloration.

Additionally, bee-venom therapy can cause serious side effects or even death in people allergic to bee stings by causing anaphylaxis, a potentially life threatening allergic reaction that can make it hard to breathe.

Other serious adverse effects related to this therapy have also been documented, including:

• hyperventilation
• fatigue
• appetite loss
• extreme pain
• risk of increased bleeding
• vomiting

According to a 2016 study, using topical bee-venom products like serums and moisturizers can also cause adverse reactions in susceptible individuals, such as itching, hives, and redness.

Based on the available research, it’s safe to say that adverse reactions — ranging from mild to potentially fatal — are common when using bee venom. For this reason, you should exercise extreme caution when using these products or treatments.

Bee-venom therapy and acupuncture should only be administered by a qualified medical professional.

Bee venom can cause side effects, ranging from mild to life threatening. Bee-venom therapy should only be administered by medical professionals.

The bottom line

Bee venom is a natural product that has risen in popularity due to its variety of potential health benefits.

It has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, may benefit skin health, and can possibly help treat symptoms related to various health conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis and chronic pain.

However, using bee-venom products or undergoing bee-venom therapy may cause serious side effects, so be sure to practice caution and consult a trained medical professional for advice before trying it out.