Supportive Research on the healing effects of honeybees (apitherapy)

Research suggests that beehive air therapy, officially developed by Heinrich Huttner, can help reduce asthma symptoms, bronchitis, pulmonary fibrosis, hay fever, respiratory tract infections, and ease respiratory allergies.  The air inside a beehive contains natural compounds from honey, wax, propolis, and the bees themselves, which have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and immune-supporting properties.  Beehive air therapy is currently used as a medical treat in many countries such as Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Russia, and Austria. Emerging research and practices are being studied and developed with positive results on nervous system regulation and treating ailments such as PTSD, Autism, anxiety, and more.

Click on the following to read the research directly:  

Modern science has shown that bee products have antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory potential (Alvarez-Suarez, 2017)

A recent study showed that the use of honey for cough relief and sleep quality improvement is efficient in children compared to Benadryl (diphenhydramine) and using herbal preparations of propolis prevent respiratory tract infections in children (Tilahun et al., 2015).

Beehive air therapy is found to help reduce asthma symptoms, ease respiratory allergies, reduces lung inflammation, and support overall respiratory health (Weis et al. 2022; Guardia and Stângaciu 2022). 

The air from the hive carries over 1000 compounds produced by honeybees, including beneficial substances from propolis, honey, and wax which can have a direct impact on the improvement of a human's health (Kopała et al. 2019).

Researchers studied 60 participants exposed to the bee buzzing sounds like in The Honeybee Sanctuary.  The results showed significant reductions in state and trait anxiety levels. (Tandircioglu et al. 2025)  

The low vibrations of the beehive align with Vibroacoustic therapy which can stimulate neurite outgrowth, trigger nerve regeneration, and act as a vibratory analgesic to reduce pain. Study: Possible Mechanisms for the Effects of Sound Vibration on Human Health. (Bartel et al, 2021)

Using brain imaging, researchers found that nature sounds (including steady hums) shift brain activity towards activation of the parasympathetic “rest and digest” reaction. Article: Mindfulness and the restorative effects of nature sounds. 

The effects to exposure of natural sounds on stress reduction (Fan et al. 2024)

Automated Beehive Acoustics Monitoring: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature and Recommendations for Future Work (Abdollahi et al, 2022)

On the Importance of the Sound Emitted by Honeybee Hives (Terenzi et al, 2020)

Apitherapy for Age-Related Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction (Sarcopenia): A Review on the Effects of Royal Jelly, Propolis, and Bee Pollen (Ali et al, 2020)

Apitherapy for Osteoarthritis: Perspectives from Basic Research (Jagua-Gualdrón et al, 2020)

Research shows low vibrations (as in hive) significantly reduces inflammation through vibration. Article: Sonic vibration ameliorates inflammatory diseases via the up-regulation of interleukin-10 (Ahn et al, 2024)

A Preliminary and Multidisciplinary Study: The Effect of “Sleeping on The Beehives” and Listening to Bees on Human Anxiety Levels (Yankı Tandırcıoğlu et al, 2025)

Therapeutic effects of propolis essential oil on anxiety of restraint-stressed mice (Y-J Li et al, 2012)

Apitherapy and Periodontal Disease: insights into in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies (Kumar et al, 2022)

RESEARCH AT THE HONEYBEE SANCTUARY:

We will be conducting our own research from June 5-10 studying the effects of lying atop the beehives on the nervous and respiratory systems.  We will study the pre and post effects on stress and the nervous system (EEG brain waves, heart rate variability, and vital signs) and on the respiratory function (peak flow meter, oximetry, respiratory rate, and spirometry) on 40 volunteers.  Stay tuned...