The soap stars beat stress ... and feel the bee's knees

Stars of TV soaps are taking daily doses of bee glue to stay healthy.

They say it is making their working life sweeter by helping them beat stress, plus colds, flu and other bugs that can hit their tight filming schedules.

Propolis, or bee glue, has been used for at least 3,000 years as a natural healer and soother. Now stars of Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale, Brookside and Heartbeat say it's the bees knees for what ails them.

The buzz started 18 months ago when Heartbeat stars Bill Maynard and Derek Fowlds tried it to avoid colds. Outdoor scenes on the hit ITV series are shot from January to December on the North Yorkshire moors - where temperatures can drop well below zero.

Bill, 68, who plays rogue Claude Greengrass, said: "I was sceptical at first, but colds now seem to pass me by. It can only be the Propolis I take each day."

Derek Fowlds, 60, who portrays crusty Sergeant Blaketon, added: "I've been clear of colds since I started on Propolis. My general health is better too.

"Even my golf has improved - and my wife swears by Propolis cream for her skin problems. It is a natural product with no side-effects. It's wonderful stuff."

Other stars using it include EastEnders' Barbara Windsor, Wendy Richards and Pam St Clement, Coronation Street's Ray Barraclough and Betty Driver, and Emmerdale's Norman Bowler and Paula Tillbrooke.

Bees create Propolis (a Greek word meaning defender of the city) by chewing tree bark and buds and mixing it with secretions from their glands. They then use the sticky substance to seal the hive against bacteria and infection.

Scientists say it keeps the hive (which can house up to 75,000 bees) more sterile than a modern hospital.

They have discovered the bees' product is a natural antibiotic that strengthens the immune system and defends the body against a range of ailments.

Dr Philip Calder, of the Department of Bio-Chemistry at Oxford University, says Propolis can inhibit and even kill some bacteria. He added: "There is evidence it has significant beneficial effects in many ways. It is quite remarkable.

"It seems to work for health problems from sore throats to eczema, arthritis and ME."

Dr Peter Mansfield, of Louth, who has prescribed Propolis for 10 years says: "Doctors are worried over the increasing reliance on synthetic drugs that have become bug bashers which don't get to the root of the problem.

"Propolis can fortify the immune system, our natural defence against illness."

Manchester homeopathic dentist Philip Wander, whose patients include Coronation Street and Manchester United stars, says: "It's good for gum problems, mouth ulcers and tooth ache.

"I also use it as an antiseptic for canal root surgery."

Bee Health Ltd, a small company at East Ayton, Scarborough, buys 72 tonnes of Propolis a year, mostly from China, and refines it for sale. Boss Jan Fletcher, Businesswoman of the Year in 1994, said : "Customers include stars and politicians.

"They all now realise that a bee hive is a natural medicine chest."

Copyright 1997 MGN LTD
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.