Patients in China are swarming to acupuncture clinics to be given
bee stings to treat or ward off life-threatening illness,
practitioners say.
More than 27,000 people have undergone the painful technique --
each session can involve dozens of punctures -- at Wang Menglin's
clinic in Beijing, says the bee acupuncturist who makes his living
from believers in the concept.
But except for trying to prevent allergic reactions to the stings
themselves, there is no orthodox medical evidence that bee venom is
effective against illness, and rationalist websites in the West
describe so-called "apitherapy" as "quackery".
"We hold the bee, put it on a point on the body, hold its head, and
pinch it until the sting needle emerges," Wang said at his facility
on the outskirts of the capital.
The bee -- Wang said he uses an imported Italian variety -- dies
when it stings.
"We've treated patients with dozens of diseases, from arthritis to
cancer, all with positive results," said Wang.
Bee stings can be used to treat "most common diseases of the lower
limbs," he added, and claimed they also work as a preventative
measure. But sciencebasedmedicine.org, a US-based website, says
that such claims of panaceas and cure-alls are "always a red flag
for quackery".
"There is no scientific evidence to support its use," it says of
"apitherapy", or treatment with bee products.
One of Wang's patients said doctors told him he had lung and brain
cancer and gave him little over a year to live, but he now believes
he has almost doubled his life expectancy and credits bee stings
for the change. "From last year up until now, I think I'm getting
much stronger," the patient told AFP.
But on its website, the American Cancer Society makes clear: "There
have been no clinical studies in humans showing that bee venom or
other honeybee products are effective in preventing or treating
cancer.
"Relying on this type of treatment alone and avoiding or delaying
conventional medical care for cancer may have serious health
consequences."
It adds that there is a Koranic reference to the medicinal
properties of the liquid produced by bees, and that Charlemagne
(742-814), the first Holy Roman Emperor, is said to have been
treated with bee stings.
In the West bee stings have also been used by sufferers of multiple
sclerosis (MS), an often disabling disease that attacks the central
nervous system.
But the National Multiple Sclerosis Society of the US says on its
website: "In spite of long-standing claims about the possible
benefits of bee venom for people with MS, a 24-week randomised
study showed no reduction in disease activity, disability, or
fatigue, and no improvement in quality of life."
The trend for bee acupuncture comes at a time when colonies of the
insect around the world are mysteriously collapsing.
Environmentalists fear dwindling numbers of bees, which help
pollinate crops, could have a serious effect on agricultural
production.
Bee venom is one of the many traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
treatments derived from animals and plants -- some of which are
blamed for endangering particular wildlife species.
TCM is a major part of China's healthcare system and a booming
industry which continues to receive significant investment and
support from the central government.
Many people in China cannot afford to buy the latest orthodox
pharmaceuticals as national health insurance is limited.
Older people -- who are more likely to fall ill -- also favour
traditional remedies because of deep-rooted cultural beliefs in the
power of natural, rather than modern, ingredients.
Most hospitals in China have traditional medicine treatments
available.
It can be a lucrative field for companies and practitioners -- in
2012, the TCM industry in China produced goods worth 516 billion
yuan ($84 billion), more than 31 percent of the country's total
medicine output, according to the National Bureau of
Statistics.
