Bee products consumption and cardiovascular diseases risk factors: a systematic review of interventional studies

Since cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the most common and debilitating disorders globally, risk factor modification is an urgent health priority. Interestingly, an increasing body of literature has suggested honey, and its by-products, can elicit a positive effect on CVD risk factors. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to summarize and discuss the outcomes of interventional studies in humans regarding the effects of bee products' consumption on CVD risk factors. The Cochrane Collaboration tool was used for quality assessment of the included studies. A total of 23 studies met our inclusion criteria. Six studies used natural honey, seven used propolis, and ten administered royal jelly as the intervention. Natural honey consumption could improve lipid profile and anthropometric parameters, and propolis supplementation could enhance lipid profile and glycemic markers. Current evidence precludes conclusions being made regarding royal jelly and CVD risk factors. It seems that honey and propolis consumption could reduce CVD risk factors. Overall, in order to confirm the association between bee products and CVD risk factors, more clinical trials with adequate sample sizes and better methodology should be conducted in the future.