A recent trend for “superfoods” is to augment diet with nature’s dust, or bee pollen. It is believed that the concoction of bee poop, nectar, enzymes, flower pollen, and bee secretions contains vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids, and other beneficial substances.
Bee pollen has historically been utilized medicinally by many ancient cultures all over the world. Ancient Romans and later Native Americans used bee pollen for fuel and energy on their long journeys, beginning around 13,000 B.C. Bee pollen was consumed by the Māori people of New Zealand and the ancient Chinese and Indian populations. Additionally, bee pollen is described as a sedative and aphrodisiac in medical books dating back to the early 1100s. It was also used to treat heart and gastrointestinal problems.
Now, though, what are the contemporary health advantages of incorporating a small amount of bee pollen into your salad or morning brew? Recent studies have indicated that bee pollen may have an effect on your health.
Bee Pollen: What Is It?
You can get bee pollen as tablets, powders, pellets, capsules, or even in health food stores. Because it includes nutrients and substances including proteins, enzymes, and vital amino acids, health experts refer to it as a “superfood.” Because bee pollen contains all the amino acids required by the human body to function, it is referred to in one research as a “complete food.”
Why Is Bee Pollen Beneficial?
According to a study that was published in Food and Chemical Toxicology, bee pollen has the following macronutrients: 13–55 percent carbs, 0.3–20 percent crude fibers, 10–40 percent proteins, and 1–10 percent fats or lipids. Because it includes flavonoids and polyphenols, bee pollen is also regarded as a health food. Studies also point to the following health advantages of bee pollen in addition to its nutritious content.
Addresses Respiratory Conditions
Because bee pollen is an effective anti-viral product among other natural bee products, it could be used as a therapeutic tool in the future to treat COVID-19. It is particularly effective against viruses, such as human coronaviruses, that cause serious respiratory infections. Bee pollen may be a useful tool for reducing various COVID-19 concerns due to its antiviral properties and capacity to boost and fortify immune systems.
More precisely, a study discovered that bee pollen, which is obtained from bees that feed on common poppies, improved patients with COVID-19 symptoms and facilitated a quicker return to work.
Reduces Cholesterol
A study published in Herba Polonica demonstrated that bee pollen reduces lipids and triacylglycerols in the blood plasma of rats and rabbits. According to other research, pollen is a hypolipidemic, meaning it lowers blood serum lipid levels in individuals. It enhanced vision and decreased blood cholesterol levels in patients with arteriosclerosis.
Aids in Allergies
In mice, bee pollen may also lessen allergies. According to a study that was published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, giving mice phenolic extract from bee pollen reduced anaphylactic shock in addition to other allergic symptoms like asthma and paw inflammation. This made the team believe that allergies might be treated with bee pollen.
Because bee pollen inhibits mast cells, a kind of immune cell, from generating histamines, it may shield the body against allergic reactions. Histamines are chemicals that cause allergic reactions in the body to flare up, including hives, redness, and itching.
Cuts Down on Inflammation
In cases of nonbacterial prostate gland inflammation, bee pollen may be able to assist lessen inflammation in the gland. A study on this kind of disease discovered that eating pollen reduced discomfort and enhanced the condition.
In cases of nonbacterial prostate gland inflammation, bee pollen may be able to assist lessen inflammation in the gland. A study on this kind of disease discovered that eating pollen reduced discomfort and enhanced the condition.
In another study that was published in the International Journal of Advanced Research, researchers discovered that bee pollen helped mice with inflammation brought on by an enlarged prostate.
Fights Cancer
This study suggests that because bee pollen boosts the immune system, it may also lower the risk of diseases like cancer and other neurological disorders. The resin that bees use to construct their hives, known as propolis, has been shown to possess anticancer characteristics that protect against lung, pancreatic, cervical, skin, and colon cancers. Propolis has the ability to prevent malignant cells from growing more quickly than they should or from reproducing.
Bee pollen gathered from oilseed turnips is utilized as a cancer preventive in some regions of China. Eastern Asian native beach roses are the source of bee pollen, which may have some anti-tumor potential.
Where Is the Source of Bee Pollen?
The variety and makeup of the molecules in bee pollen, which contribute to all of these advantages, vary depending on the pollen’s source. Pollen baskets on their rear legs are used by foraging bees to carry pollen back to their hive, where the process begins. Bees will cover their pollen with saliva and wax after they arrive. Within this barrier of protection, the pollen ferments to produce “bee bread,” or nourishment for the hive.
The advantages of bee pollen may also depend on how beekeepers harvest and preserve the pollen. The composition can vary according on the bees’ geographic location, the climate, the soil, and the beekeeper’s methods for caring for the hive. The substances found in bee pollen are influenced by the kind of flowers the bees feed on. After being harvested, bee pollen can take on several forms that are sold in stores, like powders or capsules.
How to Consume Pollen from Bees
Bee pollen can be easily consumed by incorporating it into baked items and beverages. However, because bee pollen has a hard shell covering it, a study published in Biomolecules claims that in order to fully benefit from bee pollen, it should be pulverized and then put to water. By using this method, the digestibility rises to 60–80% from 4–53% previously.
Which Bee Pollen Dosage Is Correct?
A 2021 study that was published in Nutrients states that an adult should take three to five teaspoons of bee pollen at a time. The dosage for kids is one to two teaspoons. However, not enough information is available to determine the ideal bee pollen intake. A healthcare provider should always be consulted before beginning a new supplement regimen.
Is Pollen from Bees Safe?
Prior to taking it, you should consult a healthcare professional if you have a bee or pollen allergy. There have been cases reported of people with allergies to pollen, atopic dermatitis, and asthma reacting to bee pollen.
Can Medication Interact With Bee Pollen?
Bee pollen has a moderate risk of interfering with Warfarin, an anticoagulant used to treat blood clots. When taking bee pollen supplements along with Warfarin, Medline Plus states that there may be an increase in bleeding or bruises. As of right now, no other interactions with other herbs or supplements are known to exist.
