Bee pollen is made of pollen grains that have been gathered by bees together with a bit of nectar and bee saliva. A single beehive can collect 100 lbs of pollen a year. About 10 lbs can be collected from a beehive and used for human consumption.
Ancient Use
Thousands of years ago, Native Americans were known to eat pollen. They also used some types of pollen as medicine.
Bee Pollen Advantage
Bee pollen has a higher nutritional value than pollen collected by hand. This is because bee pollen usually combines pollen from many different kinds of plants.
Other Bee Products
Bee Propolis
Bee propolis is another product that bees make. They use it primarily to seal their hive. It has some antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Royal Jelly
Royal jelly is a kind of bee saliva fed to all bees for the first three days. After three days, only queen bees continue to get royal jelly. The unique proteins in royal jelly change an ordinary female worker bee into a queen bee. Royal jelly has been used for many years as a medicine. It helps burns heal faster and better.
Full of Bees
Bee pollen is an excellent supplement to a diet with many healthy compounds and beneficial effects (high-quality honey also contains some pollen, up to 10,000 grains per gram). Bee pollen has a substantial amount of vitamins, mainly Bs, and other beneficial plant compounds like flavonoids and carotenoids. These compounds help your body fight off damaging cells. Bee pollen is also a great source of iron and zinc.
Protein Packed
Bee pollen can contain a lot of protein, as much as the equivalent amount of meat. The protein in bee pollen usually includes a wide variety of amino acids, depending on the plants the bees visit. Pollen provides most of the protein in a bee’s diet. For humans, bee pollen is especially good in cases of malnutrition to jumpstart recovery.
Animal Feeding
Bee pollen has been used as a feed supplement for animals. Several studies with different types of animals show that bee pollen restores health and improves muscle mass and vigour. In some tests, it even extended the lives of some animals.
Digestibility
The pollen grains in bee pollen can only be seen with a very powerful microscope. About 20 to 200 side-by-side reach to just 1 millimetre. These tiny pollen grains have hard shells that protect them. The outer shell is covered with protective proteins. To unlock the full nutrition potential of bee pollen, it has to be powdered in a blender or grinder or soaked in warm water for an hour. Human teeth can’t break open the shells of the tiny pollen grains.
Uses
Antibacterial
Bee pollen has antibacterial action, as pollen seems to be programmed to ward off bacteria. When applied to a burn, a bee pollen paste can reduce infections. There is even evidence that compounds in bee pollen can slow the growth of carcinogenic cells. Bee pollen also has a detoxifying effect, protecting the liver against toxic compounds.
Anti-inflammatory
Bee pollen has also been shown to reduce inflammation. It works by blocking the same inflammation triggers that popular pain relievers block. In some cases, bee pollen has as much of an anti-inflammatory effect as pain-relieving drugs. And because it contains several different anti-inflammatory plant compounds, it has a multiple-action approach to inflammation.
Blood Chemistry
There is some evidence that implies bee pollen can improve blood chemistry. It can help lower bad cholesterol, tri-fats, and other harmful compounds. It may also slow the formation of clots and improve blood flow.
Immune Support
Bee pollen has the potential to strengthen the immune system. Its antibacterial properties may assist the immune system. And the enzymes in bee pollen support gut health.
Helps Allergies
Bee pollen has been used for centuries to help with allergies. There is very little research, but many say it works for them. Ideally, use locally produced pollen. Local bee pollen will have more of the local pollens that may be causing your allergies. Bee pollen also hampers the release of histamines, similar to an antihistamine medicine.
Triggers Allergies
Bee pollen has the potential to cause an allergic reaction. So, start a new pollen regime slowly, especially if you are susceptible to allergies. If your bee pollen is in tiny clumps, begin with a few clumps and add one or two every day to work up to 1-2 tablespoons.
Keep it Fresh
To keep it fresh, store bee pollen in the fridge. Keep it away from humidity, as a humid environment encourages the growth of microorganisms. It can also be frozen if you have more than a few weeks’ supply. Like many natural products, light, heat, and oxygen lead to decay.
Choose Carefully
Like any product, especially natural products, the quality of the source makes a difference in the beneficial effects. With bee pollen, the plants the bees visit change the amount of the different compounds. Look for bee pollen from a diverse set of plants, and for allergies, select bee pollen from a region with plants similar to your own. Bees are miraculous animals performing incredible feats, and bee pollen is no exception.
