Bee pollen, often touted as a "superfood," has gained popularity as a dietary supplement. This article explores the composition of bee pollen, its purported health benefits, potential side effects, and how to use it.
What is Bee Pollen?
Pollen, the male reproductive cells of flowers, is collected by bees as they search for nectar. During this process, the pollen adheres to their bodies and is subsequently gathered and packed into granules. These granules, known as bee pollen, are harvested from bees using specialized traps attached to the hive entrance or collected directly from plants by machines. Bee pollen is a combination of plant pollen, bee saliva, and nectar. The nature of bee pollen depends on the flower where it came from. Carbohydrate and protein content can vary from one species to another. Pollen taken from plants growing in areas with environmental contamination may be affected by the toxins in that area. This is especially true for heavy metal contamination.
Composition of Bee Pollen
Bee pollen boasts a rich nutritional profile, containing over 250 biologically active substances. The precise composition varies depending on the plant source and the season in which it is collected. Key components include:
- Proteins and Amino Acids: Bee pollen contains a significant amount of protein, including essential amino acids that the human body cannot synthesize. The mean percent of protein in pollen is 22.7%, including vital amino acids such as tryptophan, phenylalanine, methionine, leucine, lysine, threonine, histidine, isoleucine, and valine.
- Carbohydrates: As a source of energy, carbohydrates exist in bee pollen at 30.8%, containing reducing sugars like glucose and fructose
- Lipids and Fatty Acids: About 5.1% of lipids are found in bee pollen as essential fatty acids like archaic, linoleic, and γ-linoleic acids, phospholipids, and phytosterols (in particular β-sitosterol)
- Vitamins: Bee pollen is a potential source of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin E, pro-vitamin A, vitamin D, and water-soluble vitamins such as vitamins B1, B2, B6, and C, also a source of acids like biotin, rutin, pantothenic, nicotinic, inositol, and folic.
- Minerals: Bio-elements include macro-elements like sodium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as micro-elements as zinc, copper, manganese, iron, and selenium
- Enzymes: Bee pollen also contains digestive enzymes from bees.
- Antioxidants: Bee pollen is loaded with a wide variety of antioxidants, including flavonoids, carotenoids, quercetin, kaempferol, and agglutination.
Purported Health Benefits of Bee Pollen
For years, herbalists have touted bee pollen as a highly nutritious food, even claiming it can cure some health conditions. While many claims are made for pollen, no solid studies support these claims. The vitamins, minerals, antibiotics, and antioxidants in bee pollen may deliver some health benefits. However, more human research is needed to confirm these benefits. Recently, internet influencers have been buzzing about what they call “nature’s multivitamin." Medical research has not yet definitively proven most of the health benefits attributed to bee pollen.
Antioxidant Protection
Bee pollen is rich in antioxidants, which neutralize harmful free radicals and protect cells from damage due to aging, the sun, certain toxins, and diseases. Studies show bee pollen has high levels of flavonoids, polyphenols and carotenoids. Those who take bee pollen supplements may have lower oxidative stress and stronger cellular health. A 2021 study found that the bioactive compounds of bee pollen can help prevent and treat many chronic diseases, especially metabolic disorders, including diabetes, obesity, hyper-dyslipidemia, and heart complications.
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Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Flavonoids and phenolic acids like those found in bee pollen have been scientifically shown to reduce inflammation in the body. These can help mitigate symptoms associated with inflammatory illnesses. A 2024 in vitro study found that bee pollen from acorn and darae (a type of kiwi) exhibited anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Researchers from this study also believe bee pollen could be a promising alternative to current anti-inflammatories like NSAIDs and corticosteroids. Bee pollen packs several compounds that can reduce inflammation and swelling, including the antioxidant quercetin, which lowers the production of inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids, such as arachidonic acid.
Wound Healing
Bioactive compounds and the nutritional components of bee pollen can help heal wounds and prevent infections. Bee pollen contains proteins, amino acids, vitamins and the minerals necessary for healing damaged cells and rebuilding new tissues. Because of its anti-inflammatory effects, bee pollen could help speed up wound healing. A 2016 animal research study found that bee pollen extract was similarly effective at treating burn wounds as silver sulfadiazine, a gold standard in burn treatment, and caused far fewer side effects.
Immune System Boost
Bee pollen has chemical compounds to regulate the immune system and activate the body’s defense system. One of the most researched benefits of bee pollen is its natural chemical compounds that help regulate the immune system. Several test-tube studies confirm that bee pollen has strong antimicrobial properties. Bee pollen extract was found to kill potentially harmful bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and those that cause staph infections.
Management of Menopausal Symptoms
A few studies have shown that bee pollen may improve symptoms of menopause. In a 2015 study of women with breast cancer, 71% of the participants felt that their menopausal symptoms improved while taking bee pollen. A 2020 study also found that adding bee pollen, propolis, and royal jelly to honey effectively reduced menopausal symptoms.
Potential Benefits for Men's Health
Some studies looked at an extract of bee pollen and found some benefits in men with chronic prostatitis or an enlarged prostate.
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Other Purported Benefits
Bee pollen is also claimed to lower cholesterol, reduce hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), improve metabolism, and increase hormone levels. It may also improve stamina and sexual strength, reduce depression, and ease bleeding problems.
Bee Pollen and Metabolic Syndrome Disorders
Metabolic syndrome disorders are a group of ailments that raise the risk of cardiovascular diseases, strokes, and diabetes. These problems lead to elevated blood pressure, hyperglycemia, extra visceral fats, and anomalous levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.
- Blood Sugar Regulation: Bee pollen aqueous-ethanol extracts exhibited significant α-amylase inhibition and bee pollen water extracts inhibited α-glucosidase. This revealed that bee pollen could act as a natural α-glucosidase inhibitor to ameliorates blood sugar.
- Male Fertility: Suspensions of bee pollen and date palm pollen have a protective role against diabetes-induced dysfunction of the pituitary testicular system and the related adverse changes.
- Obesity and Liver Health: Obese mice were supplemented for eight weeks with Schisandra chinensis bee pollen extracts (SCPE) at 7.86 and 15.72 g/kg body weight. The body weight was decreased by 18.23% and 19.37%, respectively, and lipid accumulation in the liver and serum was declined.
- Cardiovascular Protection: Medium and large doses of SCBPE reduced serum aspartate transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, and the development of SOD, GPX, and CAT in myocardium.
How to Use Bee Pollen
Bee pollen is available at many health food stores. You may find bee pollen in other natural dietary supplements, as well as in skin softening products used for babies’ diaper rash or eczema. Bee pollen is available in granule or supplement form and is safe for most people. The granules can be added to your favorite foods, such as yogurt, breakfast scrambles, or smoothies.
Recommended Dosage
There is no best dosage for bee pollen. Some resources say the dosage for bee pollen supplements can be about 7.5 grams for an adult - about three to five teaspoons of dry product - to make a difference in someone’s health. It’s best to take only a small amount at first.
Bioavailability Enhancement
Although bee pollen contains a large amount of metabolites, previous studies indicate a limited utilization of the bee pollen ingredients due to the presence of a robust outer shell layer called exine. Mechanical methods were effective as the exine was broken via the action of shear forces generating heat i.e., the technique of High-speed Shear Dispersing Emulsifier (HSDE), the action of shear force which generate a large amount of heat, resulting in the loss of heat-sensitive nutrients. Finally, biotechnology processes produce remarkable results; fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis were the most examined techniques. They are efficiently utilized and a lot more affordable than previous techniques.
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Potential Side Effects and Precautions
Yet after years of research, scientists still cannot confirm that bee pollen has significant health benefits. But it does have a few potential side effects, including a severe allergic reaction. There have not been many studies showing significant side effects of bee pollen, but there have also not been many high-quality studies on bee pollen safety. That lack of evidence does not mean it is safe; it means the research hasn’t been done.
Allergic Reactions
Some people may be allergic to bee pollen when it’s taken by mouth. Allergic reactions range from mild to fatal. Symptoms can include wheezing, discomfort, and a rash. In rare cases, a severe allergic reaction can happen. This is called anaphylaxis. People who have allergies or asthma should not use bee pollen. Bee pollen (like ragweed or other plants, depending on where the bee pollen comes from) can cause a serious allergic reaction, including itching, redness, shortness of breath, hives, swelling, and even anaphylaxis.
Interactions with Medications
Bee pollen may cause increased bleeding if taken with certain blood thinners such as warfarin. Check with your doctor before taking bee pollen if you take any medications, over-the-counter medicines, or herbals.
Contraindications
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should talk with their healthcare provider before taking any supplements. Bee pollen is not safe for children or pregnant women. Women should also avoid using bee pollen if they are breastfeeding.
Important Considerations
Arentz says you need to consider what effective treatments you might be missing out on by choosing something that has not been proven to help your condition. “It’s really important to know that something’s not going to work as much as it’s going to work,” says Arentz, “because of, not just overspending, but also losing the opportunity to try something that does actually work.”
Bee Pollen vs. Honey
Bee pollen is not the same as honey. It is one of several ingredients in honey, which also contains sugars and amino acids. Bee pollen is just an ingredient in natural honey, which is important to know when it comes to potential health benefits. Honey also contains a combination of different pollen collected as bees travel from flower to flower, sugars (carbohydrates) that feed the good bacteria in your gut, and amino acids (which are the building blocks of protein).