Royal jelly, a nutrient-rich substance produced by honeybees, has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. While its applications in Western medicine remain controversial, it is frequently sold as a dietary supplement to treat a variety of physical ailments and chronic diseases. Royal jelly contains nutrients with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that may provide benefits to your overall health, including supporting immune health and menopause. This article delves into the potential benefits of royal jelly, with a particular focus on its role in weight loss and related health aspects.
What is Royal Jelly?
Royal jelly is a gelatinous substance secreted by worker bees to feed queen bees and their young. It is comprised of water, carbs, protein, and fat. The full chemical makeup of royal jelly is unknown, but its positive effects on health are thought to stem from its unique proteins and fatty acids. These include nine glycoproteins collectively known as major royal jelly proteins (MRJPs) and two fatty acids, trans-10-Hydroxy-2-decenoic acid and 10-Hydroxydecanoic acid. Royal jelly also contains several B vitamins and trace minerals. However, nutrient composition varies considerably between sources of royal jelly.
Some of the vitamins typically present in royal jelly include:
- Thiamine (B1)
- Riboflavin (B2)
- Pantothenic acid (B5)
- Pyridoxine (B6)
- Niacin (B3)
- Folic acid (B9)
- Inositol (B8)
- Biotin (B7)
These nutrients may provide some of royal jelly’s potential health benefits, though more research on this unique substance is needed.
Potential Health Benefits of Royal Jelly
Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Royal jelly is widely claimed to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. In multiple test-tube and animal studies, specific amino acids, fatty acids, and phenolic compounds found in royal jelly appear to have potent antioxidant effects. Additionally, several test-tube studies show reduced levels of pro-inflammatory chemicals released from immune cells treated with royal jelly. While these results are promising, human studies are lacking. More data is needed to draw any definitive conclusions on treating inflammation with royal jelly.
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Heart Health and Cholesterol Levels
Both animal and human studies demonstrate that royal jelly may positively impact cholesterol levels and thereby reduce heart disease risk. Though the exact mechanism remains unclear, specific proteins in royal jelly may help lower cholesterol. One 12-week study found that rabbits supplemented with royal jelly significantly reduced their total and “bad” LDL cholesterol levels by 28% and 23%, respectively. Similarly, a one-month human study saw an 11% and 4% reduction in total and “bad” LDL cholesterol levels in people taking about 3 grams of royal jelly daily. Conversely, another small human study determined no significant differences in cholesterol levels between participants treated with royal jelly and those on a placebo. While these studies are promising, more research is needed to better understand royal jelly’s impact on heart health.
Wound Healing and Skin Repair
Royal jelly - both used orally and topically - may support wound healing and other inflammatory skin conditions. It’s known to have an antibacterial effect, which can keep wounds clean and free from infection. One animal study revealed an increase in collagen production in rats given royal jelly extract. Collagen is a structural protein vital for skin repair. A test-tube study showed significantly enhanced tissue repair capacity in human cells treated with royal jelly. Conversely, a more recent human study did not notice any difference in wound healing between a control group and participants treating diabetic foot ulcers topically with royal jelly. Ultimately, more research is needed on royal jelly’s effects on wound healing and tissue repair.
Blood Pressure Regulation
Royal jelly may protect your heart and circulatory system by reducing blood pressure. Several test-tube studies indicate that specific proteins in royal jelly relax smooth muscle cells in your veins and arteries, thereby lowering blood pressure. A recent animal study examined a supplement combining royal jelly with other bee-derived substances and found a significant reduction in blood pressure. However, the exact role royal jelly played in this supplement is unclear. More research is needed to understand royal jelly’s relationship with blood pressure.
Blood Sugar Control and Insulin Sensitivity
Royal jelly may also improve blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. Multiple animal studies showed increased insulin sensitivity and an apparent protective effect on pancreatic, liver, and reproductive tissue in obese, diabetic rats treated with royal jelly. One small six-month human study demonstrated a 20% reduction in fasting blood sugar in healthy people who supplemented daily with royal jelly. However, research on this topic is limited.
Brain Function and Neurological Health
Royal jelly may boost brain function. One study revealed that stress-induced mice treated with royal jelly had lower levels of stress hormones and a more robust central nervous system than the control group. A separate study resulted in improved memory and reduced symptoms of depression in postmenopausal rats given royal jelly. Another animal study showed that rats treated with royal jelly were better able to remove certain chemical deposits in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Most of these studies attribute the protective effect on brain and nervous tissue to royal jelly’s antioxidant capacity. Though this data is encouraging, human research is needed.
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Dry Eye Treatment
Royal jelly may treat dry eyes when taken orally. One animal and one small human study showed improvements in chronic dry eyes for those treated orally with royal jelly. The results indicate that this bee-derived substance may increase tear secretion from lacrimal glands within your eyes. No adverse effects were reported from the human study. Thus, royal jelly could serve as a low-risk solution for chronic dry eyes. Keep in mind that this very small data sample doesn’t indicate that royal jelly is able to treat most people’s dry eyes. Ultimately, more research is needed.
Anti-Aging Effects
Royal jelly may slow the aging process in several ways. A few studies show increased lifespan and improved cognitive performance in rats treated orally with royal jelly. Royal jelly is sometimes included in topical skin care products to support maintenance of healthy, younger-looking skin. Animal research indicates that royal jelly may support increased collagen production and protection from skin damage associated with UV radiation exposure. Since human research on the anti-aging benefits of oral or topical royal jelly use is insufficient, more studies are needed.
Immune System Support
Royal jelly may enhance your body’s natural immune response to foreign bacteria and viruses. MRJPs and fatty acids in royal jelly are known to promote antibacterial activity, which can reduce the incidence of infection and support immune function. However, most applicable data is limited to animal and test-tube research. Therefore, more human studies are needed to confirm these effects.
Mitigation of Cancer Treatment Side Effects
Chemotherapy and other cancer treatments come with significant negative side effects, including heart failure, inflammation, and gastrointestinal (GI) issues. Royal jelly may reduce some of the negative side effects associated with certain cancer treatments. One study revealed a significant reduction in chemotherapy-induced heart damage in rats supplemented with royal jelly. One very small human study indicated that topically applied royal jelly may prevent mucositis, a cancer treatment side effect that causes painful ulcerations in your digestive tract. Though encouraging, these studies don’t offer definitive conclusions regarding royal jelly’s role in cancer treatment. More research is warranted.
Royal Jelly and Weight Loss: Examining the Evidence
The increasing prevalence of obesity has led to a search for effective weight management strategies. Royal jelly has been proposed as a potentially effective intervention for body-weight management due to its additional regulation of dyslipidemia and insulin resistance.
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While royal jelly doesn’t directly contribute to weight loss, it can be a healthy addition to your weight loss diet because it is rich in nutrients and low in calories.
Research Findings on Royal Jelly and Weight Management
A meta-analysis and systematic review investigated the available RCTs to evaluate the effect of royal jelly supplementation. Ten studies including 512 participants were included. Supplementation dosages ranged from 500 to 6000 mg/day within the included studies, whilst intervention durations varied between 4 and 18 weeks. The results were analyzed using the random-effects model.
Whilst no overall effect of royal jelly supplement was found for BW, BMI, and FM, a reduction in BW and BMI was found in a subgroup where dosages exceeded 3,000 mg/day.
Another study investigated the effects of RJ supplementation on HFD-induced obese mice with impaired sleep stabilization. The HFD+RJ group exhibited a significant reduction in body weight via a decrease in fat mass.
Potential Mechanisms of Action
Researchers hypothesize that royal jelly supplementation increases peroxisome proliferator-activated-alpha (PPAR-a) expression, enhancing lipolysis and contributing to a decrease in body weight. Royal jelly (RJ) is recognized due to its high nutritional value and potential health benefits.
In an earlier study, dietary RJ inhibited HFD-induced fat accumulation in adipose tissue, body weight, and improved hyperglycemia and insulin resistance by activating UCP1 in HFD-induced obese mice.
Dosage and Supplement Forms
Because research is relatively limited, a definitive recommended dosage for royal jelly hasn’t been established. When taken as a dietary supplement, royal jelly is available in its natural state - a gel-like substance - or in powder or capsule form. Benefits have been observed in a wide range of dosages. Current research supports possible benefits at 300-6,000 mg per day. Royal jelly can also be applied topically to your skin and is sometimes included in commercially available skin care products. If you’ve never used royal jelly before, it’s best to start with a very small dose to avoid serious allergic reactions and side effects.
Risks and Side Effects
Though probably safe for most, royal jelly is not without risks. Because it’s a bee product, people with allergies to bee stings, pollen, or other environmental allergens should exercise caution. Some environmental contaminants, such as pesticides, have also been found in royal jelly and could lead to allergic reactions.
While using royal jelly is likely safe for most people, serious adverse reactions have occasionally been reported. These include:
- Asthma
- Anaphylaxis
- Contact dermatitis
Some of these extreme reactions could even be fatal.