Bee Pollen & Herbs

Bee pollen is a combination of pollen and nectar from different flowers. Bees collect pollen and nectar and use it as a food source. Bee pollen is available as a nutritional supplement to the general public. Some alternative medicine practitioners also use bee pollen to treat specific medical ailments.

History

• Bee pollen has been around for a long time. The world's oldest bee remains, estimated to be over 80 million years old, are housed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. This is the earliest bee known to exist in history. Evidence in the form of scrolls and books suggest that bee pollen was used by both ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman civilizations. The first major scientific study on bee pollen was carried out in October of 1948 by the National Cancer Institute. Since then, bee pollen has become more and more popular and is now available in many different forms.

Benefits

• Bee pollen's main benefit is its nutritional value. It contains an average of 16 essential vitamins, 14 essential minerals, over 100 different types of enzymes and all 22 standard amino acids. Exact numbers vary depending on the type of plants where the pollen originates. A 2010 study carried out by Nagaragawa Research Center in Japan found that bee pollen contains flavonoids effective at reducing inflammation. There is anecdotal evidence that bee pollen enhances athletic performance and has a positive effect on memory, but this has not yet been scientifically proved.

Adverse Effects

• Bee pollen's most dangerous effect is anaphylaxis in allergic individuals. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction in which the throat swells shut and the body goes into shock. It can be fatal if not rapidly treated. Sensitive individuals can also experience mild to moderate symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, headaches and a general feeling of being unwell. Bee pollen was also associated with two cases of acute liver damage and inflammation.

Availability and Dosage

• Bee pollen can be found in most health food and supplement stores. Bee pollen comes in three different forms: granules, tablets and capsules. If using granules, one to two tbsps. daily is a good starting dose. Soaking or thoroughly chewing the granules can help increase absorption. Granules can also be blended or stirred into food or drink. Capsules and tablets are swallowed. Dosage depends on the mg. of the capsule or tablet. You can take up to 10 tablets or capsules containing 200 mg., or up to five tablets or capsules containing 500 mg. The average daily dose tends to be around 1500 to 2000 mg.