Dangers of Royal Jelly

Royal jelly is a substance secreted by worker honeybees to stimulate the development of queen bees. Royal jelly is food for all bee larvae and the only food for those who will become queens. Some alternative health practitioners claim that royal jelly provides many benefits, even for treating liver and kidney disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. The main danger is that people can have severe allergic reactions.

Bee Allergy

• Some people who are allergic to honeybee venom, bee pollen or honey have severe reactions to royal jelly, including bronchial spasms, asthma, rashes, hives and even anaphylactic shock.

Pollen Allergy

• People allergic to specific plant pollens can also experience severe allergic reactions to royal jelly. Royal jelly may contain pollen from ragweed, for example, a relatively common allergen.

Asthma

• Severe reactions can occur in people with asthma, and at least one death due to this has been documented (see Resources below).

Contamination Possibility

• In 1995, a Montana-based company recalled a royal jelly/bee pollen supplement because of lead contamination. Two recalls occurred in Australia in 2003, and in 2008 it was discovered that contaminated Chinese imports containing the carcinogenic chemical chloramphenicol were being sold as made in Australia.

Expense

• Another danger is to people's wallets. Royal jelly is only produced by bees in small quantities, making it expensive. It's an important consideration, since there is no clinical or other actual evidence that royal jelly provides any significant health benefits.