Most Don’t Know the Phenomenal Benefits of Bee Pollen

The Busy Bee

Bees travel from flower to flower, gathering nectar to take back to the hive in order to make honey. As they travel, they also gather pollen, as it sticks to their little legs and bodies when they land and sip. When they return to the hive, they deposit the nectar but the pollen as well. Amazingly, some people obviously wondered if there were some benefits of the pollen in these hives, and studies began.

Some Research Studies on the Benefits of Bee Pollen

It appears that bee pollen is most commonly used as an energy booster, although some side results of a few studies point to other benefits as well. It is important to note that the benefits of bee pollen may be in the very early stages of discovery.

Recent studies have shown that bee pollen intake improves both energy and mood. The effect, moreover, seems to be immediate; however, some subjects indicated that they experienced a “letdown” several hours later. So, if bee pollen were to be taken as a substitute for caffeine or processed sugar, each individual would need to determine amount and number of doses that best fit his individual needs.

Bee Pollen and Vitamins and Minerals

Other research has isolated the actual elements and compounds contained in bee pollen with the following results: Bee pollen contains high levels of the B complex, as well as Vitamins A, C, D, and E. Benefits of bee pollen, then, might logically include anti-aging and antioxidant activity, as well as improve bone growth and development. In addition, bioflavonoids, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and several enzymes are present.

Benefits of Bee Pollen for Weight Loss

Some studies indicate positive weight loss benefits of bee pollen. Because it increases metabolism (the body’s rate of burning fat), it assists in the elimination of fat cells from the body. As well, bee pollen includes a high level of lecithin, another ingredient commonly used for increased fat burning and flushing. Some study subjects reported decreased food cravings with regular use of bee pollen.

Possible Upper Respiratory Benefits of Bee Pollen

Studies on adolescent swimmers resulted in some interesting conclusions. Bee pollen was given to one-half of a group of swimmers in training. The goal was to determine if a 6-week course of regular bee pollen ingestion would improve the performance of athletes. After 6 weeks, it was determined that the actual performance of the swimmers did not increase significantly through the use of bee pollen; however, an interesting side result of this study should motivate further study. Swimmers given the bee pollen missed far fewer training days due to respiratory infections than those without the pollen treatment.

Potential Reproductive System Benefits of Bee Pollen

Some initial studies indicate that women report reduced PMS symptoms, men may receive relief from prostate problems, and sperm count may be increased significantly

Additional Early Stage Studies

The potential benefits of bee pollen have sprouted lots of new studies throughout the world, related to the potential use of bee pollen for allergies, strengthening of immune system, body detoxification, and cancer. Verdicts on these are obviously not in.

A Word of Caution

Many individuals are highly allergic to bees and bee stings. The same goes for bee pollen. Individuals who have these allergies must stay away from bee pollen.

How Bee Pollen is Delivered

Bee pollen is available in tablet or nugget form, usually in 500 mg doses. One important efficacy issue is how the bee pollen is preserved and processed. It appears that freeze-dried preservation is preferable to simply drying, as more nutrients remain intact.

The Future of Bee Pollen

Bee pollen has promise for significant health benefits, and we may not know at this time all of the beneficial uses of this supplement. Much more study and research should be conducted, because it appears that people report some interesting benefits through its use. One variable may be the dosage amount, and much more study in this area should occur as well.

The cost of bee pollen will probably continue to rise, and, at some point, it may be a bit rare. Given the current incidence of colony collapse worldwide, and our inability to identify the cause of such collapse, the bee may become an endangered species.