Top 5 Health Benefits of Bee Pollen

Bee pollen: The new health craze everyone’s talking about!

We owe a lot to the bees. If it weren’t for bees we wouldn’t have honey, propolis, royal jelly, candles, and, thanks to their ability to pollinate plants, fruits and veggies! But we think the bees really outdid themselves with their amazing creation of the ultimate superfood revitalizer – bee pollen!

Did you know that there are so many nutrients in bee pollen, that we could survive on simply bee pollen and water alone? Crazy, hey?! Bee pollen is so jam-packed full of nutrients, vitamins, amino acids, lipids, and over 250 active substances that it has now been recognized as a medicine by the German Federal Board of Health.

What is Bee Pollen?

Bee pollen is essentially a wonderful concoction of flower pollen, nectar, enzymes, honey, wax and bee saliva. The busy bees carry these pollen balls back to the hive in sacs on their legs and store them into the hive’s honeycomb cells. The pollen then ferments into “bee bread”, which serves as the basic protein source for the entire bee colony. 

The way beekeepers collect the pollen is by using a thick comb at the entrance of their hives that when bees pass through, pollen is knocked off their legs into the collection bin underneath.

Bee pollen is fast becoming the new “must-have” miracle food so we were eager to explore its benefits. Take a look at our top 5!

Packed full of antioxidants

This nutrient powerhouse is loaded with a whole variety of antioxidants, including flavonoids, carotenoids, quercetin, kaempferol, and glutathione. These antioxidants protect your body against free radicals and help to combat infection and disease. 

Being so packed full of nutrients and antioxidants, bee pollen is one of nature’s great energy boosters.  Researchers have even found bee pollen to have a similar level of nutrients and inhibitory activities to fermented foods. Recent studies have shown that the enzymes it contains are beneficial for patients experiencing diabetes, cardiovascular vascular diseases, hypertension, and cancer.

IMMUNE BOOSTER

Bee pollen has wonderful antiviral, antimicrobial and antibiotic properties that help strengthen the immune system and protect the body from contracting viruses. These properties can also help kill off bacteria, such as staphylococcus aureus, a strain of bacteria that causes food poisoning.

Want to know another great bee pollen fact? Bee pollen has been used for centuries as a folk remedy for combating various allergies, A 2008 Japanese study proved its anti-allergic action by witnessing its ability to inhibit the activation of mast cells. Mast cells are allergy cells responsible for triggering inflammatory and immediate allergic reactions.

It’s believed by allergists that you can experience relief from seasonal allergies by introducing a small amount of bee pollen into your diet every day.

ANTI-AGING & SKIN SOOTHER

Now we’ve got your attention! Bee pollen is full of important vitamins and minerals responsible for helping fight free radicals in the body caused by stress, pollutants, and environmental toxins. This sweet nectar also helps to stimulate the circulation of blood to skin cells, helping to detoxify the body and, therefore, prevent signs of premature aging. 

Its high levels of vitamin C and vitamin E make it one of the best beauty foods around, helping to give you a healthy glow and diminish those fine lines and wrinkles. Sounds good to us!

STRESS REDUCER

Bee pollen contains high levels of B vitamins – thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3) – which work to strengthen the nervous system by improving blood supply to the nervous tissue. The increased blood supply helps boost mental capacity and reduce stress. This makes bee pollen one of nature’s most powerful stress relievers!

Bee pollen can also be useful for those who suffer from fatigue or lack of energy, especially the elderly. Just a small amount of bee pollen per day can have dramatic effects on one’s mood and physical endurance.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

Bee pollen has been traditionally used to reduce inflammation and swelling because its anti-inflammatory properties are extremely powerful! So powerful in fact, that bee pollen has been compared to anti-inflammatory prescription medication such as naproxen, indomethacin, Analgin, and phenylbutazone. In one study, bee pollen extract was shown to reduce the swelling of rats’ paws by 75%.

Due to its natural anti-inflammatory properties, bee pollen is also great for soothing sore, bleeding, and inflamed gums! For more information on how to deal with sore or bleeding gums, check out our article ‘Our Top 5 Survival Guide To Beat Bleeding Gums.’

How to take bee pollen?

Bee pollen is usually sold in granule form that can be taken by the teaspoon. Some people prefer to soak bee pollen for a few hours before ingesting as it is believed to be easier to digest. 

The most popular way to take bee pollen is to sprinkle it on top of your granola or yogurt or mix it in with your morning smoothies.

If you’re a bee pollen newbie, then it is recommended that you start off with just ½ a teaspoon per day with a maximum intake of 1 tablespoon. Bee pollen is also available in capsule form. 

If you’ve tried this superfood and felt the benefit, we’d love to hear about how it’s worked for you in the comments below.