The Many Benefits Of Bee Pollen Supplements

Ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian cultures regarded Bee Pollen as a way of restoring energy and helping ailing individuals recover from ailments. Continuing through today, Bee Pollen is still considered by many health professionals to be one of the most nutritious foods available to people. But let’s start at the beginning to see how this natural ‘superfood’ is created.

Flowers produce pollen so they can reproduce. Worker bees, like the ones you might see on your flowers or in your garden, are searching for nectar and acquire pollen from the male stamen of a plant. Bee Pollen is unique to natural honey, honeycomb or bee venom. Honey is created by honeybees from the nectar they collect. The variations of different flowers contain different kinds of nectar – resulting in different variations of flavor and color of honey. Likewise, flowering plants in different regions will produce various forms and quality ranges of pollen.

Unique to honey, Bee Pollen is a mixture of nectar, flower pollen and bee saliva that the bees make for food. Beekeepers collect this product by installing a “pollen trap” near the entrance of a hive. When the bees pass through the trap, some of the pollen is brushed into a drawer and removed later. Pollen grains are typically collected and mixed with nectar and other enzymes to create various Bee Pollen products.

Why go to all this trouble? Bee Pollen is sometimes referred to as “food of the Gods” and as the “complete or perfect food.” Studies show that there are over 96 nutrients in most pollen and -- when incorporated into a diet -- triglyceride and cholesterol levels may move towards normalized levels. Further, the lecithin in pollens may melt body fat and stimulate the human body’s metabolism. This action can naturally suppress appetites and make people eat less…and, as a result, help them lose weight. Most pollen is very rich in B vitamins and will have a relatively low amount of calories (45) in each tablespoon serving.

There are other additional benefits to bee pollen, too. Baby diaper rash cream sometimes contains this ingredient as it is considered an effective skin softening agent. Herbalists frequently also recommend these Bee Pollen to help reduce chemotherapy side effects and to improve select allergies or asthma in patients. Serious athletes also often incorporate a form of Bee Pollen into their diets, citing some common beliefs that the substance will enhance stamina, speed and strength performance.

Tablet, capsule and granule forms of Bee Pollen are often available. People who have allergies to bee stings, however, are generally advised NOT to take Bee Pollen supplements out of concern an anaphylactic reaction may be triggered. In those cases, a doctor or pharmacist may consider other medical factors and possibly recommend goji juice or ginseng as an alternative. As with all supplements, a doctor should be consulted before adding Bee Pollen into a diet plan.