Everything You Need To Know About Bee Pollen & Why It's Good For You

Bees fly from flower to flower collecting nectar to turn into honey back in the hive while they do this the flowers attach pollen to the bees legs, this ensures the flowers become pollinated. We all had the story of The Birds and The Bees told to use in some guise or another, right?

Eighteen vitamins and all amino acids are present in bee pollen. Amino acids are usually only found in meat and dairy products

So What Is Bee Pollen?

As the bee flies around collecting nectar, it's also collecting pollen. The bee mixes the pollen and nectar together to make what we call 'bee pollen.' Bee pollen is then eaten by the bee for energy as it flies around, what it doesn't eat is taken back to the hive for others to eat.

Bee pollen is highly prized by the hive and only used to feed larvae.

The Greater Good Of Bees

In doing their divine work bees, are responsible for the pollination of over 80% of all growing green plants. This is an amazing fact if you think about how many different animals, birds and insects there are.

What's The Difference Between Nectar & Pollen?

Bees are attracted to flowers to feed on their nectar; this nectar is taken back to the hive to make honey. In turn, the honey is stored in the comb to be consumed by the colony during hibernation.

How Is Bee Pollen Collected?

Bee pollen is collected from the bee as it returns to the hive. A pollen trap is a very simple device, and it is entirely harmless to the bees. In the simplest of terms, it is a wire mesh that the bees have to climb over before entering the hive while going over the wire mesh the pollen falls off the bees legs and is collected in the receptacle.

Processing and Storage of Bee Pollen

Generally, bee pollen does not undergo any processing; it is consumed 'as is'. Once harvested the pollen be stored using two recognised methods: 

• The first is to freeze the pollen immediately, in its raw state the pollen is extremely delicate, as you would imagine. The bee pollen has to harvested at least once a day, preferably twice daily to ensure freshness. Once the bee pollen is frozen, it must remain in this state until it is to be consumed.
• The second method is to dehydrate the pollen immediately after harvesting. The dehydration process has no detrimental effect on the nutrients in the pollen.

Once dehydrated the pollen can be transported and stored easily, it never spoils unless exposed to extreme conditions.

What Nutrients Are In Bee Pollen?

The full range of potent nutrients that are found in bees pollen and the concentrations they are found in is the reason bee pollen is a highly prized superfood.

Eighteen vitamins and all amino acids are present in bee pollen. Amino acids are usually only found in meat and dairy products. Amino acids from bee pollen can be immediately absorbed by our bodies and used by our bodies to rebuild damaged cells.

A further 10% of bee pollen is made up of omega-3 & omega-6 fatty acids, this is completely in balance with our body's requirements.

There are over 20 other elements, 30 minerals and folic acids found in bee pollen; there are numerous active enzymes and co-enzymes that our bodies need.

Medical Benefits of Bees Pollen

There is little documented evidence that bee pollen has any beneficial health benefits. What little scientific evidence there is virtually split 50-50 as to the benefits.

The main reason there are no in-depth scientific data is that none has been conducted, scientific trials cost money, and large pharmaceutical companies don't invest in technologies that can't be patented.

Ironically, one of the first medical researchers, Aristotle, the Greek scientist, and philosopher, first discovered the benefits of bee pollen, and he carefully studied bees and beehives throughout his life.

Bees Pollen & Allergy Cures

Bee pollen is extremely effective against most types of hay fever and pollen allergies. Don't confuse bee pollen with flower pollen, the later will most likely aggravate any symptoms.

It's widely recommended that a hay fever sufferer should begin taking bee pollen around six weeks before the flowering season. Start with just a few granules per day and build up to a teaspoon or two. This will increase your immune system's resistance and immunise the sufferer against an attack.

Bee pollen lowers histamine levels within sufferers. A rise in histamine levels is widely accredited as the cause of most allergies. Please read the section at the end of this page that talks about allergic reactions and allergies. In a few rare cases, user experienced a severe allergic reaction to bee pollen, most of these cases seem to be by hay fever sufferers.

Sexual Health & Stamina

Bee pollen is widely used for its aphrodisiac qualities. Aphrodisiacs provide the user with an increased sexual appetite. Pollen in studies has been shown to help men significantly with prostate problems. A German medical journal described the effects as "half the pain twice the pleasure," as swelling of the prostate is reduced by the pollen.

Detoxification Benefits of Bee Pollen

Today detoxification qualities of food can be accurately measured using the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity test or ORAC test. This is a standardised test developed by the Department of Agriculture in America. Bee pollen has an ORAC score of 247, the highest ever recorded in any whole food. The test measures foods ability to destroy free radicals in the blood.

Allergic Reactions and Anaphylactic Shock With Bee Pollen

Experiencing anaphylactic shock when eating bee pollen is rare, but it does happen. Likewise, some people react extremely badly to being stung by bees or other bee products. If you have ever had an allergic reaction to bees, or you experience allergic reactions, you should not consume bee pollen without consulting professional medical advice.

Anaphylactic shock can kill for the vast majority consuming bee pollen and bee products are safe, but if you feel you may be at risk don't use bee pollen.

Further Reading

Here is some further reading on bee pollen.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20573205
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/beepollen.htm
http://www.apitherapy.org/about-apitherapy/products-of-the-hive-2/bee-pollen/
http://www.drugs.com/npp/bee-pollen.html