Health Benefits of Bee Pollen
Flower pollen is the male part of the plant and is required for the propagation of all flowers. Pollen is also the food of bees and neatly contains all the nutrients needed by humans. Forty percent of bee pollen is protein, and about half of that is in the form of free amino acids that are ready to be used directly in the body.
One of the most interesting facts about bee pollen is that it cannot be created in a laboratory. Scientists have created a synthetic pollen substance that contains all of the same ingredients that are in naturally occurring pollen, but when they give it to bees without any natural pollen, the bees die. Further, when scientists chemically analyze bee pollen, there are still substances in the powder that science cannot identify. It is perhaps these unidentifiable compounds that help give pollen its health benefits.
In a 1945 report, Russian biologist Nicholas Tsitin stated that 150 centenarians [someone older than 100] replied to a questionnaire saying that honey was their main food staple. However, after further examination, the 150 individuals ate not only honey but also bee pollen and other beehive products.
Consequentially, the Institute of Apiculture in Taranov, Russia stated, “Honeybee pollen is the richest source of vitamins found in Nature in a single food. Even if bee pollen had none of its other vital ingredients, its content of rutin alone would justify taking at least a teaspoon daily, if for no other reason than strengthening the capillaries. Pollen is extremely rich in rutin and may have the highest content of any source, plus it provides a high content of the nucleics RNA [ribonucleic acid] and DNA [deoxyribonucleic acid]” [1].
Has Over 250 Known Active Substances
In a 2018 study, researchers found that bee pollen contained over 250 active compounds, including proteins, lipids, fatty acids, minerals, antioxidants, and enzymes [2]. However, the specific composition of these ingredients depends significantly on the plant.
For example, the study also found that pollen collected from pine plants is about 7% protein, whereas pollen collected from date palm has a much more significant percentage at 35% protein [2]. There is a very similar effect of when the pollen is collected, too, meaning pollen collected during the Spring will have a very different composition than pollen collected during the Fall [2].
Rich in Antioxidants
A 2016 study investigated what type of antioxidants are in pollen and discovered a wide variety, including flavonoids, carotenoids, quercetin, kaempferol, and glutathione [3]. Antioxidants can be beneficial to maintain health and decrease one’s risk of chronic illness since most long-term diseases are driven by oxidative stress [4].
Studies have also found that bee pollen antioxidants can reduce chronic inflammation, eliminate harmful bacteria, fight infections, and combat the growth and spread of tumors [5-13].
Promote Healthy Lipid Profile
According to the World Health Organization, heart disease is the number one cause of death globally [14].
When doctors evaluate an individual’s risk for heart disease, they examine blood pressure, HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels. Studies have found that bee pollen plays a role in maintaining proper measurements of these risk factors.
Animal studies from 2017 and 2018 have found that bee pollen reduced LDL levels [15] [16].
In a 2015 study, researchers found that individuals who were nearsighted because of clogged arteries received relief from bee pollen for their condition [5].
Further, bee pollen may prevent blood lipids from oxidizing because of its potent antioxidant composition. When these lipids oxidize, they can bind together and restrict blood vessels, which can increase heart disease risk [16].
Promote Liver Function
The liver’s key role is breaking down and removing toxins from the blood, and animal studies have noted that pollen may enhance the liver’s detoxifying efforts.
A 2003 study investigated this effect in older animals. Researchers noted that bee pollen increased the liver’s antioxidant defense mechanisms, removed more waste products, such as urea and malondialdehyde, from the animal’s blood [17].
Other animal studies have investigated this effect, and researchers have noted pollen seemed to safeguard the liver against damage from toxic chemicals, including alcohol damage and drug overdoses, showing that bee pollen promotes liver healing as well [3] [18] [19-21].
Another study (2019) even found that bee pollen could “be used to prevent obesity and NAFLD [nonalcoholic fatty liver disease] of human beings,” because of pollen’s activities in the body [22].
However, most of these studies are animal studies, so further research on humans needs to be conducted to draw any conclusions for human health
Possesses Anti-Inflammatory Properties
One of the more provoking abilities of bee pollen is its ability to decrease inflammation, and studies have compared its capabilities to the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals, such as phenylbutazone, indomethacin, analgin and naproxen [5].
In a 2010 animal study, bee pollen reduced the swelling of rats’ paws by 75% [23].
In another animal study, researchers in 2016 found that bee pollen can be used to safely improve oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, poor detoxification, and abnormal gut bacteria, through its anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties [24].
An older, 1998 study investigated these properties and found bee pollen does this is because bee pollen compounds seem to suppress the production of inflammatory hormones [25].
Another study (2004) explained these properties come from the high-level of natural flavonoids and quercetin [26].
Conclusion
My goal in this article was to quickly inform you of some of the miraculous benefits of bee pollen. Bee pollen is densely packeted with hundreds of known and unknown compounds that support a wide variety of human health functions.
If you have any questions about any of our products, check out Healthmasters’ Basic Healthy Lifestyle Kit or call our office at 800.726.1834.
References:
[2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924224417301681
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27013064
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19149749
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25861358
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27293466
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30593700
[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2906419/
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5608190/
[10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23305281
[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3872021/
[12] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6214034/
[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5440786/
[14] https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds)
[15] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29258230
[16] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29614743
[17] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168827803800788
[18] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3008684
[19] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24250716
[20] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28962082
[21] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5946138/
[22] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30736329
[23] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20573205
[24] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27107819
