Bees collect pollen on their legs while they collect the sweet secretions from flowers. Bees use this collection as a means to make food for themselves and their larvae, particularly in the wintertime. Because of its necessity as a food to bees, bee pollen is also referred to colloquially as bee bread.
Significance
Bee pollen is mixed with honey or nectar as well as proteins from its stomach in order to help protect and store it in the hive. Alternative healers report bee pollen to have healing properties for those suffering from low immune function, for those in need of nutritional support, and for those suffering from illness and emotional distress.
Misconceptions
Bee pollen detractors point out that the digestive enzymes in our stomachs digest the pollen enzymes before they have a chance to take effect, and that bee pollen by no means is complete in its nutrient or enzyme content, as some claim.
Significance
Some people take preparations of bee pollen in order to get rid of spring and summertime allergies to flowers and grasses. Scientists report that bee pollen is high in protein, amino acids, fat precursors, and that it is also rich in the vitamin B5 as well as other nutrients. The rich nutrient content of bee pollen may partly responsible for the idea of bee pollen as a panacea.
Expert Insight
Although there is a lot of anecdotal evidence as to the benefits of bee pollen, some scientists report a substantial lack of human evidence on the effectiveness of the substance. One study, published in the Journal of Sports Medicine, by the authors Steben and Boudreaux, showed that high school boys taking bee pollen had no different blood levels of essential nutrients than when they took a comparable protein supplement or a placebo.
Potential
An insect study collaboration between Rutgers University and Rincon-Vitova insectary in Ventura, California, showed that non-bee insects fed an artificial bee pollen supplement benefited in growth measurements, including size and rate of growth when fed preparations of bee pollen. This result suggests a need for further studies on bee pollen's benefits in humans.
Warning
Although no bad allergic reactions to bee pollen were measured in the Steben and Boudreaux study of high school boys, some who take bee pollen do have extreme allergic reactions, so please consult your doctor if you plan to take bee pollen to help your allergies, especially if you have an allergy to bee stings as well.
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