Benefits of eating bee pollen
Plants reproduce with pollen which is distributed among plants by sticking to pollinators like honeybees as they visit flower to collect nectar for making honey. The pollen is also collected by honeybees and brought back to the hive as an additional source of food and nutrients. Bee pollen has been collected and eaten by people for its numerous nutritional and health benefits.
Benefits of eating bee pollen
Bee pollen contains proteins, carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and flavonoids. Bee pollen has been found to have benefits for the cardiovascular system. Multiple studies have found that it lowers cholesterol and reduce plaque in arteries (1). Additionally, bee pollen has been proven to be powerful at detoxifying the blood and liver from potentially harmful chemicals and substances that we encounter during our daily lives (2) (3). An often sought after benefit of bee pollen is its antihistamine properties which can be used for relief from allergies or hay fever.
How do you eat bee pollen
Bee pollen can be eaten by itself or mixed into other foods. Bee pollen has a strong floral, earthy, and slightly sweet taste. I like to eat a teaspoon of bee pollen chased by another spoonful of raw and unfiltered honey. I also like to sprinkle it on top of my smoothie, yogurt, acai bowls, granola, or salad. We advise you not to overheat it in steaming hot tea or bake it so to avoid breaking down the vitamins, mineral, or antioxidants.
How much to take Start with a few granules per day for one week. Gradually increase to 1 – 2 heaping teaspoons per day or more as needed.
Bee Pollen Nutrition Bee pollen has been called a superfood due to its nutritional density. A spoonful of bee pollen is equivalent to a serving of healthy vegetables. Bee pollen contains every vitamin and is such a complete food that animals can survived on it alone. It is commonly used by people that are not getting enough nutrition in their regular diet.
Uses Bee Pollen’s potent nutritional value makes it a great supplement for boosting your energy for daily tasks or before exercising. In fact, it’s commonly used by both professional athletes and also racehorses prior to every competition. The high protein content is useful for promoting muscle growth and as a vegetarian friendly source of plant based proteins.
Bee Pollen Allergy Very rarely are people allergic to bee pollen, honey, or bees themselves. If you have been diagnosed or suspect you have an allergy to these, then we recommend you avoid ingesting these products.
(1) Machoy-Mokrzyńska A., Łoniewski I., Wojcicki J. Infuence of pollen extracts on the central nervous system. Herba Polonica. 1992;38:p. 189. (2) Juźwiak S., Raińska T., Dutkiewicz T., et al. Pollen extracts reduce the hepatotoxicity of paracetamol in mice. Phytotherapy Research. 1992;6(3):141–145. doi: 10.1002/ptr.2650060308. (3) Wojcicki J., Hinek A., Samochowiec L. The protective effect of pollen extracts against allyl alcohol damage of the liver. Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis. 1985;33(6):841–849.