Bee Pollen
- Stock #70-9 (100 capsules)
Bee pollen is among the oldest known nutritional supplements, with records of its use dating back to ancient Chinese and early Egyptian medicine. Although bee pollen is gathered by honeybees as a source of nutrition for the hive, it is also used for its nutritional value in the human diet. Bee pollen is available as a dietary supplement and is regarded by many as a nutritionally-rich “perfect food.”1-4
Bee pollen contains many nutrients in concentrated amounts and is a rich source of protein, carbohydrates, minerals and essential fatty acids. Bee pollen also provides B-complex vitamins and vitamin C, amino acids, trace elements and enzymes.5-8
Bee pollen is widely used in China as a food supplement and herbal tonic for enhancing the body’s resistance to disease, including cancer. In Germany, bee pollen is recommended as an appetite stimulant. Bee pollen is also commonly used to enhance energy levels and improve endurance and stamina.5,9,10
Bee pollen exhibits strong antioxidant activity and other health-protective benefits, including anti-estrogenic and bone-loss preventative effects. Animal studies have found that bee pollen provides an anabolic (building-up) action on bone components and increases bone calcium content, while in vitro studies show that bee pollen inhibits bone resorption. In addition, animal studies have shown that bee pollen improves maternal nutritional status with no adverse effects on normal fetal development, suggesting that bee pollen may be an effective nutritional supplement during pregnancy.1,4,11-13
Bee pollen has long been used as a natural remedy against allergies. A recent animal study confirmed that daily supplementation with bee pollen significantly reduced mast cell activation, thus providing an anti-allergic action. Activation of mast cells plays a pivotal role in allergic diseases. Another study determined that myricetin is one of the flavonoids in bee pollen that is responsible for its anti-allergic effect.5,14-17
Research also suggests that bee pollen may help reduce prostate size and provide anti-inflammatory effects in men with BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia or enlarged prostate) and prostatitis. A double-blind, randomized study reported significant clinical improvement in patients with chronic prostatitis who used bee pollen, compared to those in the placebo group. In addition, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted in Germany using a proprietary bee pollen extract significantly improved total symptoms, pain and quality of life in men with inflammatory chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). Furthermore, an extract from bee pollen has been shown to induce apoptosis (cell death) in human prostate cancer cells and may be a potential treatment for prostate cancer.9,14,18-22
References:
1Nakajima, Y., et. al. “Comparison of bee products based on assays of antioxidant capacities.” BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine; 2009, 9:4.
2Wells, K.R. “Bee Pollen.” Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. . Accessed June 2009.
3Silva, T.M., et. al. “Chemical composition, botanical evaluation and screening of radical scavenging activity of collected pollen by the stingless bees Melipona rufiventris (Uruçu-amarela).” Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências; 2009 Jun;81(2):173-178.
4Yamaguchi, M.. “Regulatory mechanism of food factors in bone metabolism and prevention of osteoporosis.” Yakugaku Zasshi: Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan; 2006, 126(11):1117-1137.
5Fetrow, C. & Avila, J. Professional’s Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corp., 1999.
6Weiner, M. & Weiner, J. Herbs That Heal: Prescription For Herbal Healing. Mill Valley, CA: Quantum, 1994.
7Orzaez Villanueva, M.T., et. al. “The importance of bee-collected pollen in the diet: a study of its composition.“ International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition; 2002, 53(3):217-224.
8Lei H, et. al. [Supercritical CO2 extraction of fatty oils from bee pollen and its GC-MS analysis]. Zhong Yao Cai: Journal of Chinese Medicinal Materials; 2004, 27(3):177-180.
9Wu, Y.D., Lou, Y.J. “A steroid fraction of chloroform extract from bee pollen of Brassica campestris induces apoptosis in human prostate cancer PC-3 cells.” Phytotherapy Research; 2007, 21(11):1087-1091.
10“Bee Pollen.” Natural Standard Monograph; 2008. . Accessed June 2009.
11Campos, M.G., et. al. “Age-induced diminution of free radical scavenging capacity in bee pollens and the contribution of constituent flavonoids.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry; 2003, 51(3):742-745.
12Saric\’, A., et. al. “Antioxidant effects of flavonoid from Croatian Cystus incanus L. rich bee pollen.” Food and Chemical Toxicology; 2009, 47(3):547-554.
13Xie, Y., et. al. [Effect of bee pollen on maternal nutrition and fetal growth]. Hua Xi Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao; 1994, 25(4):434-437.
14Lininger Jr, S., et. al. The Natural Pharmacy, 2nd Ed. Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing, 1999.
15Ishikawa, Y., et. al. “Inhibitory effect of honeybee-collected pollen on mast cell degranulation in vivo and in vitro.” Journal of Medicinal Food; 2008, 11(1):14-20.
16He, S., Walls, A.F. “Experimental Activation of Mast Cells and Their Pharmacological Modulation.” Methods in Molecular Medicine; 2008, 138:319-330.
17Medeiros, K.C., et. al. “Anti-allergic effect of bee pollen phenolic extract and myricetin in ovalbumin-sensitized mice.” Journal of Ethnopharmacology; 2008, 119(1):41-46.
18Meyerowitz, S. “Will You Bee Mine? – Bee pollen for health.” Better Nutrition; May 2000. . Accessed June 2009.
19Dhar, N.B., Shoskes, D.A. “New therapies in chronic prostatitis.” Current Urology Reports; 2007, 8(4):313-318.
20Nickel, J.C. “The overlapping lower urinary tract symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis.” Current Opinion in Urology; 2006 Jan;16(1):5-10.
21Duclos, A.J., et. al. “Current treatment options in the management of chronic prostatitis.” Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management; 2007, 3(4):507-512.
22Wagenlehner, F.M., et. al. “A Pollen Extract (Cernilton) in Patients with Inflammatory Chronic Prostatitis-Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome: A Multicentre, Randomized, Prospective, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase 3 Study.” European Urology; 2009, June 3. [Epub ahead of print]
