Bee Pollen : An Excellent Health Supplement & Why You Should Care
Bee pollen has a long history of being used by people for medicinal and health-promoting purposes. It was an important part of ancient Chinese and Egyptian diets. In fact ancient medical books from famous physicians such as Hippocrates show that bee pollen was considered a must for a healthy diet.
In Germany, bee pollen is officially recognized as medicine.
Fact : bee pollen is an excellent health supplement that does not get enough love.
What is Bee Pollen anyway ?
As you might know, bees are pollinators. This means that they move from flower to flower getting food and in the process get flower pollen on their wings and hairy legs.
Flower pollen from different plants stuck together with nectar and honeybee enzymes makes what we know and call bee pollen.
In fact, based on the geographical location of the bees and depending on the climate and even season, bee pollen composition will be different.
Chemical composition of bee pollen
Bee pollen is primarily high in proteins. It also contains sugars , a very low percentage of fat and fibers. It also contains essential minerals and vitamins like calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, Beta-karotene, vitamin E, niacin, thiamine, biotin and folic acid.
If you’ve ever bought a bottle of multi-vitamins at your local pharmacy, you will recognize that every single one the the minerals and vitamins I have listed are present.
Amazing, isn’t it ?
Bee Pollen : Health Benefits
A . Anti-oxidant : Our cells as a part of their normal activity produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). When there is an access of ROS in your cells, it can lead cell damage and tissue damage. An anti-oxidant reduces the levels of ROS and prevents the root causes of many disease that arise as a result of a high level of ROS. Bee pollen is now known to possess very powerful anti-oxidant activity.
B. Pain relief/anti-inflammatory : Bee pollen has been shown scientifically to have a positive effect on reducing pain. They have also been found to be comparable to anti-inflammatory drugs like naproxen and analgin.
C. Anti-bacterial/anti-fungal effects: I wrote about the antibacterial effect of honey in this post. An alcohol extract from bee pollen was shown to kill bacteria and fungal cells.
D. Protects the liver
E. Protects against heart disease : Bee pollen extracts have been also reported to have “hypolipidemic” effects. This means that bee pollen contains components that reduce unhealthy fats in a person who is taking it as an extract.
In a study that looked at patients with heart disease, intake of bee pollen reduced blood viscosity (thickness) and reduced the formation of plaques which are known to play a dangerous role in heart disease.
I could go on and on about the research behind bee pollen and why it is great for you. Bee pollen is an EXCELLENT health supplement.
In the United States however, bee pollen is not considered a pharmaceutical “medicine”. So while I highly recommend bee pollen as a natural health supplement, please do consult with your doctor before you get start taking it.
[note]D-TEK is excited to announce that our online store which also features bee pollen is currently up and running. Bee pollen prices start at just $5.00 [/note]