Bee Pollen

Bee pollen is often regarded as highly beneficial by many people that are into juicing and health food in general. I have seen it reported many times as nature's 'most complete food' or 'most perfect food.'

However, I have never been convinced that 'bee pollen' offered any outstanding health benefits, especially for the fairly high price that it commands.

Of course, 'bee pollen', as it is referred to, is actually flower pollen that has become stuck to the bee's legs and it is then collected, usually from the hive.

Bee pollen is often advertised as having 'all of the essential amino acids and many vitamins and minerals.' These nutrients are available in many other foods however, and at a much cheaper price.

Those that sell the product have claimed that bee pollen can improve athletic and sexual performance; slow the aging process; promote both weight loss and weight gain; prevent infection, allergy, and cancer; and alleviate more than 60 other health problems.

There has never been any valid scientific data gathered that supports any claim that bee pollen can prevent any known human disease or that it can enhance the performance in sexual or athletic activities.

It has also never been proven to be helpful in weight gain or weight loss.

Royal jelly, which is secreted from the salivary glands of worker bees, serves as food for all young larvae and as the only food for larvae that will develop into queen bees. Like bee pollen, it has falsely claimed to be especially nutritious, to provide buoyant energy, and to have therapeutic properties.

Potentially Harmful, Even Deadly

Both of these products would appear to be neither particularly helpful or harmful in any way, but that is not necessarily the case.

People allergic to specific pollens have developed asthma, hives, and anaphylactic shock after ingesting pollen or royal jelly.

Neurologic and gastrointestinal reactions have also been reported. Some cases of asthma and anaphylaxis have been fatal.

The potential for serious reactions is widespread because at least 5% of Americans are allergic to ragweed pollen, and bee pollen contains pollen from ragweed or plants that cross-react with ragweed, such as dandelions, sunflowers, or chrysanthemums.

It has been speculated the presence of these allergens might enable regular users to become desensitized (as would happen with allergy shots). However, the odds of this happening are extremely small. Shots deliver the pollen in significant and controllable amounts, whereas bee pollen taken by mouth delivers unpredictable amounts that get digested.

If you search for "bee pollen" online, you will find many sites promoting it as 'the perfect food', or something similar. Please do your homework before you spend your money.

Some of the sites where you find information on bee pollen could be blogs with links to dealers or retailers that sell the substance. Most likely the site owners that have links to those selling the pollen are Affiliate Marketers, and they are being paid a commission for any customers they send to the dealer or retailer sites that result in purchases.

False Claims

There have been numerous federal cases resulting in stiff penalties against companies making unsubstantiated claims as to the benefits of bee pollen.

You can go to this page of Quackwatch.com to view the dispositions of several of these cases.

[Note:] This site attempts to provide accurate, helpful information pertaining to juicing and other methods, services and products that are beneficial in living a healthy lifestyle.

We will also give an honest opinion on any products, services or methods that appear to offer no benefit or that may be an outright scam.