Royal jelly, a substance secreted by bees to feed their queen and her larvae, is the centerpiece of many nutritional supplement products. These products' manufacturers often promote royal jelly as a "miracle food," based on the reasoning that it allows queen bees to live much longer than other bees. While royal jelly does contain vital nutrients and has shown promise in treating a few conditions, most research remains preliminary at best, so use a discerning eye when shopping for royal jelly products.
Properties and Makeup
Pure royal jelly appears as a syrupy, white liquid, although you also can find it in tablet and capsule forms. It's mostly water, more than 60 percent by composition, according to Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration. Protein and sugar make up most of the rest of its composition. Manufacturers sometimes freeze-dry it to remove moisture and make its nutritional content more potent. It requires refrigeration to stay fresh, though manufacturers sometimes add preservatives to make it less perishable. You also can find it as an ingredient in many skincare products.
Nutritional Profile
Royal jelly contains some vital nutrients. In particular, it's a good source of two of the B vitamins: pantothenic acid and vitamin B-6, according to New York University's Langone Medical Center. It also contains vitamin C and some essential minerals in lower concentrations. None of these nutrients is exclusive to royal jelly, however. You can find these nutrients in many everyday foods and at a much lower cost than royal jelly supplements.
Potential Benefits
Royal jelly's most promising beneficial effect is lowering your cholesterol. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center reports that clinical studies have shown royal jelly can lower cholesterol in people with slightly elevated cholesterol levels, including the "bad" LDL cholesterol levels. A 1995 study at New York Medical College's Department of Medicine, for example, showed royal jelly caused about a 14 percent drop in cholesterol levels. If you want to try royal jelly to lower your cholesterol, the usual dosage is between 50 and 100 milligrams per day. The University of Michigan Health System, however, cautions royal jelly's cholesterol-lowering capabilities still require more research.
Exaggerated Claims
Manufacturers of royal jelly products tout a number of benefits that remain unconfirmed or even disproven by research. For example, because royal jelly is the diet of a fertile queen bee, people often use it to combat symptoms of menopause. New York University's Langone Medical Center, however, cautions that any evidence for this is "very weak." Similarly, while royal jelly can combat bacteria in a test tube, this does not translate to antibacterial powers when you take it orally. While a few lab tests have indicated royal jelly and other bee products have cancer-fighting capabilities, the American Cancer Society says it needs much more study. Other unproven claims include the ability to lower blood pressure and reverse osteoporosis.
Harmful Effects
In a few cases, royal jelly can cause harmful or even deadly effects, particularly if you are allergic to bee stings. Allergic reactions to royal jelly can range from mild digestion problems to severe breathing difficulties, shock and even death. NYU's Langone Medical Center reports that the product can cause internal bleeding if you are taking blood thinners. Sloan-Kettering recommends you avoid royal jelly if you have estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Skin products with royal jelly also can irritate some people's skin.
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