Bee pollen consists of the pollen granules that stick to the bodies of bees when they land on flowers to collect nectar. Even though it is called "bee pollen," it is not actually produced by bees--it is collected from their bodies, directly from bee hives or by machines. By contrast, royal jelly is directly secreted by bees. Royal jelly is the salivary-gland secretion produced by worker bees and fed to the bee larvae that will develop into queen bees. Many alternative medicine advocates believe that consuming both bee pollen and royal jelly can yield a variety of health benefits. However, these claims have not been approved by the FDA. Always consult your doctor before using products containing either bee pollen or royal jelly.
Nutritional Benefits
According to Drugs.com, bee pollen contains significant amounts of protein and carbohydrate with little fat--less than 2 percent. While some pollen samples contain significant amounts of vitamin C, the exact amount and makeup of the other vitamins, minerals, enzymes and amino acids in bee pollen is not known, although many alternative medicine vendors claim the pollen contains large amounts of essential compounds such as potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, copper, biotin, folic acid and niacin. Although there is no solid evidence that consuming bee pollen helps humans nutritionally, many believe that the pollen's high protein and carbohydrate amounts make it an ideal nutritional supplement, particularly for people with high physical demands, such as athletes.
The Vitamins & Health Supplements Guide reports that royal jelly is thought to contain high amounts of the B vitamins, particularly vitamin B5 and vitamin B6, as well as vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin A and vitamin C. Like bee pollen, royal jelly can be used as a dietary supplement, although whether its nutrients can be used effectively by humans is not known.
Immune System Benefits
Both bee pollen and royal jelly have been used as general immune system enhancers, although Drugs.com says that not enough clinical trials exist to definitively prove whether they actually can play a significant role in supporting and enhancing immunity. Bee pollen has been used as a method for treating and controlling the inflammatory immune system responses associated with severe allergies to hay fever, but there are serious risks associated with this practice. Both Drugs.com and Applied Health Solutions for Life warn that using bee pollen to treat allergies can cause life-threatening reactions.
Cancer-fighting Benefits
Bee pollen is thought to contain compounds identified as antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances believed to prevent and repair the damage caused by free radicals on DNA. Since damaged DNA results in abnormal cells that can become cancerous, antioxidant-containing foods are believed to help protect against cancer. No scientific studies have conclusively proved the theory that antioxidant compounds exist in bee pollen or that those compounds prevent cancer development in humans.
In 1987, Japanese researchers reported in the journal Nippon Yakurigaku Zasshi that the cancerous tumors in mice fed small amounts of royal jelly were smaller than those in similarly cancerous mice that did not consume royal jelly. This result has led some to believe that royal jelly can directly prevent the development or growth of cancerous cells. Unfortunately, no further research has supported these original findings, and royal jelly is not considered a viable treatment for cancer by medical professionals.
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