Flower pollen that is collected from bees bodies as they enter the hive, or pollen that is harvested by other means, such as manually from a bee hive farm, is called bee pollen. This product is extolled for its concentration of certain key nutrients and is marketed today by health-food distributors worldwide. Health food proponents extol bee pollen as a "perfect" food.
Flower Versus Bee Pollen
The difference between flower pollen and bee pollen is that bee pollen contains the whole pollen grain and outer shell, while flower pollen [extract] is just the inside nutrients. As bees help themselves to the nectar inside flowers, pollen granules stick to their legs. Bees' mouths produce enzymes that penetrate the hard outer shells of pollen and remove the rich nutrients inside. Bees use this nutritive substance to make royal jelly, honey and other materials used in the hive. The bees add mysterious "extra" elements of their own; which may make it uniquely beneficial.
Basic Nutritional Content
There are a wide variety of bee pollen products available, including capsule, powdered, liquid and granule forms. Thus, nutrition information varies. According to the Fit Day website, one tablespoon (Tbsp) of bee pollen provides 45 to 50 calories, 3.6 grams (g) protein, 1 g fat, 6.5 g carbohydrates and 1 g dietary fiber.
Nutrient Density
Bee pollen is, in fact, incredibly nutrient dense, as it provides the honeybee with all of the nutrients that it needs for growth and development. According to researchers at the institute of Apiculture in Taranov, Russia, "Honeybee pollen is the richest source of vitamins found in nature in a single food." It is low in fat and sodium and is composed of approximately 25 percent protein. It contains many minerals and vitamins, such as the B vitamins, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, maganese and copper.
Nutrient Functions
While 1 Tbsp serving of bee pollen, on average, provides a small amount of many nutrients, it must exceed 10 percent of the Recommended Daily Value, or DV, for a particular nutrient to be considered a good food source. A 1 Tbsp serving meets 13 percent of the DV for both vitamin C and copper. Vitamin C is important for proper immune system function, wound healing and collagen production. Copper, an essential trace mineral, is also necessary for collagen production and aids in the maintenance of the skeletal and cardiovascular systems. Copper also helps with the absorption and release of iron.
Considerations
According to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Caner Center, while bee pollen is dense in nutrients such as sugars, proteins and amino acids, minerals, carbohydrates, lipid and essential fatty acids, the use of bee pollen is relatively benign. Furthermore, clinical data show that benefits from its use are limited. While it has been reported that taking bee pollen my help or cure conditions such as alcoholism, cancer, allergies and diabetes, these hypotheses have yet to be scientifically proven.
Warning
Bee pollen should be regarded as potentially dangerous because it can cause an allergic reaction. Those individuals allergic to specific pollens have developed asthma, hives and anaphylactic shock after ingesting pollen. In addition, according to the Federal Trade Commission, bee pollen products are not a "magic" food and do not produce weight loss, alleviate allergies, reverse the aging process and cure, prevent or alleviate impotence or sexual dysfunction, as some have claimed.
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