Worker nurse honeybees produce royal jelly and feed it to bee larvae for three days after being laid, explains the American Apitherapy Society. Only larvae designated to be queens eat royal jelly after that. Royal jelly is claimed to provide numerous health benefits for humans, but evidence is scant to support these theories, according to Health Services at Columbia. Consult a qualified health care provider before taking royal jelly.
Function
Royal jelly allows the queen to develop into a large and fertile bee. A queen can lay over twice her weight in eggs each day. In addition, the queen lives up to six years, in contrast with worker bees, which live four to six weeks, according to the American Apitherapy Society. These benefits are all due to the effects of royal jelly. The qualities of the queen bee have led people to believe royal jelly can have noteworthy effects on humans as well, explains Health Services at Columbia.
Potential
Royal jelly has important roles in traditional Chinese medicine, and alternative medicine practitioners also use it to prevent and relieve a range of health disorders. Some of these include anxiety, depression, asthma, hair loss, kidney and liver problems, sexual dysfunction, skin conditions and stomach ulcers, notes the American Apitherapy Society. Royal jelly also is used as an immune system booster, for relieving insomnia and fatigue, and for improving endurance.
Research
One study with mice indicated that royal jelly has anti-fatigue effects. Published in the December 2001 issue of the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, the study found that eating fresh royal jelly significantly increased swimming endurance of mice compared with mice not eating this substance. In addition, royal jelly frozen for seven days did not produce significant effects, and the authors note that the protein had degraded.
Benefits
The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center provides a summary of studies on royal jelly, indicating that no research with humans has been published relating to royal jelly and its effects on tiredness. Research has demonstrated, however, that royal jelly reduces total cholesterol in people with moderately elevated levels, according to the MSKCC. It also shows positive results for improving unpleasant symptoms of menopause and as an infertility treatment.
Caution
You should not take royal jelly if you are allergic to bee stings or honey, or if you have asthma, according to Health Services at Columbia. Negative reactions to royal jelly have included bronchial spasms and asthma attacks. Pregnant and breast-feeding women, as well as small children, also should not take this substance, and neither should anyone with a compromised immune system.
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