From honey to honeycomb, from royal jelly to bee pollen, the hype over bee-related products tends to reach a fever pitch in the nutrition, health and fitness communities. While these types of products can be nutritionally valuable -- some more so than others -- the actual powers of products like bee pollen fall somewhat short of their miracle-working reputation.
Content
The term "pollen" is used to refer to the light, airy dust contained inside flowers. When bees collect the nectar from the flowers, grains of this pollen stick to the bees' legs. As the bees travel from flower to flower, the pollen is transported between flowers, allowing the flowers to reproduce. Bee pollen is collected after it has been brought back to the beehive. According to the National Council Against Health Fraud, pollen contains approximately 40 percent, 5 percent and 5 percent of plant carbs, fat and protein, respectively; the remainder is made up of insect body parts, fungus and other miscellaneous waste products.
Benefit Claims
One of the most prevalent benefit claims by bee pollen proponents is that ingesting bee pollen supplements can help reduce allergy symptoms. According to North Carolina State University, however, this practice is risky since the pollen can actually cause or aggravate allergies. Other rumored benefits of bee pollen include enhancing energy and sports performance, improving digestion and fighting some types of cancer, but these claims have not been proven.
Studies
It cannot be denied that there are many people who are absolutely certain of bee pollen's curative abilities. However, according to the Brigham and Women's Hospital, none of these abilities have been unquestionably established by independent research. The official hospital analysis states that no studies have been completed that prove that bee pollen can be used to cure specific diseases or health conditions.
Conclusion
Although it is possible that some of the health claims of bee pollen are true, many medical professionals believe that insufficient research has been done to say for sure. Additionally, according to North Carolina State University, some people have had serious allergic reactions to bee pollen -- particularly individuals with preexisting allergies to pollen in general -- so the risk may be greater than the potential benefit. At the very least, always consult your doctor before trying a supplement like bee pollen.
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