Pollen sounds like something to avoid if you're an allergy sufferer. Yet bee pollen supplement manufacturers, which claim a myriad of health benefits for their product, sell pollen mixed with digestive enzymes from bees as a health food. Bee pollen can cause serious reactions in people allergic to either pollen or to bees; achy joints could occur as part of an allergic reaction. Do not take this product without your doctor's approval if you have pollen or bee allergies.
Description
Flowers produce pollen, the male reproductive cells of flowering plants. When bees collect nectar from flowers, they also collect the pollen, which is stored in pollen sacs on the backs of the bees' legs. Pollen mixes with digestive enzymes to produce a product high in protein, carbohydrates, antioxidants and vitamins and minerals; the exact composition of bee pollen depends on which plant produced the pollen. Proponents of bee pollen claim that it increases energy, lowers cholesterol, improves memory and improves a host of other health conditions, but there is no clinical evidence to back up these claims.
Dosage
Bee pollen comes in tablets or capsules that contain between 200 and 500 mg of bee pollen per tablet. Although doses of 500 mg two to four times per day are sometimes recommended, there is no standard dose. Start with a small dose to test for allergic reactions. If achy joints or any other signs of allergy occur, stop taking bee pollen immediately.
Risks
If you have an allergy to pollen or to bee venom, taking this product can cause an allergic reaction. Joint pain or muscle aches can occur as part of an allergic reaction. Other side effects could include rash, shortness of breath, hives, throat swelling, a rapid heartbeat, headache, nausea, vomiting, sneezing, a runny nose or wheezing. Anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that causes circulatory collapse, could cause fainting, coma or even death within 20 to 30 minutes after ingestion. Bee pollen can also be contaminated by pesticides or environmental contamination, particularly heavy metal contamination.
Caveats
If you have a pollen allergy and experience allergy symptoms such as achy joints in the early spring, when pollen concentrations are heaviest, do not use bee pollen as a way to desensitize yourself to the effects of pollen without your doctor's approval. Unlike allergy injections, which give a controlled amount of the allergen, bee pollen contains varying amounts of pollen as well as different types of pollen.
References
- University of Illinois College of Medicine: Allergic Reactions
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Bee Pollen; August 2009
- Meriter Health Services; Bee Pollen; October 2009
- NYU Langone Medical Center; Bee Pollen; February 2011
- Quackwatch; Bee Pollen, Royal Jelly, and Propolis; Stephen Barrett, M.D.
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