Bee pollen is sold as a dietary supplement and source of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and hormones. You can purchase bee pollen online and in health food stores. Although bee pollen is promoted as a source of nutrients and energy, no scientific studies have shown that it serves any nutritional or medicinal purpose in human health, according to New York University's Langone Medical Center. As with any supplement or self-treatment, consult with your doctor if you are considering taking bee pollen.
Pollen Collection
As bees move from flower to flower gathering nectar for honey, plant pollen sticks to the hairs on their bodies. They also collect pollen in a pollen sac located on their back legs. Some of this pollen is transferred from one plant to another; this is how bees help with cross-pollination to produce more flowers and fruits. Back in the hive, the bees use pollen and honey for food. When commercially-raised bees return to their hive, some of the remaining pollen is squeezed out of the sacs as they crawl through a specially-designed screen. Beekeepers then collect the pollen from the screen.
Claims
Pollen is rich in protein and carbohydrates and contains very small amounts of many essential vitamins and minerals. Although pollen is a vital source of nutrients for bees, there is no evidence that it has any nutritional importance for humans. It is not proven that it boosts energy, enhances physical and mental performance, promotes weight loss or fights allergies, infections or chronic disease, as is stated or implied in promotional materials.
Pollen Supplements
Bee pollen supplements are sold as loose granules, capsules and chewable tablets. They are credited with a variety of health purposes in blog-like advertorials and sale sites online. In these advertisements, reference is often made to the use of bee pollen in traditional Chinese herbal medicine and its many purported health benefits, especially as an "energy booster." The recommended dosages for bee pollen supplements appear on product labels.
Warnings
If you have seasonal allergies and are allergic to pollen, you may have a serious reaction to food products and supplements containing bee pollen. A 2006 study published in "Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology" found that bee pollen extracts caused positive skin reactions when administered via skin prick allergy testing to people with respiratory allergies. Warning labels on bottles of bee pollen supplements advise opening a capsule and placing a small amount of bee pollen on your tongue to test for an allergic reaction. New York University's Langone Medical Center reports that several cases of anaphylactic shock have occurred when people with known allergies to pollen consumed bee pollen.
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