Bee pollen is a substance that is collected by honeybees from plant sources and harvested by humans from beehives to make nutritional supplements, health foods and other products. Dietary supplements containing bee pollen also often contain other beehive products, including propolis and royal jelly. People take nutritional supplements containing bee pollen for their supposed nutritive value and also for the treatment of certain health conditions. Consult your physician before taking dietary supplements containing bee pollen.
Nutritive Value
Bee pollen proponents claim bee pollen is unusually rich in essential and nonessential amino acids, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Bee pollen also is a significant source of protein, B vitamins and flavonoids such as quercitin, according to AppliedHealth.com. Because a diverse array of nutrients have been found in bee pollen, it often is marketed as a "superfood." However, while bee pollen might indeed contain many nutrients, they also can be obtained easily and less expensively from other foods, according to Quackwatch's Stephen Barrett, M.D. Barrett also notes that bee pollen does not, in fact, contain "all known enzymes," as some proponents claim, and that even if it did, it would not necessarily benefit human health.
Health Conditions
Other than as a source of nutrition, people take bee pollen and other beehive products for a wide variety of health conditions, although there is not significant evidence indicating that bee pollen is an effective treatment for any disease or health problem. Nevertheless, people take bee pollen as an anti-inflammatory agent, an antioxidant and as a treatment for bacterial infections, ulcers, bronchitis, cancer and other conditions. Other purported uses for bee pollen include weight loss, weight gain, imprroving athletic and sexual performance, and slowing the aging process. Bee propolis, which contains bee pollen and other substances, also is used for many of the same health conditions as bee pollen, including as an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial.
Research
Few clinical studies have investigated the medicinal value of bee pollen, and bee pollen is not an established or recommended treatment for any condition, but a couple of animal studies suggest certain possible health benefits of bee pollen. A study published in "BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine" in June 2010 concluded that bee pollen injections reduced edema in rats, likely due to anti-inflammatory action of the flavonoids in bee pollen. Another animal study, published in "Pharmaceutical Biology" in March 2010, concluded that bee pollen -- as contained in a "honey-bee pollen mix" formulation sold in Turkey -- exhibited anti-inflammatory effects.
Precautions
Not much is known about the adverse effects of taking bee pollen, so extreme caution is advised. Taking bee pollen or other beehive products might cause dangerous allergic reactions in people who are allergic to bees or pollen. Additionally, a patient case study published in "Therapeutic Apheresis and Dialysis" in 2010 determined that ingestion of nutritional supplements containing bee pollen contributed to acute renal failure in a patient who had taken the supplements for five months. Another case study, published in "American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy" in 2010, identified a probable adverse interaction between bee pollen and the prescription blood-thinner medication warfarin. Because of its potentially dangerous side effects and drug interactions, bee pollen should be taken only under the supervision of a licensed health care provider.
References
- Dietary Supplements Labels Database: Products That Contain Active Ingredient -- Bee Pollen
- DraperBee.com: All About Propolis
- "BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine"; Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Bee Pollen Ethanol Extract from Cistus Sp. of Spanish on Carrageenan-Induced Rat Hind Paw Edema; H Maruyama, et al.; June 2010
- "Pharmaceutical Biology"; In Vivo Activity Assessment of a "Honey-Bee Pollen Mix" Formulation; AE Küpeli, et al.; March 2010
- "Therapeutic Apheresis and Dialysis"; A Case Report of Acute Renal Failure Associated With Bee Pollen Contained in Nutritional Supplements; T Akiyasu, et al.; February 2010
- "American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy"; Probable Interaction Between Warfarin and Bee Pollen; KM Hurren; December 2010
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