Bee pollen's composition varies according to the plant species that produces it. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates bee pollen is 20 percent protein on average. But when you look at pollen from specific flowers, you may find some that have as little as 7.5 percent protein or as much as 40 percent or more protein. Bee pollen is available as a dietary supplement. Consult your doctor before taking it.
What Protein Is
Protein is a chain of substances known as amino acids. Your body is able to produce nonessential amino acids, but you need to get essential amino acids from foods. Bee pollen can potentially contain all the essential amino acids: arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. The substance also offers nonessential amino acids. If you get commercially packaged bee pollen, the product label may indicate what amino acids are included in that particular type of pollen. It is also possible for the manufacturer to only list the overall amount of protein the formula offers in grams and as a percentage of the recommended daily intake for adults.
Protein's Function
Protein is everywhere in you as a vital building block of cells, tissue and organs. Proteins are also short-lived substances that your body consistently breaks down. To keep up with that dismantling pace, you need to eat foods that can replace the disappearing proteins with new ones. According to the Centers for Disease Control, adult women need to take in 46 g of protein daily from 19 years of age on. Men in the same age group need 56 g. The recommended daily protein serving for younger people ranges from 13 g to 52 g depending on their age.
Protein in Bee Pollen
Bee pollen does not have the same composition as flower pollen. The substance sold as a supplement, is a blend that bees make by mixing the pollen they collect with nectar and their saliva. In general, 1 tsp. of bee pollen has 1.21 g of protein -- equal to around 2 percent of a man's daily intake.
Bee Pollen Risks
Risks associated with taking bee pollen include the same allergic reaction that you experience when a bee stings you if you are intolerant of its venom. If flower pollen also causes allergies, you may come down with symptoms if you ingest bee pollen. Signs that your immune system has rejected the supplement include breathing difficulty, liver inflammation and a potentially fatal reaction known as anaphylactic shock.
References
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: Chapter 3--Pollen
- The Biology Project; The Chemistry of Amino Acids; Dr. Thomas Baldwin et al.; Sep. 30, 2003
- Vanderbilt University; The Effects of Bee Pollen on Energy and Weight Loss; Kendra Collins
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Protein
- Drugs.com: Bee Pollen
- FitDay: Nutrition Information for: Bee Pollen
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