Bee Pollen Ingredients

Bee pollen ranges in color from light yellow to deep orange, brown and in some cases; it even has a tinge of red or green. The ingredients in bee pollen also vary, depending upon the blossoms the bees visit. You can find bee pollen in health food products, ranging from unprocessed granules, to energy syrups and power drinks. Extracts of bee pollen are found in skin care creams and lotions. Bee pollen is a natural product of the beehive and should be used with care if you are allergic to plant pollens.

Nutritional Ingredients

Bee pollen contains approximately 35 percent protein, according to the “Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine.” Other nutritional components include carbohydrates and vitamins, including all B vitamins, except B-12. Additional nutrients found in bee pollen include vitamins A, C, D and K. Depending upon the bee pollen sample, an additional 19 to 24 trace elements may be present.

Pollen and Allergens

Touted as a treatment for hay fever and other pollen allergies, bee pollen may actually trigger allergic reactions in people with allergies to specific plant pollens. A 2010 pediatric allergen study conducted at Pediatric Hospital in Madrid, Spain, found that bee pollen samples, harvested locally, contained pollens from many plants growing in the immediate region.

Mycotoxins and Fungi

Fungi and mycotoxins, which are types of microfungi, are present in bee pollen. A 2011 Slovakian study collected and compared bee pollen samples from different beekeepers and analyzed the samples fresh and again when dried and frozen. In all instances, the bee pollen tested positive for microscopic fungi. The study appeared in the "Journal of Environmental Science and Health."

Other Ingredients

Honeybees can harvest pollen within a two or three mile radius of their hive, making it impossible to predict the exact ingredient composition. “Leung’s Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients” lists additional constituents found in some bee pollen samples, but not in others, including stearic acids, glycosides, sitosterol, luteolin, tricetin and narcissin. Unfortunately, honeybees can bring chemical contaminants back to the hive if the plants they visit have been treated with herbicides, fertilizers and pesticides, which may then appear in bee pollen samples.