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Bee Pollen consists of blended pollen grains collected by honeybees from a wide variety of plants. Pollen is a major food source for the bees, so the workers travel from flower to flower, collecting pollen in special "baskets" on their legs. Workers collect more than the hive needs, so beekeepers have devised screens to scrape ofl some pollen as the bees enter the hive.

Some pollens are lightweight and dry, and are designed to be dispersed by wind. Other pollens are heavier and sticky, and are designed to attach to visiting insects. These pollen grains are like microscopic "hitchhiker" burrs that hikers pick up on their socks, and are primarily the type in bee pollen. While collecting pollen, bees perform the service of pollinating plants. Windborne pollens are responsible for most pollen allergies, not sticky pollen. In fact, regular consumption of bee pollen can provide significant relief from allergies

[1].

Since pollen is the male reproductive part of plants, it is a very concentrated source of nutrients:

The nutritive, detoxifying, and healing properties of bee pollen have been appreciated for years. Pollen has helped allergies, fatigue, infertility, impotence, varicose veins, recovery frnm illness and surgery, prostatitis, high cholesterol/triglycerides, and cancer [1]. However, much of the older information reported is anecdotal, uncontrolled, or from Soviet Bloc countries. It has also failed to gain acceptance because bee pollen is inherently so variable. The following recent studies used a standardized blend of pollens (Cemitin/Cernilton), so that results are less equivocal and directly comparable.

Standardized pollen extract was judged an eflective treatment for prostatitis in double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials. There were no significant side effects [2,5]. Pollen contains lycopene, betasitosterol, and numerous flavonoids, which have been shown to inhibit the growth of prostate tissue, and reduce pain, inflammation, and the risk of prostate cancer [5,6). Mice implanted with lung carcinomas survived almost twice as long when treated with pollen extracts untreated controls. Pollen also increased the effectiveness of standard chemotherapy medications when given simultaneously. Unlike the medications, pollen did not directly attack the tumor, but rather stimulated the immune system [7].

Pollen extracts help the liver detoxify and protect it trom damage. Mice were given lethal doses of acetaminophen, with or without pollen extracts, and monitored for 72 hours. All mice without pollen died in 24 hours, while a significant portion of those given pollen survived. Pollen was more protective when given one hour after the acetaminophen dose, as opposed to one hour before [8]. In a prolonged study, mice were exposed to organic solvent vapors 30 hours per week for 3 months, simulating industrial exposure. This caused significant elevation of liver enzymes, indicating that the detoxifying capabilities of their livers were being stressed. Rats given pollen extracts had significantly lower enzyme levels than control untreated rats. The solvent exposure also increased serum cholesterol (1.4%) and trigylcerides (37%) in the control rats; these increases were nearly prevented in the pollen-treated rats [9].

The bioflavonoids are a major reason for pollen's many health benefits. Bioflavonoids are a huge class of phytochemicals that are widely distnbuted in food and medicinal plants. The basic '~hree ring skeleton" of all flavonoids consists of two benzene rings linked to a pyran ring. There are thousands of variations, based on the different constituents that are bonded to positions around the rings. Epidemiological studies have shown the higher the bioflavinoid intake, the lower the risk for cardiovascular disease [10,11].

Many bioflavonoids are powerful antioxidants. Bioflavonoids lower cholesterol, stabilize and strengthen capillaries, reduce inflammation, quench free radicals, and are antiviral, antibacterial, and anticarcinogenic. Quercetin is antihistamine, antiallergenic, and antiasthmatic, proving to be a valuable asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis, sinusitis, cold, flu and allergies. Rutin tones capillaries, helping varicose veins, venous insufficiency, hemorrhoids, and hypertension [6,11,12].

Bee pollen sold in granules is usually the least processed. The granules should be pliable, and smell/taste flowery and sweet-tart, similar to raw honey. Some processing of pollen is necessary because the pollen grains have two tough outer coats, surrounding the nutritive contents. The bees' digestive systems are designed to cope with these coats, but those of humans, cats and dogs are not. Consequently, better manufacturers gently crack pollen before it is packaged. Pollen sold in plastic bags should always be stored under refrigeration; sealed containers should be refrigerated after opening. Fresh raw pollen is in effect fresh produce, and needs to be treated as such.

Granules may also be encapsulated, pressed into tablets or chewable wafers, or finely ground for use in foods/beverages. This may or may not damage the nutritional qualities, depending on the manufacturer. In general, US manufacturers specializing in full-line bee products provide the freshest, highest quality pollen. Imported pollens are subject to sterilization and long storage. These pollens don't have active enzymes, and can also sutfer losses of vitamins, essential fatty acids, phytochemicals, changes in the protein structure and excessive dehydration.

References

1 Brown, Royden. How to Live the Millenium: The Bee Pollen Bible. Hohm Press, Prescott AZ, 1989, 420 p.

2 Brown, Ron. Hive products: pollen, propolis, royal jelly. Bee World 1989,70:109-117.

3 Seppanen T, Laasko I, Wojcicki J, Samochowiec L. An analytical study of tatty acids in pollen extract. Phytother Res 1989, 3:115- 116.

4 HHW Velthus. Pollen digestion and the evolution of sociality in bees. Bee World 1992, 73:77-89.

5 Buck AC, Cox R Rees WM, Ebeling L, John A. Treatment of outflow tract obstruction due to benign prostatic hyperplasia with the pollen extract Cernilton, a double-blind placebo controlled study, Br J Urol 1990, 66:398-404.

6 Duke JA, Beckstrom-Sternberg S, Broadhurst CL. US Dept. of Agriculture Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Data Base 1996: http://www.ars-grin.govAngrlsb/.

7 Furusawa E, Chou SC, Hirazumi A, Melera A. Antitumor potential of pollen extract on Lewis lung carcinoma implanted intraperitoneally in syngenic mice. Phytother Res 1995, 9:255-259.

8 Juzwiak S, Rainska T et al. Pollen extracts reduce the hepatotozicity of paracetamol in mice. Phytother ~es 1992, 6:141-145.

9 Ceglecka M, Wojcicki J, Gonet B, Pat A, kuzna-Grygiel W, Samochowiec. Effect of pollen extracts on prolonged poisoning of rats with organic solvents. Phytother Res 1991, 5:245-249.

10 Hertog MGL, PCH Hoilman. Potential Health Effects of the Dietary Flavonol Quercetin. Eurj Clin Nutr 1995, 50:6~71.

11 Cook NC, Samman S. Flavonoids~hemistry, metabolism, cardioprotective effects, and dietary sources. Nutr Rev 1996, 7:66-76.

12 Rice-Evans CA, Miller NJ, Paganga G. Structure-antioxidant activity relationships of flavonoids and phenolic acids. Free Rad Biol Med 1996, 7:933-956.

BEE POLLEN:

This nutritious food contains up to 40% protein, from 22 amino acids. It has Calcium, Iron, Zinc, Selenium, Potassium, vitamin E, vitamin B complex, beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin D, the bioflavonoid rutin, vital hormones, nucleic acids, DNA and RNA, and essential fatty acids. Bee pollen also contains the digestive enzymes amylase, pepsin, and trypsin, the anti-oxidant enzyme catalase, and 14 other enzyme and co-enzyme groups. It is one of the most bountiful foods nature has ever created.

Betty Lee Morales, a well-known health expert, asserts her knowledge, "Bee pollen is the only known food which contains every essential nutrient needed by mankind for perfect health." It promotes rejuvenation and maintainence of youthfulness, treats hypoglycemia, and has anti-microbial effects.

Pollen is the male germ seed of flowering plants. Bees spend hours collecting these seeds in the baskets, called "olets," of their hind legs, the bee adds nectar and glandular secretions to hold the pollen grains together which increases the nutritional value of the pollen. It is then carried back to the hive and used for food for the upcoming generation of young worker bees.

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