Bee pollen is part of apitherapy, which uses honey bee products for healing purposes. It’s a superfood, so try this “life-giving dust” to boost your health!
Get articles that dive deep into the details about functional foods, plant-based nutrition, health, and fitness.
Bee pollen has many healthy benefits: it is part of apitherapy, which uses honey bee products (raw honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, and bee venom) for healing purposes.
Bee pollen has been used throughout history for medicinal purposes and is mentioned in the Bible.
It has been documented to have been actively used around the year 1135 in Spain (1). It was used in ancient China (2) and ancient Egypt.
The Egyptians called it “the life-giving dust” (3).
Bee pollen is a mixture of flower pollens collected by honey bees. It is very rich in nutrients and contains 250 substances (4).
It has proteins, amino acids, phytonutrients, and antioxidants (flavonoids, polyphenols, carotenoids, and others), lipids (linoleic, γ-linolenic and palmitic acids), many vitamins (A, E, D, C, B complex), minerals, enzymes and coenzymes (5).
The nutritional content depends on the plant source of the pollens collected, geography, and climate, so the precise nutrient content varies in different bee pollens (6).
Bee pollen has many healing properties.
Bee pollen is available as granules.
You can take it on its own or mix it into food.
Try it on yogurt, in oatmeal, or in a smoothie.
It does have a mildly bitter taste, which is why it’s best to mix it into the food that you like.
There is no standard dose or RDA for bee pollen.
It is best to be cautious and start ‘low and slow,’ in other words, start with a low amount (e.g., 1/8 teaspoon) and increase slowly.
This strategy is best to ensure that you do not have an unknown allergy to bee pollen.
If all goes well, you can improve your dose.
Remember, more is not always better in nutrition, so do not take excessively large amounts.
Some people may be allergic to bee pollen, which can cause sore throat, itching, swelling, difficulty breathing, anaphylaxis, and even death in extreme cases (25).
Avoid taking bee pollen if you are allergic.
Bee pollen can also interact with the drug warfarin, so consult your doctor if you are taking warfarin (26).
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, it is best to consult your doctor before taking bee pollen.
Honey is another great product that we get from bees, and it has many of its own health benefits!
Check out our article “The Sweet Benefits of Raw Honey” to learn more about it.
Get our best articles about nutrition, health and fitness.
Our Mission is simple. Top quality functional foods from sources that you can trust.
Learn more