The Surprising Nutritional Benefits of Bee Pollen

Bee Pollen is a combination of flower pollen, enzymes, nectar, honey, wax, and bee secretions. The honeybees collect the pollen from the plants and carry it to the beehive, one of the most popular ways of pollination. They store the pollens and use them as the main source of food for the entire colony. You must never confuse bee pollen with the other bee products that you know, such as honeycomb, honey, etc.

In recent times, bee pollen has gained in stature among the health community, and the reasons are galore. They are rich in vitamins, amino acids, nutrients, lipids, and more than 250 substances, good for health. A few countries also use it as medicine. So, what are its surprising nutritional benefits?

Amazing Nutritional Profile

Bee Pollen has an imposing nutritional profile. Research shows that bee pollen granules contain 5% fat, 4 to 10% water, 35% protein, and 40% carbs, with other substances such as minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and antibiotics completing the rest. The nutritional content of the pollen depends on the source of the plant and the season in which it has been collected.

According to studies, bee pollen from pine plants comprises 7% protein, whereas the pollen gathered from date palm trees contains 35% protein approximately. The amino acid composition in bee pollen harvested in the spring season is different from the pollen from a summer harvest.

High Antioxidant Content

Flavonoids, glutathione, quercetin, carotenoids, kaempferol, and other varieties of antioxidants are present in bee pollen. Antioxidants have the potential to protect your body from harmful radicals. The damage caused by these harmful molecules can cause diseases such as type diabetes as well as cancer. Some studies have exhibited that the antioxidants present in bee pollen can alleviate chronic inflammation, fight infections, annihilate harmful bacteria, and prevent tumor growth and spread. The antioxidant content in bee pollen is highly dependent on the plant source from where the bees collect the pollen.

Lowers the Risk of Heart Disease

As you all know, heart disease is the primary cause of death, and high blood cholesterol and high blood lipids are the main reasons people develop heart diseases. As per sources, bee pollen can bring the risk factors down. Several studies on animals have displayed that bee pollen extracts can surprisingly bring down the levels of blood cholesterol.

Some people suffer from nearsightedness owing to clogged arteries. Supplements of bee pollen used on them have brought their blood cholesterol levels down, thus boosting their vision. Aside from that, the antioxidants present in bee pollen might prevent the oxidization of lipids. On getting oxidized, the lipids tend to form a clump, therefore restricting the blood vessels and increasing the risks of heart diseases.

Boost Liver Function

The liver is responsible for discarding toxins from your body and is a key organ. Numerous studies on animals show that bee pollen might have the ability to accentuate the organ’s potential to detoxify. Bee pollen has also been observed to have promoted the liver’s antioxidant defense, thereby throwing out more waste from the body. Urea and malondialdehyde are some of the waste products that are excreted from the blood. Other studies have exhibited that the antioxidants present in bee pollen protect the liver from toxic substances. Bee pollen is also effective for liver healing too.

Boosts Immunity

Research has exhibited that bee pollen diminishes the onset of allergies and their severity. Mast cells can release harmful chemicals responsible for triggering allergies of various types. The bee pollen has the potential to cut off the activation of these mast cells.

In addition to that, several test-tube studies have also shown that bee pollen boasts of some strong and effective antimicrobial properties. Pollen extract can kill harmful bacteria, thus boosting your immunity. That would help you stay away from illness and allergic reactions.

Bee pollen has other benefits too. It is also effective in easing menopausal symptoms, preventing cancer, healing wounds, and thwarting infections. Besides that, it can also boost metabolism and improve longevity. So, go on and make it a part of your diet. But make sure you consult your doctor before including it in your diet.