Bee pollen is a mixture of pollen, honeybee secretions, and nectar. Since ancient times, people have used bee pollen as a natural remedy and overall health booster.
1. May Improve Hormone-Related Symptoms
Though bee pollen may help reduce hormonal symptoms in some populations, there’s not enough evidence to recommend bee pollen to all women experiencing hormone-related symptoms.
2. Provides a Good Source of Antioxidants
Bee pollen contains antioxidants, including flavonoids, carotenoids, and polysaccharides. Antioxidants protect against cellular damage by neutralizing highly reactive substances called free radicals. When free radical levels overwhelm the body’s antioxidant defenses, it leads to oxidative stress, which is associated with tissue damage and chronic inflammation.
Adding antioxidant-rich foods like bee pollen into your diet may help protect against health conditions related to oxidative stress, including certain cancers and heart disease.
3. May Improve Prostatitis Symptoms
Prostatitis, or inflammation of the prostate, is a common condition that causes pain in the lower abdomen and frequent urination. Bee pollen may improve prostatitis symptoms by reducing inflammation.
4. Contains Anti-Inflammatory Compounds
Bee pollen contains substances that regulate inflammation, such as flavonoids, vitamins, and minerals. Both animal and human studies have confirmed the anti-inflammatory effects of bee pollen supplements.
The study mentioned above found that bee pollen effectively reduced the inflammatory marker IL-8 in men with prostatitis. More research is needed to evaluate the effects of bee pollen on other inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).
5. Has Heart-Protective Properties
Findings from animal studies suggest that bee pollen may reduce heart disease risk by lowering heart disease risk factors such as high cholesterol. Supplements with high doses of bee pollen extracts reduced total cholesterol levels by up to 35% in rodents. Human studies are needed to see if bee pollen has the same effects in people with high cholesterol.
6. Has Antimicrobial Effects
Bee pollen contains flavonoids and phenolic acids, which may protect against certain types of harmful bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, as well as fungi like Candida albicans.
Bee pollen may help reduce gum inflammation and maintain healthy levels of microbes naturally found in your mouth, which is why bee pollen is sometimes added to natural oral care products like toothpaste.
7. May Reduce Uric Acid Levels
Uric acid is a waste product made when your body breaks down purines, compounds naturally found in certain foods and drinks like meat, seafood, and alcohol. High levels of uric acid in the body lead to hyperuricemia, a condition associated with symptoms like joint pain and swelling.
Though studies are limited, some research suggests bee pollen may reduce uric acid levels by inhibiting enzymes that break down purines into uric acid, including xanthine oxidase (XO).
8. Has Immune-Boosting Qualities
Because bee pollen has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and supplies nutrients needed for immune function, consuming it may support a healthy immune response. Bee pollen contains vitamin C, which is necessary for immune health, including the functioning of neutrophils (white blood cells that protect your body from infection and heal injuries).
Plant compounds in bee pollen, such as flavonoids and carotenoids, can also support immune response and overall immune health by combating inflammation and enhancing the function of immune cells.
9. May Support Brain Health
The exact effect of bee pollen on cognitive health isn’t fully understood. Rodent studies suggest that antioxidants contained within bee pollen, like quercetin, luteolin, and apigenin, may improve memory and protect against cognitive dysfunction by reducing inflammation in the brain and influencing specific signaling networks, neurotransmitters, and proteins.
Bee pollen may increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein essential to brain function, including learning and memory.
10. Provides Several Vitamins and Minerals
Bee pollen is nutrient-dense and packed with several vitamins and minerals. Bee pollen contains vitamins A, D, E, B1, B2, B6, and C. It also provides minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, iron, and selenium.
A 2-tablespoon serving of bee pollen provides 16% of your Daily Value (DV) for vitamin C and 12% of your Daily Value for iron. Vitamin C is essential for immune function and skin health, and iron is necessary for oxygen transport, growth, energy production, hormone synthesis, and neurological development.
11. Could Support Metabolic Health
Bee pollen contains compounds that may support metabolic health by reducing blood sugar, insulin, and blood lipid levels. Studies conducted in rodents suggest that bee pollen can lower blood sugar by supporting the release of insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. Bee pollen may improve the function and growth of specialized cells in the pancreas called beta cells, which release insulin.
Bee pollen may also inhibit enzymes that break down carbohydrates in your intestinal tract, which could support better blood management.
12. May Protect Liver Health
Bee pollen may reduce fat accumulation in the liver, supporting overall liver health. Though there are no human studies investigating the effects of bee pollen on liver fat levels, several rodent studies have found that treatment with bee pollen helps reduce liver fat accumulation and decreases markers of liver damage and inflammation.
Bee pollen may benefit the liver and reduce the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by increasing liver autophagy, a process that removes damaged or old cells and cellular components and reduces blood lipid levels.
Nutrition of Bee Pollen
Bee pollen is usually consumed in small portions, but it can still provide important nutrients like protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
A 2-tablespoon serving of bee pollen provides:
Calories:96
Fat: 1.44 grams (g)
Carbohydrates:13.08 g
Fiber:;2.4 g
Protein:7.2 g
Vitamin C: 14.4 milligrams (mg), or 16% of the Daily Value (DV)
Iron:2.16 mg, or 12% of the DV
Bee pollen is surprisingly high in protein, providing over 7 grams per serving. Protein is needed for critical processes such as immune function, hormone production, and growth. Bee pollen is also a good vitamin C and iron source and contains smaller amounts of other vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, potassium, and zinc.
Although larger portions of bee pollen provide significant nutrients, bee pollen is often consumed in smaller portions, such as a teaspoon (tsp), which doesn’t offer substantial protein, vitamins, or minerals.