Bee pollen is a holistic remedy used all around the world. Unfortunately, huge possibilities of its usage are often overlooked.
What is pollen?
Bee pollen is made by bees to be then fed to young bees. It is considered one of the most complete and nutritious foods, as it contains almost all kinds of nutrients necessary in a human diet. Pollen collected by bees is rich in proteins (about 40%), free amino acids, vitamins including B complex and folic acid.
Bee pollen is a complete food and it contains lots of elements not found in foods of animal origin. Bee pollen is richer in protein than any food of animal source. The same mass of bee pollen contains more amino acids than beef, eggs or cheese. About half of the proteins found in bee pollen are free amino acids, which are ready to be utilized by the body.
It is important to know that to collect a teaspoon of pollen, a bee has to work for eight hours a day for a whole month. Every grain of pollen contains over two million flower pollen particles.
Dr. Gabriel Cousens, a physician, has listed bee pollen as one of the 22 most recommended energizing foods. Bee pollen may be used as a medicine for a wide range of illnesses, from prostate problems to skin diseases, and it may help in correcting specific nutritional imbalances.
Below, there’s a list of 10 excellent reasons to add bee pollen to your diet. However there are many more reasons besides the one mentioned.
1. An energy amplifier – Bee pollen is an excellent energizer due to the wide range of nutrients it contains. Carbohydrates, proteins and vitamin B help you to stay active all throughout the day by increasing your resistance to fatigue.
2. It soothes skin pain – bee pollen is often used in topical products to treat inflammations and irritations of the skin such as psoriasis and eczema. Amino acids and vitamins protect the skin and help cell regeneration.
3. The respiratory system – bee pollen contains a large amount of antioxidants, which have an anti inflammatory effect on pulmonary tissues, thus preventing the onset of asthma.
4. Treating allergies – pollen reduces the presence of histamines, thus making allergies much less severe. Dr. Leo Conway, a medical doctor in Denver, Colorado, has reported that 90% of his patients had completely gotten rid of allergy symptoms when treated orally with bee pollen. Every disease from asthma and allergies to sinus infections was cured, thus proving that bee pollen is wonderfully efficient against a wide range of respiratory illnesses.
5. The digestive system – besides vitamins, minerals and proteins, bee pollen contains enzymes that improve digestion. Enzymes help the body in obtaining all necessary nutrients.
6. A booster of the immune system – bee pollen is good for the intestinal flora, and it supports the immune system. According to dr. Joseph Mercola, a holistic medicine expert, bee pollen has antibiotic properties, therefore it protects the body against viral diseases. Pollen is also rich in antioxidants, which protect the cells from the oxidizing effect of free radicals.
7. It treats addictions – used holistically to treat addictions and for the inhibition of cravings, bee pollen acts by suppressing the impulses. Because bee pollen reduces the appetite, it would be very useful to perform research on this health benefit of the pollen, especially when it comes to weight control.
8. It supports the cardiovascular system – pollen contains high quantities of rutin, a bioflavonoid-type antioxidant which helps strengthening the capillaries and the larger blood vessels, helps in circulatory diseases and corrects cholesterol levels. This means that bee pollen may help preventing heart attacks and brain strokes.
9. It helps the prostate – men who suffer from benign prostate hyperplasia may find relief by using pollen. Bee pollen may help reducing inflammation to stop frequent urge to urinate.
10. Sterility problems – bee pollen stimulates and restores the function of the ovaries, so it can be used to treat infertility. Besides being a hormonal booster, bee pollen is also an excellent aphrodisiac.
How should you consume bee pollen?
Bee pollen is a food and it acts faster and more efficiently if it is taken at meals, especially with fruits that permit pollen to cleanse the intestinal flora.
A teaspoon of bee pollen at breakfast eaten with food is recommended, as fruit fibres strengthen the activity of fresh pollen. You will be delighted to find that beekeepers are able to remove the pollen from the beehives without doing any harm to the bees or disrupting their routine. Thus, it is recommended that you buy your pollen from a trusted source, knowing that bees are not harmed, and the pollen is clean.
It is also good to know that pollen is the best when consumed raw, that is, moist and not dry. Once purchased, it has to be kept in the freezer.