Bee Pollen Products:
Bee products, in general, are highly valued by the consumer and are considered a nutritional extra to enrich the daily diet. Positive health effects are even attributed to them beyond the mere contribution of nutrients.
Bee pollen is one of the bee pollen products that has been incorporated more recently because it is rich in essential nutrients. It is produced by bees from the fine dust that they collect from the flowers, which they then mix with their saliva, nectar, and regurgitated honey, obtaining a product in the form of a granule. It is generally yellow-ocher in color and varies depending on the plant species from which it comes.
- Composition
- Properties of bee pollen
- How to take it
Composition:
Bee pollen contains a very wide range of nutrients. But it has a downside: it is difficult to find standardized pollen that maintains the same composition and constant biological activity. The variability in its composition depends, among other things, on its botanical origin. And it is the main drawback that arises when you want to study in greater depth the content of biologically active substances in pollen and its effects on health.
Despite everything, it is considered a very nutritious product, consisting of a wide variety of elements, such as:
- Carbohydrates: 31-40%. They are mainly simple sugars, like fructose and glucose.
- Proteins: 20-23%. They include 10.4% of essential amino acids, those that we must acquire through the diet because the body cannot produce them.
- Fat: 5-10%. They are the essential fatty acids, linolenic and linoleic, the most abundant. Small amounts of phospholipids and phytosterols are also found in this fraction.
- Vitamins: bee pollen has a great variety of vitamins, being particularly rich in vitamins of the B complex (B1, B2, B6) and vitamin C.
- Minerals: provides potassium, magnesium, calcium, silicon, phosphorus, manganese, sulfur, copper, iron, and chlorine.
- Bioactive substances: its content in carotenoids and flavonoids stands out, due to its antioxidant effect and special interest for health. One of them is rutin, a bioflavonoid that favors the resistance of blood vessels. Although the amount of these compounds is variable depending on the pollen and depends on the floral source.
Properties of Bee Pollen
Bee pollen is credited with many beneficial properties, even on a medicinal level. But one has to be cautious with this statement because, although in principle it can be taken as a nutritional supplement, more research is needed before giving it a therapeutic effect. In spite of everything, a wide range of bioactive elements that come from plants are recognized, most of them polyphenolic in nature, and with antioxidant action. From this action derive all the positive health effects attributed to this product, since the antioxidant substances help protect against cell damage and help in the prevention of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular or inflammatory diseases.
How To Take It:
It is consumed to complement or enrich the diet, in situations of lack of appetite, overexertion, or fatigue. Bee pollen is a natural food supplement that can add extra nutrients and contribute to the gradual improvement of nutritional status. It can be taken alone or dissolved in infusions, coffee, milk, juices, or mixed with yogurt, jam, or any other food that serves as a liquid or semi-liquid base. It is recommended to grind the pollen granules before taking it to promote its assimilation.
Special attention to those cases with an allergy to pollen, since, although it is not frequent, some cases have been reported that have presented an acute allergic reaction after ingesting bee pollen.
More studies are needed to complete a more exhaustive determination of the dosage and benefits of this product.
