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Bee Pollen: What It Is and Why You Really Don’t Need It

Bee pollen may be having a moment among people looking for natural remedies to common ailments, but it’s certainly not new. In fact, using it dates back thousands of years — so far back that the Greek physician Hippocrates, who died around 375 BC, is thought to have prescribed this bee byproduct for its supposed healing properties. Today, proponents of bee pollen sometimes refer to it as “nature’s multivitamin,” claiming that it has the power to boost immunity, prevent infection, ease menopause symptoms, and maybe even lower the risk of conditions like heart disease, liver disease and certain types of cancer. But is it true? Likely not, says wellness and preventive medicine specialist Robert…

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  Fact Check Can Bee Pollen Actually Make Your Boobs Bigger?

Bee pollen has a lot of proven health benefits. But is it "nature's boob job," as some influencers are claiming? Let's fact check. So if anyone on TikTok is claiming a food or supplement is nature’s boob job, just keep swiping. “At this time, there are no known supplements that enhance breast growth,” says Disha Narang, MD, a board-certified endocrinologist at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital in Illinois.

 I’m a doctor — here’s the truth about TikTok’s ‘natural boob job’ trend

Bee pollen does have a lot of health benefits — just not for breast growth. Studies show that it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can support immunity, energy and even reduce inflammation. So if you’re looking to feel more energized or to support your immune system, adding a little bee pollen to your smoothie isn’t a bad idea at all.

Articles of Interest

Innovation Healthcare TikTokers Claim Bee Pollen Makes Your Breasts Larger, But Does It Really?

There hasn’t been much scientific evidence to date to support claims that bee pollen can treat eczema, alcoholism, enlarged prostates, stomach problems, enhance energy and athletic performance or do the many other things that people have been claiming it can do. You won’t find much scientific evidence that bee pollen can increase breast size either. Again bee pollen just hasn’t been studied enough to tell.

Anaphylaxis from bee pollen supplement

Although bee pollen is marketed as a natural health supplement, it has the potential to cause substantial allergic reactions when ingested by patients with pollen allergy. Often, skin tests showing reactivity to common airborne pollens correlates with reactivity to bee pollen. Health care providers should be aware of the potential for reaction, and patients with pollen allergy should be advised of the potential risk when consuming these products — it is not known who will have an allergic reaction upon ingesting bee pollen.

Bee Pollen as Functional Food: Insights into Its Composition and Therapeutic Properties

Bee pollen is a hive product made up of flower pollen grains, nectar, and bee salivary secretions that beekeepers can collect without damaging the hive. Bee pollen, also called bee-collected pollen, contains a wide range of nutritious elements, including proteins, carbs, lipids, and dietary fibers, as well as bioactive micronutrients including vitamins, minerals, phenolic, and volatile compounds. Because of this composition of high quality, this product has been gaining prominence as a functional food, and studies have been conducted to show and establish its therapeutic potential for medical and food applications.

Bee Pollen: Current Status and Therapeutic Potential

Bee pollen is a combination of plant pollen and honeybee secretions and nectar. The Bible and ancient Egyptian texts are documented proof of its use in public health. It is considered a gold mine of nutrition due to its active components that have significant health and medicinal properties. Bee pollen contains bioactive compounds including proteins, amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and polyphenols.

Can A Pill Give You Better Skin? 5 Buzz-Worthy Beauty Supplements

Bee pollen, which is rich in protein (approximately 40 percent) and contains vitamins including folic acid, has recently been found on nearly as many restaurant menus as it has in health boutiques. Its proponents swear by its super-cocktail of nutrients, which may promote healthier, better-looking skin through digestion-aiding enzymes and antimicrobial activity. Strong reactions have been known to occur in those who are allergic to pollen—and Koff is quick to stress that because bee pollen is an essential food for young members of the hive, it’s important to look for a responsibly harvested source.

My Top Tips on How and When to Take Bee Pollen Safely and Effectively

One of the most common questions I get asked is when to take bee pollen granules. Bee pollen is first and foremost a food and it should be looked upon as that. It is not a drug so the concerns I hear about taking it with supplements or medications are mostly unfounded. Bee pollen can be eaten or consumed literally at any time of the day or night. Be careful however as some find it gives them a jolt of energy (likely due to the high b vitamin content).

One Spoonful of Bee Pollen, Each Day, and You, Too, Might Make It to 113

Today, Mr. Hale's family believes those are some of the reasons behind his longevity. That and bee pollen, which he takes a spoonful of every day with a meal. A granddaughter, Linda Vredenburg, said he never ate refined sugar and only took an occasional sip of whiskey.

The Natural Ingredient That’s More Effective Than A Supplement

Royal jelly is a secretion given off by the salivary glands of worker bees to sustain the queen bee and larvae upon hatching. Extremely nutrient-dense, royal jelly is composed of 65 percent water as well as protein and lipids and is rich in rapidly absorbing sugars. It also contains a variety of amino acids, vitamins such as A, E, C, and D, and an abundance of minerals including iron and calcium–all of which adds up to one potent health food. Considered an energy booster, royal jelly could benefit those suffering from stress or jet lag, or recovering from illness.

The Wellness World’s Buzzy New Best Friend

Bee supplements, once considered a hippie-dippy diet fad, are now a common additive in the wellness movement. A search on Amazon yields nearly countless forms of honey, pollen, propolis and royal jelly touting such benefits as fertility, immunity and energy.

To bee or not to bee

It's a tiny particle that packs a big punch, boosting the immune system and doing wonders for energy levels. The curative properties of pollen can be traced back to the Romans, Egyptians, Chinese and Russians. Both Hippocrates and Pythagoras prescribed pollen for its healing properties. Continuing this tradition is Norfolk-based nutritional consultant Susan Fletcher. As well as recommending it for strengthening the immune system, she says pollen can improve brittle hair and nails, and help with conception problems by stimulating the ovaries and improving egg quality, not to mention allowing men to "move off Viagra!"

Top 5 benefits of bee pollen supplements

Have you heard the buzz about bee pollen? Collected by honeybees from flowering plants, pollen is revered for its purported health benefits. Lately, bee pollen supplements have been trending on social media. While some health claims have no scientific proof, such as bee pollen correlating with increased breast size, there are plenty of potential benefits with bee pollen supplements, from boosting immunity to skin health.

Uncertainties continue around use of bee pollen

In the eternal quest to discover the next “superfood,” bee pollen is gaining popularity. Bee pollen is often marketed as an effective dietary supplement that has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. You also may hear that it prevents cancer, balances hormones, improves athletic performance, promotes weight loss and reduces allergies, among many other health claims. Some of that is true. But some is false, and some remains uncertain.

Watch Out for Bee Pollen Weight Loss Products, Says FDA

If the thought of taking weight loss supplements has even once flitted across your mind, you definitely need to listen up. Bee pollen (yes, the stuff bees collect from flowers) as an ingredient in diet supplements is a thing, and what’s worth noting is that the FDA has advised consumers to stop using some of these products due to the potential health danger. Popping a pill labeled “bee pollen” sounds so innocent; even earthy, right? Not so fast.

What’s all the buzz about pollen?

Such potential benefits include: A topical treatment for burns and wounds; a way to combat allergies (provided it is honey from bees local to your area); treatment for acid reflux; and a means to fight certain types of infections.1,2 In fact, the health benefits of honey have been documented as far back as the Sumerians (circa. 2100-2000 BC), which may also explain why it is a staple ingredient in Greek and Middle Eastern cuisine. However, you and your patients may not be aware that bee pollen also has health benefits for your patients. Some recent interesting research appears to show that bee pollen may have its own health benefits, unique from honey.