The Health Benefits of Bee Pollen, Propolis & Royal Jelly

Honey bees are interesting little insects that have the ability to produce valuable natural foods with health-promoting benefits. Bee pollen, propolis and royal jelly are some these 'super food's.

Bee Pollen

When compared to high protein foods, bee pollen contains five to seven times more all of the eight essential amino acids. Moreover, it contains vitamins A,C,D,E,K and bioflavonoids, as well the whole B-complex.

Traditionally, bee pollen has been used as supplement to help increase energy levels. Studies have shown that a continuous usage of bee pollen helps to increase red blood

cells, and also the hemoglobin component of red blood cells. Since this component is responsible to bring oxygen for energy metabolism, that explain the connection between bee pollen and energy.

As you may know, free radicals cause oxidative damage on your body. Oxidative damage is the primary factor in aging. Since bee pollen is known to provide significant antioxidant activity, that explains also its traditional use as an anti-aging-food.

Propolis

Propolis is a substance collected by bees from various plants and used in the construction process of their hive. Because bees use this substance to seal the cracks of the bee hive, it is commonly referred as the 'bee glue'.

Propolis is a mixture of waxes, resin and essential oils, and also contains amino acids, ethanol, minerals, B complex, vitamin A and flavonoids. Aside to its construction application, propolis has also antimicrobial properties which help to prevent microorganisms from entering the hive and causing illness.

Researches have proven that propolis has significant antibacterial activity and can inhibit the growth of diverse bacterias. And besides its antibacterial properties, propolis has also demonstrated significant antiviral properties, particularly where cold virus are concerned.

Royal Jelly

Royal Jelly is also a substance produced by worker honey bees. It is used to feed the queen bee. It is composed of proteins, fats, sugar and variable amounts of minerals, vitamins and pheromones .

Royal Jelly is commonly used as a hair growth stimulant and also skin tonic. The skin benefits include a nourishing process of the skin, which reduces wrinkles. Royal jelly is also known to be a great tonic able to benefit menopause and sexual performance.

Scientific researches has revealed that royal jelly has anti-tumor activity in leukemia experiment, antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria, and anti-inflammatory action that can heal wounds. Moreover, royal jelly has shown abilities to low serum cholesterol in animal studies.

Source – Lifetime Health