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BEE POLLEN
With Royal Jelly and Propolis

Do you want to feel great, have more sustained energy, increase your endurance, relieve stress, enhance your immunity, reduce allergies, and improve your sex life?
These are only a few of the amazing testimonials about bee products recorded throughout history. Whatever the reason, health conscious people have been extolling the miraculous benefits of bee products for over 5000 years. Early philosophers of ancient Athens and Rome such as Pythagoras, Democritus, Hippocrates, Aristotle, Pliny the Elder, and Galen advocated the daily consumption of bee products. Bee products include honey, bee pollen, royal jelly, and the lesser known propolis.

Honey
Honey has grown in popularity as a natural sweetener. Many food manufacturers of natural preservative-free beverages, cereals, ice creams, and candies substitute honey for other more processed sweeteners, especially cane sugar. Honey contains both glucose and fructose, which usually creates a less dramatic fluctuation in blood sugar levels than all types of cane sugar. Also, honey can be used as it comes from nature rather than having to be processed by extracting, bleaching, and refining like common cane sugar.

Honey is a safe food additive, and some research points out that it may have a natural preservative action which inhibits the growth of potentially harmful bacteria. Honey contains approximately 64 calories per tablespoon compared to 50 calories per tablespoon for common cane sugar. Though this might appear to be a source of concern for calorie-conscious people, these individuals should be aware that honey contains additional synergistic elements such as B vitamins, vitamins C, D, & E, and trace minerals that refined cane sugar is totally lacking. These elements aid the body in efficiently burning the seemingly extra calories.

This author believes that, in moderation, honey is a good natural choice for a sweetener, but generally advocates that it is best to satisfy our desire for sweets through eating whole foods as much as possible.

The other three bee products, bee pollen, royal jelly, and propolis, are considered to be the "Ambrosia of the Gods" -- a way to acquire eternal youth and vigor. Let's take a look at these highly respected gifts from Mother Nature and one of her most diligent working class citizens.

Bee Pollen
I am aware of more than 40 research studies which document the therapeutic efficacy and safety of bee pollen. Clinical tests show that when ingested orally, bee pollen granules are rapidly and easily absorbed. They pass directly through the stomach wall into the bloodstream. Within two hours after in-gesting them, the nutrients are found in the blood, spinal fluids, and urine.

Bee pollen is a microscopic golden particle that contains a wealth of nutrients, a miniature seed with a tough outer husk, called the exine, which prevents the vital genetic information and nutrients contained inside from being damaged. It is this tough outer husk that enables the pollen to remain viable for thousands of years. Humans and most other animals do not have digestive systems capable of breaking down this husk. The bee is the exception, being able to break through this protective coat and extract the valuable nutrients inside. Since pollen is packed with genetic information as well as nutrients, many health enthusiasts regard it s a SUPERFOOD.

Pollen is an easy-to-digest food that containsa myriad of nutrients, including thousandsof enzymes and coenzymes, every known vitamin and (trace) mineral, the essential dietary and additional physiological amino acids, prostaglandins (hormone precursors), phytosterol, essential fatty acids, RNA and DNA, natural sugars, flavonoids, carotenoids, growth regulators, and antioxidant enzymes.

Pollen from multi-flowered sources is considered better (more nutritious) than single-source pollen. In addition, when dried at low temperatures, pollen has two distinct advantages over its fresh, undried counterpart: (1) it contains almost 30% less water and up to 20% more nutritional value by weight, and (2) it is much less perishable, being able to be stored at room temperature for several months. (If bee pollen is not dried, it must be kept frozen.) Most pollen enthusiasts agree that pollen is most effective when taken in combination with other bee products such as royal jelly and propolis.

Royal Jelly
Royal jelly is the "exclusive" food of the Queen bee. When fertilized eggs hatch, they give rise to sexually immature small worker bees or larger fertile potential Queens. On the fourth day following the birth of the bees, one of the larger bees is selected to become the Queen. From that day on, only this future Queen is fed an exclusive diet of royal jelly for the rest of her life, while the remaining (worker) bees are fed honey and pollen. Over her lifespan of four to five years, the Queen bee is capable of laying over 2,000 eggs at one time and becomes the mother for to up to 250,000 other bees. Compare this to the worker bees, whose lifespan averages three months or less. Scientists now believe that these superior characteristics, along with the fact that the Queen is much larger than the workers, are a result of her exclusive diet of royal jelly.

Royal jelly, like bee pollen, is a nutrient-dense superfood loaded with protein, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. It contains vitamins A, C, D, and E, as well as nine B vitamins, 22 amino acids, and significant quantities of calcium, copper, iron, phosphorus, potassium, silica, and sulfur. It also contains 10-hydroxydelta-2 decenoic acid as an antibacterial and antibiotic component.

The nutritional benefits of taking royal jelly include slowing of the aging process, strengthening of the immune system against infections and disease, normalization of body functions, increased endurance and energy levels, and possible life extension. It may truly be called one of Mother Nature's miracle foods.

Propolis
Propolis is the natural resin from the body of some trees and flowers that is collected at the same time the bees collect their honey. It is the bees' natural defense against bacteria, viruses, and fungus, spreading it around their hives to protect them from these potential invaders. This resin is rich in nutri-ents, especially minerals and B vitamins. It contains a substance called galagin that acts as a natural antibiotic and is used in a variety of remedies to treat or prevent low-grade infections. The name "propolis" comes from the Greek word meaning "defenses before a town."

Some references suggest it produces a local anesthetic effect, can stop pain and itching, aids inflammation and cell regeneration, and is effective in alleviating colds, flu, allergies, ulcers, and pharyngitis.

One author suggests that propolis' resins tone and heal epithelial tissue (the body's first line of defense that covers the outer layers of the skin), as well as the gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and mucous membranes of our bodies' numerous organs, glands, and ducts.

Creating The Maximum Formula
When we were designing the formula for our bee product, we searched for a natural ingredient that would synergistically enhance the powerful effects of bee pollen, royal jelly, and propolis. We were extremely happy when the answer appeared in the form of another highly respected superfood, ginseng.

Ginseng
One of the oldest and most respected of all herbs is ginseng. This herb is often called "the man plant" because of the shape of its roots. There are various species of ginseng, but the most effective ones are considered to be the panax quinque folius (simply referred to as panax) and the American white ginseng. The name panax means "panacea" or "all healing." Ginseng has a number of active ingredients, including peptides, glycosides, and important trace minerals such as germanium.

Ginseng comes to us from the Orient, where it is used daily as a tonic, stimulant, and a rejuvenator, especially for (older) men. It is used by women for fatigue and sexually-related symptoms. It is usually found in formulas used to balance the menstrual cycle, reduce PMS and hot flashes of meno-pause, improve sexual drive, and enhance fertility. The most widespread use is to increase energy. Its "rejuvenation" qualities may stem from its tendency to increase protein synthesis in our bodies. Other research shows it also may reduce overall cholesterol and triglyceride levels, raise HDL, and strengthen the immune system.

Although more research needs to be conducted, ginseng is felt by the Oriental medical community to support the adrenal glands and the immune system, as well as have possible estrogenic activity. In addition, it is the most common Oriental tonic for longevity. It seems to contribute to an general overall sense of well-being and improved physical endurance.

It is a stimulant (not an excitant like caffeine), and this is one of the reasons it is particularly useful for men who suffer from fatigue or sexual impotency. A 500 mg. dose is considered the recommended daily intake level -- larger doses can cause overstimulation in certain people.

Suggested Recommendation for Using Bee Products

Allergies and Bee Products
It is generally recommended that allergy sufferers start with no more than 250 mg. of any combined bee product and gradually work up to the suggested 1000 mg. daily maintenance dosage over a period of several weeks. Lesser reactions are generally encountered by individuals when using tableted forms rather than dried granules of bee products.

References
"Welcome To The Pollen Nation," Healthy & Natural Journal, Vol. 2, No. 3, 1995
Staying Healthy With Nutrition, Elson M. Hass, M.D., Celestial Arts, Berkeley, CA, 1992
Bee Pollen: From Principle To Practice, Betty Kamen, Ph.D., Health Foods Business, April 1991
Seven Health Secrets From The Hive, Charles H. Robson, 1995 (third edition)