What do you think of bee pollen? I never got into it before. My curiosity got piqued because I met a bee rescuer. I only view honey as something to be used very rarely, such as a preservative for herbal medicine. using honey as a sweetener is so unaware, when there are dates and other sweet foods. In herbal medicine, we need beeswax occasionally for ointments.

Conventional bee products are cruel to bees because a large percentage of bees die from farmers stealing their honey and replacing it with sugar water. Conventional practices also use antibiotics, as bees can be dirty and sick, because they can land on excrement. Conventional farming treats bees as a commodity and should be avoided.

However, the small farmers don't treat bees like that. I met a farmer at the farmers market who rescues bees, such as when a business is ready to kill a hive for landing on the property. This farmer has relocated many hives over the years to save them from death. I don't eat honey, but I felt like supporting him, so I bought some bee pollen. I asked him if the bees would bring in pollen from flowers that had been sprayed with pesticides. he said the drone bees won't let in poisoned food. This farmer doesn't replace the bee's food with sugar water. he just only takes extra honey away. So some bee products are ethical.

I had a rescued beehive for a while. A business was going to kill it and the hive was relocated to the garden. The bees collected the pollen from all the trees in the garden and I tasted their honey. It tasted like my garden and all the flowers I had, including loquat. My experience is that occasionally there is too much honey and some needs to be removed from the hive to make space, while other times, the bees need all their honey. The bee keeper determines if some needs to be removed. Anyway, it seems that bees can share a little of their food with humans and there can be mutual cooperation. I liked my bees. They were gentle and sweet.

This man talks about a study that shows 100% of the participants were cured of hay fever after 3 years of taking bee pollen every day. Does anyone know this study?

[www.youtube.com]

[www.mindbodygreen.com]

[www.beepollenhub.com]

Bee pollen has helped millions of people overcome hay fever and seasonal allergies-to pollen. Just why eating pollen should stop allergies to pollen is the subject of a lot of discussion, so here are the most frequently asked questions about using bee pollen to bring seasonal allergies under control.

Q. Wait a minute. Doesn't pollen cause allergies?

A. Windborne pollen is the source of hay fever and other seasonal allergies.

The kind of pollen that bees collect, however, is not the kind of pollen that is blown in the wind. This pollen sticks to the flower and sticks to the bee.

Q. Is eating bee pollen like taking allergy shots? That is, do you build up resistance to the pollens that cause your allergies by eating tiny amounts of them with the bee pollen?

A. No, for one very good reason. The pollen that bees collect is usually not the same pollen that causes allergies. The anti-allergy benefits of the pollen derive from its antioxidants.

Q. What are these antioxidants in bee pollen that fight allergies?

A. The main anti-allergy compound in bee pollen is quercetin. This antioxidant is found in many fruits and vegetables, but it is especially abundant in bee pollen. Quercetin stops inflammation caused by neutrophils, the white blood cells activated in response to an allergen. It also blocks the action of an enzyme called hyalouronidase, which breaks down collagen around an allergy-provoking pollen grain trapped in the lining of the nose.

A clinical trial in Japan found that quercetin is twice as effective as a medication called cromolyn sodium, sold as Nalcrom, when taken in the same concentration. The advantage of fighting allergies with bee pollen is that you don't have the drowsiness, drug interactions, and other side effects that are such a problem with both over-the-counter and prescription allergy medications.

Q. When do I start taking bee pollen to fight allergies?

A. Take a small amount of bee pollen (1 teaspoon or 8 grams a day) all year around. Then about a month before your regular allergy season, start taking 2 or 3 teaspoons of bee pollen every day, or an equivalent dosage in bee pollen wafers or capsules. With bee pollen, more is better. Since your body is responding to the antioxidants in the bee pollen rather than changing the way the immune system responds to pollen, you don't have to start small and work up to a full dose. You can fight allergies with full force.

Q. Are there any other supplements that will help?

A. Yes. Take 1,000 mg of vitamin C every day during your allergy season. Vitamin C is a co-factor for the quercetin bee pollen provides. Together, bee pollen and vitamin C will help you experience fewer allergy seasons throughout your allergy season.

Once in a great while someone has an allergy not to bee pollen but some flavoring or preservative used in the bee pollen product. To make sure you don't have these kinds of reactions to your bee pollen product, try a single dose of one scant teaspoon (2-3 grams) of bee pollen or one pill or one capsule, and wait 24 hours. If you don't experience any adverse reactions, then you can take the full dose. If you have any kind of allergic reaction to the product yourself, return it for a full refund.

A very good book about the spiritual side of bee keeping is Song of Increase:

[www.google.com]

[www.amazon.com]

Keeping honey bees is a very good thing to do to understand the beauty and spirit of the bees - and all insects. And since you are working hard to help the bees, building a hive, protecting them from predators, etc. it is fair to take some of their honey. Overall the bees benefit from this relationship, as you do too.

interesting

Good to hear that there are bee rescue people. I had not known about this. When I was a wee child, 50 years ago, I heard an old man (who was visiting us) tell my father that it was a sin for him to kill his bees at the end of the season. This has stayed with me all my life.

Bee pollen is very healthy, I don't take it much but I have a jar of bee pollen in the fridge but I think that might change now. Thanks for the reminder

And yes, ethical bee products do not harm the bees. It helps to increase their population and they aren't being abused or starved as a result.

www.phytopanacea.com



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/2019 09:09PM by jtprindl.

Check this out.

[www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Bee Pollen: Chemical Composition and Therapeutic Application
Katarzyna Komosinska-Vassev, 1 , * Pawel Olczyk, 2 Justyna Ka?mierczak, 1 Lukasz Mencner, 1 and Krystyna Olczyk 1

Bee pollen is a valuable apitherapeutic product greatly appreciated by the natural medicine because of its potential medical and nutritional applications. It demonstrates a series of actions such as antifungal, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, anticancer immunostimulating, and local analgesic. Its radical scavenging potential has also been reported. Beneficial properties of bee pollen and the validity for their therapeutic use in various pathological condition have been discussed in this study and with the currently known mechanisms, by which bee pollen modulates burn wound healing process.

1. Introduction

Apitherapeutics are natural agents which contain groups of chemical compounds with approved action and range of activity. The chemical composition of one of the most known apitherapeutics, bee pollen, depends strongly on the plant source and geographic origin, together with other factors such as climatic conditions, soil type, and bees race and activities [1, 2]. In the composition of the bee pollen, there are about 250 substances including amino acids, lipids (triglycerides, phospholipids), vitamins, macro- and micronutrients, and flavonoids [1, 2].

Bee pollen is used in the apitherapeutic treatment as it demonstrates a series of actions such as antifungal, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunostimulating, and local analgesic and also facilitates the granulation process of the burn wound healing [3, 4].

Pollen contains 22,7% of protein on average, including 10,4% of essential amino acids such as methionine, lysine, threonine, histidine, leucine, isoleucine, valine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan. These protein elements are life essential and the organism cannot synthesize them by itself. Moreover, in the pollen, there are significant amounts of nucleic acids, especially ribonucleic one. Digestible carbohydrates occur in the pollen in the amount of 30,8% on average. Reducing sugars, mainly fructose and glucose, are present in this product in about 25,7% [12–15].

Among lipids, which are present in the pollen in the amount of about 5,1%, the ones which should be mentioned in the first place are essential fatty acids (EFAs). Acids such as linoleic, ?-linoleic and archaic exist in the amount of 0,4%. Phospholipids amount to 1,5%, while phytosterols, especially P-sitosterol, are present in the amount of 1,1% [16].

Another group constituted phenolic compounds which amount to 1,6% on average. This group includes flavonoids, leukotrienes, catechins, and phenolic acids. Among flavonoids occurring in the pollen in 1,4%, there are mainly kaempferol, quercetin, and isorhamnetin, while in the group of phenolic acids, 0,2%, there is mainly chlorogenic acid [17].

Pollen is characterized by a quite significant content of triterpene bonds. The most frequent compounds are oleanolic acids, 3-ursolic acid, and betulin alcohol [12, 13].

Moreover, vitamins and bioelements also belong to valuable substances. Pollen is quite a significant source of vitamin both fat-soluble 0,1%, such as provitamin A and vitamins E and D, and water-soluble 0,6%, such as B1, B2, B6, and C, and acids: pantothenic, nicotinic and folic, biotin, rutin, and inositol. Their total amount is equal to 0,7% in the whole product.

Bioelements are present in about 1,6%, including macronutrients (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, and potassium) and micronutrients (iron, copper, zinc, manganese, silicon, and selenium). The latter one exists in the amount of 0,02% [10–13].

According to the latest National Data, the average content of main ingredients in the air-dried pollen (at the temperature 40°C) amounts to such values as follows: proteins, 32,8%, including essential amino acids, 11,5%, and reducing sugars, 40,7%, including sucrose, 3,7%, lipids, 12,8%, vitamin C, 0,19%, ?-carotene, 0,07%, and bioelements, 4,0%.

The loss of pollen mobilizes the bees. It increases both the number of field bees and the number of flights. The amount of pollen collected from one colony during one day amounts to 50–250?g. According to National Data, one bee colony gives 1 to 7?kg of pollen a year [12, 13].

Clinical studies confirmed the hypolipidemic activity of pollen. It made the content of the above-mentioned lipid substances decrease in the blood serum in patients from 20 to 35% [21]. It was also successfully applied in hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis. In patients who did not react on antiathersclerotic drug, Grofibrat (fenofibratum), pollen lowered the level of lipids and cholesterol from 20 to 30% and decreased the clumping of blood platelets for 30% [22, 23]. In patients suffering from arteriosclerosis with a significant myopia and partial optic atrophy, pollen lowered the level of cholesterol in blood serum and increased the field of view and stabilized the visual acuity [24].

Pollen and its extracts, fat-soluble ones in particular, are successfully applied in postinfarction conditions as well as in systemic circulation disorders and arterial hypertension. Moreover, small doses of pollen given to older people allow both the inhibition of the atherosclerotic changes of blood vessels and improvement of cerebral blood flow [25].

The hypoglycemic activity of pollen is mainly ascribed to the presence of unsaturated fatty acids, phospholipids, and phytosterols. Furthermore, a decreased ability of platelet aggregation and increased fibrinolytic system activity was confirmed in people who take pollen. It indicates the antiatherosclerotic effect which protects from heart diseases and brain strokes [26].

The wide-ranging and well-documented studies on animals also unambiguously showed detoxifying action of pollen. The rats were poisoned with organic solvents such as carbon tetrachloride and trichlorethylene, as well as ethionine and ammonium fluoride, both causing a deep damage of liver cells, and galactosamine, which imitate the changes of viral hepatitis, ethanol, and allyl alcohol, which induce steatosis and cirrhosis, and with drugs: paracetamol and hydrocortisone. Under their influence, very high levels of enzymes such as alanine and aspartate transaminase, acid phosphatase, and bilirubin were assayed [27]. Pollen lowered the level of these substances in the blood serum even to physiological values, which proves the therapeutic properties of this product in reference to liver tissue. However, when it was administered with toxic substances, it protected liver cells from their harmful effect, which indicates, in turn, its ability to prevent toxication. In the detoxifying process, an important role is played by polyphenols, mainly flavonoids and phenolic acids [28–31].

The detoxifying activity of pollen and bee bread in phenomena such as occupational diseases, heavy metal contamination, industrial gases and dusts, and drugs (e.g., antirheumatic and anti-inflammatory preparations and antibiotics) should also be mentioned [32].

Pollen is also characterized by a high anti-inflammatory activity. Its magnitude is compared to such nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as naproxen, analgin, phenylbutazone, or indomethacin [33].

The mechanism of anti-inflammatory effect is about inhibiting the activity of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase, the enzymes responsible for turning arachidonic acid into such toxic compounds as prostaglandin and leukotrienes, inducing acute and chronic inflammatory conditions in tissues. The experimental research shows that a concentrated extract of pollen, in the dose of 50?mg for rat's body weight, eliminates in 75% the swelling of the given animal's paw induced by carrageenan administration. The elements responsible for such activity are flavonoids and phenolic acids as well as fatty acids and phytosterols [34]. Pollen is recommended in acute and chronic inflammatory conditions, initial degenerative conditions, and cholestatic liver diseases as well as in toxic and posttraumatic damages of this organ [33, 34].

Bee pollen has also been proposed as a valuable dietary supplement. Animal feeding experiments with pollen have also been carried out. It was proven that mice and rats, fed with pollen, showed a higher vitamin C and magnesium content in thymus, heart muscle, and skeletal muscles as well as a higher hemoglobin content and greater number of red blood cells when compared to animals given standard feed. Moreover, pollen also lengthened the life span of experimental animals [35–37].

In starved animals and those being on a nonvitamin diet, pollen caused faster weight gains than a normal diet. The research proves that pollen has a high nutritional value as well as a property of fast supplementing the nutritional deficiencies in animals' organisms. The components playing the vital role in the process are dispensable amino acids, vitamins, and bioelements [36, 38].

Nutritional properties of pollen and the regulating metabolic processes are used, among others, in the cases of children's lack of appetite, developmental delay, and malnutrition of children and adults. Moreover, it is recommended to administer pollen in the recovery period, after surgeries, and to people working hard physically and mentally [36, 38].

Furthermore, the adaptogenic properties of pollen, which are based on increasing the resistance to harmful physical, chemical, and biological factors, were also indicated: it is both (1) increasing the physical fitness of the organism in excessive physical burden, affecting the central nervous system by improving brain functions, such as memory, learning, comprehending, thinking, and ability to concentration, and (2) increasing the immune system strengths against infection en route boosting the immunological system [39].

It has been also shown that pollen ethanol extracts have quite a strong antibiotic activity that is still being effective on the pathogen for human Gram-positive bacteria, for example, Staphylococcus aureus, and Gram-negative bacteria, including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeurgionsa, and on fungi such as Candida albicans. The responsibility for this activity lies in flavonoids and phenolic acids [40, 41].

Recent research indicates that pollen has an antiallergic activity. It protects mast cells of the organisms from degranulation that is from releasing histamine which is the exponent of allergic reactions. For instance, releasing histamine from mast cells, induced by the serum containing anti-IgE antibodies, was inhibited by pollen in 62% [42].

The literary data point out that pollen seals capillaries, removes swellings of cardiovascular and renal origin, and has a spasmolytic effect on smooth muscles especially in the range of bladder and urethra [43].

The beneficial effect of pollen in inflammatory conditions of prostate gland is known for a long time. Clinicians confirm that, in nonbacterial prostate inflammations, pollen improves the condition of patients effectively removing the pain. The positive effect was found in benign prostatic hyperplasia cases. In the initial stage of the prostate cancer, the improvement was also found. However, when pollen was administered alongside chemotherapeutic agents, the number of people who felt a significant therapeutic effect significantly increased [44–47].

Pollen, administered alongside antidepressants, enables the lowering of their doses and improves the overall condition in a short period of time. Due to this fact, there are fewer cases of drug addictions or occurrences of side effects. Owing to its nutritional and tonic properties as well as improvement of blood supply to nervous tissue, pollen boosts mental capacity and strengthens the nervous system weakened by stress or overworking [48–50]. Therefore, pollen is effective in treating physical and mental overtiredness, asthenia, and apathy.

Particularly good effects are gained in depressions caused by decreased life energy, especially in older people. Long-term use of pollen, even in small doses, enables gradual mood improvement, restores the desire to live, and strengthens the organism physically [50].

Good results of treatment with pollen and bee bread were gained in geriatrics in the symptoms of early old age as well as in neurasthenic inertia in older people. Pollen is a vital element in treating chronic alcoholic disease. Small doses of pollen and tranquilizers together with fluid administration enable both the alleviation of the abstinence symptoms and significant reduction of their duration. Deficiencies of many substances such as proteins, vitamins, and bioelements, magnesium in particular, which occur in chronic alcoholism, are supplemented to a great extent by pollen [17, 51].

4. Routes of Administration and Dosing

In adults, 20–40?g is applied therapeutically every day. If a teaspoon is 7,5?g of pollen, it can be concluded that one dose is 3–5 teaspoons of this product for adults and 1-2 teaspoons for children. Pollen is usually taken 3 times a day before eating. The time of treatment is 1–3 months, but it can be repeated 2–4 times a year. The most appropriate period for treatment is between winter and spring and between summer and autumn. Generally, a smaller dose of pollen is used in the combination therapy, alongside other medicaments and in chronic diseases [52].

Bee bread, as a product of a stronger action than pollen, is usually administered in smaller amounts or for a short period of time. Romanian researchers, in the therapy of a chronic hepatitis, gained the same results for bee bread used in the amount of 30?g daily during a month and for pollen in the exactly the same dose administered for 3 months.

In order to increase the digestibility of the organism, pollen grains are shredded by grinding or are subjected to warm water. In the water environment, pollen grains become swollen and, after 2-3 hours, crack and, consequently, release their values. Milk, fruit, and vegetable juices are also used for this purpose. (Ground) pollen may be mixed with many products in the ratio from 1?1 to 1?4 with the use of honey, butter, cottage cheese, yoghurt, jams, glucose, and others. Mixed pollen is taken in the amount of 1 teaspoon 3 times a day. In many diseases, however, enzymatic pollen is recommended for use.

To sum up, it should be emphasized that unshredded pollen, accurately chewed before swallowing, is used by the organism only in about 10–15%. After mechanical shredding or natural release, the accessibility of biological pollen increases to 60–80% [52, 53].

5. Pollen in Burn Wounds Treatment

Apitherapy is becoming more and more recognized among contemporary and conventional treatment methods as it uses therapeutic effect of standardized, pharmacologically active fractions obtained from bee products. Literary data indicate that the antioxidating, immunomodulating, epithelialization accelerating properties and bacteriostatic and anesthetic characteristics and the advisability of its application in burn wound treatment are confirmed [54, 55]. Furthermore, the equally important fact is that pollen has a strong anti-inflammatory effect, shortens the healing time, decreases the discomfort of both the duration period and the intensity of ailments, and is definitely less costly. The mechanism of the inflammatory effect is about inhibiting the activity of enzymes which are responsible for the development of inflammatory process mediators in tissues. Flavonoids and phenolic acids are mainly responsible for such actions, but fatty acids and phytosterols also take part in this process [33, 34].

What is more, kaempferol, which is included in pollen, thanks to its ability to inhibit the activity of two enzymes: hyaluronidase, which is the enzyme catalyzing depolymerisation of hyaluronic acid, and elastase, which hydrolyses elastin, strengthens the connective tissue and seals blood vessels. This results in decreased transudates, inflammatory reactions, and swellings. Blood circulations in the vessels improve and, therefore, skin becomes moistened and tight. The antiedematous, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic action of flavonoids may also result from a different compound bioactivity; for example, quercetin, by inhibiting the activity of histidine decarboxylase, lowers the histamine level in the organism. Moreover, inhibiting the cascade of arachidonic acid metabolism, which in turn lowers the level of proinflammatory prostaglandins and gives the anti-inflammatory effect, removes local pain and prevents platelet aggregation [52, 56–58].

It should also be mentioned that one of the factors interrupting the healing process of wounds is infection. Particularly susceptible to infections are postburn wounds, which were the subject of previous studies on experimental therapy of burns with propolis. Extensive burns are the gates of infection for many microorganisms, while the necrotic tissues are a very good environment for such microorganisms to develop [54]. The therapeutic mechanism of apitherapeutics is based, among others, on antimicrobial activity and on inducing processes of regeneration of damaged tissues. These properties indicate the possibility of using apitherapeutics in burn wound treatment and ulcerations of different etiology [40, 59]. The conducted studies, that have not been published yet, prove that the ointment with bee pollen extract has an antimicrobial activity regarding the bacterial flora of postburn wounds. Moreover, the apitherapeutic method of burn wound treatment, including topical application of the bee pollen ointment, is additionally deprived of undesirable effects and is alternative to topical burn wound treatment.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/11/2019 05:35PM by Tai.

There were some emojis that appeared in the above post. THis is the important thing to know about increasing digestibility: you should soak the pollen for a few hours or grind it before consuming:

"In order to increase the digestibility of the organism, pollen grains are shredded by grinding or are subjected to warm water. In the water environment, pollen grains become swollen and, after 2-3 hours, crack and, consequently, release their values. Milk, fruit, and vegetable juices are also used for this purpose. (Ground) pollen may be mixed with many products in the ratio from 1:1 to 1:4 with the use of honey, butter, cottage cheese, yoghurt, jams, glucose, and others. Mixed pollen is taken in the amount of 1 teaspoon 3 times a day. In many diseases, however, enzymatic pollen is recommended for use.

To sum up, it should be emphasized that unshredded pollen, accurately chewed before swallowing, is used by the organism only in about 10–15%. After mechanical shredding or natural release, the accessibility of biological pollen increases to 60–80%"



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/11/2019 05:50PM by Tai.