Bee Pollen: Good or Bad

Clinical Research Shows It's Good for You and Bad. What's the Truth?

According to nutritionist and author Carlson Wade, bee pollen has every vitamin, mineral, co-factor nutrients and amino acid necessary to sustain life.

He also claims bee pollen is a tremendous supplement for athletes and that it improves libido, assists in weight loss, and is a general tonic for the body's overall health.

Others assert that such claims are utter bunk and "quackery." Fair enough. In this short article, I'll try to give competing information and show what scientific, clinical tests have shown regarding bee pollen's nutritional profile.

While a fair amount of research has been conducted on bee pollen, it isn't as well researched as it could be. Moreover, there is a lot of conflicting information on bee pollen.

Still, there is a goodly amount of information and certainly enough for a discerning health enthusiast to draw well informed conclusions.

In the Health Freedom News, October 1990, "From the Forum," as written by one James F. Scheer, it says, "What other health product contains 185 of the known nutritional ingredients -- 22 amino acids and higher amounts of the eight essential ones than most high protein foods, 27 mineral salts, the entire range of vitamins, hormones, carbohydrates and fats and more than 5,000 enzymes and coenzymes, necessary for digestion, healing and for the continuity of life itself?"

According to Royden Brown in his book, How to Live The Millenium (1993), "The laboratories of the world community of nations confirmed that bee pollen contains all nutrients necessary in human nutrition."

In the interest of honesty, Brown, along with business partners, agreed to pay the princely sum of $200,000 in order to settle charges that he and his partners falsely represented their bee-pollen products as being able to induce weight loss, alleviate allergies, slow aging, and enhance or cure sexual impotence or dysfunction.

Continuing, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, "The only long-term observations on the medicinal effect of pollen are related to prostate problems and allergies. Several decades of observations in Western European countries and a few clinical tests have shown pollen to be effective in treating prostate problems ranging from infections and swelling to cancer."

They also say that "Many people report improvement of sometimes chronic problems" and "Supplementation of animal diets with [bee] pollen has shown positive weight gain and other beneficial effects for piglets, calves, broiler chickens and laboratory cultures of insect".

Lastly, bee pollen appears to help those who have experienced radiation effects, even x-ray radation treatments. The FAG of the UN says, "There is some evidence that ingested pollen can protect animals as well as humans against the adverse effects of x-ray radiation treatments."

This is compelling information and here's some more. "The major use of pollen today is as a food or, more correctly, as a food supplement. As stated earlier its likely value as a food for humans is frequently overstated and has never been proven in controlled experiments.

That it is not a perfect food, as stated on many advertisements, food packages and even in various non-scientific publications should be obvious. Its low content or absence of the fat soluble vitamins should be sufficient scientific evidence.

This does not mean that its consumption may not be beneficial, as has been shown scientifically with various animal diets. Pollen has been added to diets for domestic animals and laboratory insects resulting in improvements of health, growth and food conversion rates."

There are indeed numerous anecdotes or stories from around the world as to the virtues of bee pollen (as well as honey). Plus, other professional doctors and researchers sing the praises of bee pollen. Lee Conway, M.D. encourages the usage of bee pollen granules for his patients. Other doctors have very praiseworthy things to say about bee pollen.

Sigmund Schmidt, M.D. of The Natural Health Clinic, Bad Bothenfelds asserts said that, "Bee pollen contains all the essential elements for healthy tissue and may well prove to be the natural cancer preventive all the world is seeking."

L.J. Hays, M.D., says that "Bees sterilize pollen by means of a glandular secretion which is antagonistic to tumors." Another doctor,  one Ernesto Contreras, M.D., has been quoted as saying, "To my knowledge, there is no better and more complete natural nutrient than honeybee pollen."

Lastly, in a report from Naturheilpraxis, "A Summary of Clinical Tests Concluded With Bee Pollen,". . . a reduction of cholesterol and triglycerides and also of S-lipo-proteins and albumins, while K and S globulins increase. A normalization of cholesterol count . . . in 40 patients who suffered from cerebral sclerosis. . . . A treatment with a combination of bee pollen, royal jelly, and honey has positive effects during the biological crises of puberty and adolescence, during behavioral disturbances, with problems of adjustment, learning disabilities, neurotic disturbances, and excessive neuromuscular sensititivity."

Needless to say, bee pollen has managed to draw much diversity of opinion. Many medical professionals and researchers say it is a "superfood" while its detractors say it is clinically unproven although clinical tests say it is proven to help animals.

Fair enough.

I was going to write that there needs to be another study done to definitively certify bee pollen's nutritional authenticity or de-certify it. But, given the panoply of differing opinions among the medical establishment and nutritional researchers, that may not be the best idea.

One thing I will say is that most of the negative coverage or research on bee pollen comes from U.S. federal government agencies like the FDA, et al., and educational institutions. The positive research on bee pollen is mainly done it seems by European researchers.

Fundamentally, I would personally check with your doctor to make sure you're not one of the 5% that is allergic to bee products. My personal experience with bee pollen has always been stellar. It's also inexpensive -- especially the granules. The anectodal testimony regarding bee pollen is quite remarkable.

Still, given the disparity of clinical research, as the Good Book says, "Prove all things; Hold fast to that which is good." Those are wise words.

As for me, I will continue to use it for I'm not allergic to bee products. It also has given me tremendous energy when I use it.

I'll leave it to you to decide what you want to do.

Yours in health,
BeePollenSecrets.com