Bee Pollen: Nature's Superfood!

In my studies I have been totally impressed with the lives of bees. I love eating raw honey because of all the wonderful benefits that it provides. Another Superfood that I discovered in the last year comes from bees too... BEE POLLEN!

We constantly hear the term "Busy as a Bee." This term is 'oh so true' for the life of a bee. Bees work double duty all the time: collecting pollen from flowers to feed its hive while also pollinating more than 80% of all plants and flowers.

Bee pollen is the male reproductive part of a flower that the worker bees collect. These bees pack the microscopically fine powder into granules by adding some nectar or honey from their honey sacs. They then take this back to the hive where they then add a special enzyme to prevent germination. It is used as the food for the young bee, and provides every nutrient needed for proper growth and development. Without this bee pollen a hive of bees would die.

Bee pollen contains nearly every nutrient required by humans, making it one of "nature's complete foods." The free amino acids found in bee pollen (as well as many other nutrients) are so readily used by the body that this food is phenomenal for people with protein deficiencies.

In the past, scientists have realized the amazing nutrient content of this food. They replicated Bee Pollen in a lab--every nutrient, amino acid, and fat molecule. Essentially, they thought they created the perfect supplement, however, when they fed this to a hive of bees, the bees all died! This just shows that we cannot artificially replicate this food, and that, in fact the bee adds a "magic element." To this day, the mystery remains unknown--there are still elements present in bee pollen that science cannot identify.

For many centuries, Bee Pollen has been considered to be a superfood amongst different cultures. Chinese medicine has regarded pollen to be a nutritive and energy tonic. Other cultures have used it for a surprising number of applications, including: increased endurance and vitality, aiding recovery from many chronic illnesses, cleansing and building the blood, extending longevity, preventing cold and flu, decreasing allergies, and so much more.

I have been taking Bee Pollen now for a few months, but haven't really stopped to marvel at the incredible nature of how it is "made", as well as the long list of benefits that it provides. Every day I grow to appreciate this beautiful nature food much more than the previous.

Take this into consideration:
A bee that works 8 hours per day, for one month, will gather only 1 teaspoon of bee pollen. One pellet of Bee Pollen contains over 2 million flower pollen grains, while 1 teaspoon contains more than 2.5 billion flower pollen grains. WOW!

I suggest that you add this to your diet EVERYDAY. Start small. Take 1/2 teaspoon per day for a couple of days, then boost up to 1 teaspoon. If possible, buy local. Bee pollen that is local will help with seasonal allergies, and can be guaranteed fresh and pure. The results are endless with this superfood. In my own practice I have seen Bee pollen help with muscle atrophy, unnecessary weight loss, allergies, digestive disturbances and much more.




**Be very careful if you have severe allergies. In rare occasions, bee pollen can cause a severe allergic reaction. Consult your natural health practitioner if in question.**

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Svea is a traditional Naturopath, classical homeopath and holistic doula. Her private doula practice can be found here.