According to researchers at the Institute of Apiculture, Taranov, Russia, "Honeybee pollen is the richest source of vitamins found in nature in a single food. Even if bee pollen had none of its other vital ingredients, its content of Rutin alone would justify taking at least a teaspoon daily, if for no other reason than strengthening the capillaries. Pollen is extremely rich in Rutin and may have the highest content of any source, plus it provides a high content of the Nucleics RNA [ribonucleic acid] and DNA [deoxyribonucleic acid]."

I cannot imagine licking the dandelion dander that sticks on your car in the spring, but it does have its benefits.  Bee pollen is often referred to as nature’s most complete food.  It contains many elements which products that have an animal origin do not possess. Bee pollen is more rich in proteins than any animal source. It contains more amino acids than beef, eggs, or cheese of equal weight. Bee pollen is particularly concentrated in all elements necessary to sustain life.  It is able to do this for the bees and for humans alike. Cultures throughout the world use it in a surprising number of applications such as in the use of improving endurance and vitality, extending longevity, aiding recovery from chronic illness, adding weight during convalescence, reducing cravings and addictions, regulating the intestines, building new blood, preventing infectious diseases such as the cold and flue due to its antibiotic type properties, and helping overcome retardation and other developmental problems in children. It is thought to protect against radiation and to have anti-cancer qualities as well.

Pollen is the male seed of flowers. It is required for the fertilization of the plant. The tiny particles consist of 50/1,000-millimeter corpuscles, formed at the free end of the stamen in the heart of the blossom. Every variety of flower in the universe puts forth a dusting of pollen. Many orchard fruits and agricultural food crops do too, so humans can acquire bee pollen from many different sources.

One study conducted at the University of Vienna by Dr. Peter Hernuss and colleagues tested twenty-five women who were suffering from inoperable uterine cancer.  Surgery was impossible so the women were treated with chemotherapy. The women given bee pollen with their food quickly exhibited a higher concentration of cancer-fighting immune-system cells, increased antibody production, and a markedly improved level of infection-fighting and oxygen carrying red blood cells (hemoglobin). These women suffered less from the side effects of chemotherapy as well. Bee pollen lessened the terrible nausea that commonly accompanies the treatment and helped keep hair loss to a minimum. The women also slept better at night.

Other reports show that bee pollen in the diet can act to normalize cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood.  Patients who ingested  bee pollen experienced a reduction of cholesterol and triglycerides, in addition to having high-density lipoproteins (HDL) increased, while low-density lipoproteins (LDL) decreased. A normalization of blood serum cholesterol levels was also observed.

Leo Conway, M.D. of Denver, Colorado, treated his patients with pollen and reported how quickly they were relieved of their symptoms.  Everything from asthma to allergies to sinus problems cleared. These trials confirmed that bee pollen is wonderfully effective against a very wide range of respiratory distress.

Antii Lananaki, coach of the Finnish track team that swept the Olympics in 1972, revealed, "Most of our athletes take pollen food supplements. Our studies show it significantly improves their performance. There have been no negative results since we have been supplying pollen to our athletes."

Alex Woodly, former executive director of the prestigious Education Athletic Club in Philadelphia, claims, "Bee pollen works, and it works perfectly. Pollen allows super-stars to increase their strength and stamina up to 25 percent. This increase in strength and endurance may be the key to the secret regenerative power of bee pollen. Bee pollen causes a definite decrease in pulse rate. The whole beauty of bee pollen is that it's as natural as you can get. No chemicals. No steroids."

Renowned German naturalist Francis Huber was an avid proponent of this food from the beehive and called bee pollen "the greatest body builder on Earth."

In weight-loss programs, bee pollen stimulates the metabolic processes by speeding up the caloric burn.  It contains 15 percent lecithin, a vitamin that helps dissolve and flush fat from the body. This is one reason why bee pollen lowers low-density lipoproteins (LDL) while helping increase the helpful high-density lipoproteins (HDL), which science says protect against cholesterol and heart disease.  Bee pollen also eliminates hunger pains and cravings. Its natural phenylalanine content acts as an appetite suppressant. Phenylalanine is a natural amino acid that the body requires. It acts on your apostate, the control center that signals fullness and hunger.

Additionally, bee pollen benefits the skin.  Dr. Lars-Erik Essen, a dermatologist in Halsinborg, Sweden, pioneered the use of bee products for skin conditions. He treated many of his patients successfully for acne and concluded, "Through transcutaneous nutrition, bee pollen exerts a profound biological effect. It seems to prevent premature aging of the cells and stimulates growth of new skin tissue. It offers effective protection against dehydration and injects new life into dry cells. It smoothes away wrinkles and stimulates a life-giving blood supply to all skin cells. The skin becomes younger looking, less vulnerable to wrinkles, smoother, and healthier with the use of honeybee pollen," Dr. Essen cites. "Taken internally or used externally, bee pollen exercises a suppressive effect on facial acne. It is also an important skin rejuvenator, primarily because it contains a high concentration of the nucleic acids RNA and DNA as well as a natural antibiotic factor."

Now, when teachers ask their students to collect flowers in the school yard so they could make a flower jam or even a homemade skin moisturizer, the reasoning is not so unusual.  There is a good reason for the assignment, and a lesson that children can take with them through life.

Related Websites:
www.benefitsofbeepollen.com

www.webmd.com/balance/bee-pollen-benefits-and-side-effects