The Importance Of The Honeybee The honeybee’s importance to our ecosystem is one of the fundamental reasons industrial agriculture has been able to survive over the years. Bees are responsible for pollinating over 100 of the widely cultivated foods our society relies on — such as avocados, broccoli, okra,carambola,peppers, pawpaw, watermelon, citrus, coffee, coconut, cucumber, pumpkin, guava, tamarind. Even though honey is the most common product we associate with bees, a lesser known (but no less important) product gathered by bees is bee pollen. In fact, we can attribute many of the health benefits of raw, unfiltered honey to bee pollen! |
How Is Bee Pollen Gathered? The life of a bee starts with a feast on bee pollen. When honey is unheated and unfiltered, many of the sediments, like honeycomb, propolis and pollen, remain. These sediments are where the trace nutrients lie. Bees harvest bee pollen from the anthers of seed plants. When the bees gather the pollen, they mix it with nectar or a small secretion from their salivary glands. Then, they tuck it behind their hind legs into what you might refer to as little saddlebags. |
Subsequently, they transport their precious bounty back to the hive where it’s fragmented into separate honeycomb cells by the flightless worker bees. Each cell is carefully sealed off with a thin layer of honey and wax. This substance which has been created by the worker bees undergoes a process of anaerobic fermentation. Thanks to lactic acid, this “bee bread” is preserved and acts as the main protein source for the bee colony. Bee pollen is one of the main ingredients that forms the sustenance of a hive.
How Is Bee Pollen Harvested By Beekeepers?
Beekeepers attach little pollen traps to the entrance points of the hive. As the bee re-enters the hive with their collection, the pollen trap gently scrapes some of the pollen from the bee’s legs. Next, the pollen is collected on a separate tray or other catchment below the hive for easy harvest. Harvesting bee pollen in this way mobilizes the bees and encourages the number of flights and foragers.
How Is Bee Pollen Harvested By Beekeepers?
Beekeepers attach little pollen traps to the entrance points of the hive. As the bee re-enters the hive with their collection, the pollen trap gently scrapes some of the pollen from the bee’s legs. Next, the pollen is collected on a separate tray or other catchment below the hive for easy harvest. Harvesting bee pollen in this way mobilizes the bees and encourages the number of flights and foragers.
What is Bee Pollen?
Bee pollen is the male seed of a flower blossom which has been gathered by the bees and mixed with the honeybees own digestive enzymes. It is literally the food of the young bee. It takes one bee, working 8 hours a day for 1 month to gather. Each pellet contains 2,000,000 flower pollen grains and 1 teaspoon contains 2.5 billion grains of flower pollen! One pollen granule contains from 100,000 to 500,000 pollen spores each capable of reproducing its entire species!
Nutrients in Bee Pollen
Bee pollen is considered one of nature's most complete foods for a variety of reasons
Bee pollen is the male seed of a flower blossom which has been gathered by the bees and mixed with the honeybees own digestive enzymes. It is literally the food of the young bee. It takes one bee, working 8 hours a day for 1 month to gather. Each pellet contains 2,000,000 flower pollen grains and 1 teaspoon contains 2.5 billion grains of flower pollen! One pollen granule contains from 100,000 to 500,000 pollen spores each capable of reproducing its entire species!
Nutrients in Bee Pollen
Bee pollen is considered one of nature's most complete foods for a variety of reasons
- High level of phenolic constituents (total phenols, phenylpropanoids, flavonols and anthocyanins) and antioxidants as found in many studies including this study
- Rich source of protein – about half of it's protein is in the form of free amino acids that are ready to be used by the body. Amino acids are building blocks of your 50 trillion cells!
- Source of energizing vitamin B12 and folic acid among other B-complex vitamins
- Excellent antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties
- Cannot be synthesized in a laboratory. When researchers take away a bee's pollen-filled comb and feed her manmade pollen, the bee dies even though all the known nutrients are present in the lab-produced synthesized food. Ah-ha! The power of REAL food.
- The percentage of rejuvenating elements in bee pollen remarkably exceeds those present in brewer's yeast and wheat germ
Translation? | 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, it's 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]." |
Health Benefits of Bee Pollen
IMMUNE SYSTEM BOOSTER
Researchers found that bee pollen strengthened the immune systems of mice, improved their resistance to x-rays, and has antibacterial and antiviral properties. Bee pollen prevented the development of cancerous tumors in mice.
SUPPORTS PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ABILITIES
Bee Pollen supports concentration and memory ability, activates sluggish metabolic functions, and strengthens the cardiovascular and respiratory systems according to G. Liebold, a holistic physician and psychologist of Karlsruhe, Germany.
ENERGIZING AND REVITALIZING
Since Bee Pollen is rich in B-complex vitamins and is an excellent source of amino acids, it is especially energizing and revitalizing!
PREVENTS SEASONAL ALLERGIES
In order to benefit from this health benefits, it is best to start taking bee pollen 5-6 weeks prior to hay fever season. It actually helps the build your immunity against the very flowers that cause you to have a runny nose and itchy eyes.
IMMUNE SYSTEM BOOSTER
Researchers found that bee pollen strengthened the immune systems of mice, improved their resistance to x-rays, and has antibacterial and antiviral properties. Bee pollen prevented the development of cancerous tumors in mice.
SUPPORTS PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ABILITIES
Bee Pollen supports concentration and memory ability, activates sluggish metabolic functions, and strengthens the cardiovascular and respiratory systems according to G. Liebold, a holistic physician and psychologist of Karlsruhe, Germany.
ENERGIZING AND REVITALIZING
Since Bee Pollen is rich in B-complex vitamins and is an excellent source of amino acids, it is especially energizing and revitalizing!
PREVENTS SEASONAL ALLERGIES
In order to benefit from this health benefits, it is best to start taking bee pollen 5-6 weeks prior to hay fever season. It actually helps the build your immunity against the very flowers that cause you to have a runny nose and itchy eyes.
How to Use Bee Pollen: First, you must note that when taking bee pollen, just like any other bee products, you must proceed with caution due to an effect it can have on people who are allergic to bee products. Next, adults can try adding bee pollen a ¼ teaspoon at a time and should not exceed two tablespoons a day. Children should start with only a few granules and should not exceed a 1 teaspoon a day. The best place to store your bee pollen is in the refrigerator or freezer, or in a cool, dark place like a pantry. UV radiation (i.e. sunlight) and heat will diminish the nutritional value of pollen. Bee pollen, when stored properly, can keep for about two years. 10 Ways To Use Bee Pollen: Now that you know all of its great benefits, it's good to know how to use it in your daily diet.
Carmel Valley Estate Bee Pollen is all natural and pure with no additives. It is collected in the gentlest way possible from our multi floral farm in Moka, Maraval. Our Bee Pollen has never been heated or dried so all of its enzymes are kept intact, providing you with all the nutritional benefits your body needs. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to us in our contact form and we'll be happy to answer whatever you need to know! Note: Bee pollen can cause severe allergic reactions in some people. Do not consume it if you are allergic to bees. The information on this website has been provided for educational purposes only. We are not certified health professionals and are unqualified to offer medical advice. Talk to your doctor before introducing any new foods into your diet. |