Raw Life Coaching

Have you heard about bee pollen?  I have, and since then I’ve been taking some almost every day. You might be thinking, as I did, ‘What exactly is bee pollen?’

Bees go from flower to flower all day in search of pollen to bring back to the hive.  They are very selective creatures and research has shown that they will choose only the pollen that is richest in nutrients to take back to the hive.   My friend Laura, a beekeeper, described the process.  “The pollen is actually collected on small hairs on the bee’s legs. The bees have a slightly positive electric charge, and the pollen slightly negative, so basically the bees are like pollen magnets. The bees clean the pollen off the hairs and deposit it in a ‘basket’ type opening on their legs. But because of the charge they can overfill the basket, and this overfill is collected by the brush when they enter the hive. So you’re not harming the bee, and it isn’t really an animal product, just flower pollen.”  The brush which Laura mentioned is placed at the entrance to the hive which allows beekeepers to collect the pollen.

There are TONS of health benefits to be gained from taking bee pollen.  First, it is one of the most nutritionally complete foods in nature.  You could quite literally live on bee pollen alone (though I am not suggesting it).  David Wolfe, in his book Superfoods, breaks down the nutrient content of bee pollen.

“Pollen is a source of 18 vitamins, including nearly all B vitamins (except B12) as well as C, D, and E; rutin (an enzyme catalyst par excellence); carotenes including xanthophyll and beta-carotene; lecithin/choline; all of the essential amino acids (22 amino acids in total); 14 fatty acids including essential fatty acids; 11 carbohydrates ranging from polysaccharides to simple sugars; nucleic acids such as RNA, DNA; steroid hormone substances, a plant hormone similar to the human pituitary called gonadotropin; 15% lecithin, and we are still discovering more.”

In addition to its nutrient content bee pollen has been found to drastically improve strength.  Studies by the the British Sports Council found that after taking bee pollen individuals experienced up to a 50% increase in strength.  Other benefits include:

• It help athletes recover from workouts fast.
  
• Studies have been done which show that bee pollen is easily absorbed by the body, it can be found in the blood stream and urine of people who have orally ingested it within two hours.
  
• Bee pollen is nearly 25% protein and “because the protein in pollen is in a predigested form, it is easy to assimilate,” Wofle says.
• It may help you lose weight
• It will increase vitality and stamina
• Enhance the immune system
• Relieve allergy and asthma symptoms
• Correct digestion problems
• Slow the aging process
• Could help prevent cancer and other diseases
• Is a strong aphrodisiac

You can buy bee pollen from a local health store or online.  It comes in many varieties which can include granules, powdered and capsules.  Any of these varieties are fine–just make sure that they are raw (must be dehydrated at low temperatures) and organic.  Fresh bee pollen is another option which can be found online and is used in the same way. Keep it in the freezer (if it’s dried) to help keep the moisture out.  Bee pollen has a long shelf life (about 11 years), so don’t worry about buying a pound or more of it, it won’t go to waste.

Start small with about 1 teaspoon (or less!!!) a day to make sure that you do not have an adverse reaction.  Then gradually increase to about a tablespoon per day for adults.
I mix mine in with my shakes (or the chocolate milk recipe).  You can sprinkle it over cereal, on bread, in dips and desserts, roll fruit in it (banana would be awesome), there are no limits with bee pollen!