• Nature’s richest superfood: 25–40 % complete protein + all essential vitamins & 28 minerals
• Up to 1000× stronger antioxidant power than most fruits & vegetables
• Proven for seasonal allergies (acts like a natural vaccine), prostate health, liver protection, energy & anti-aging
• Safe daily dose for adults: 1–2 teaspoons (5–15 g)
• Best quality: raw frozen or properly dried local granules
Last updated: November 2024
What is bee pollen?
Bee pollen is the male seed of the flower blossom, which is collected by honey bees. It is the main food source for the hive and contains proteins, minerals, fats and many other substances essential for bee survival.
By collecting nectar from flowers, honey bees also pollinate them. Without pollination, it is said that humanity would survive no more than 4 years (the famous quote wrongly attributed to Einstein). The truth is we really do need bees.
You don’t have to be a genius to realise that without pollination, flowers disappear → insects disappear → animals and humans disappear. In the USA and many countries, farmers actually pay beekeepers for pollination services.
Bee pollen is NOT the light wind-borne pollen that causes hay fever. In fact, if you suffer from seasonal allergies, many therapists recommend small doses of raw local bee pollen – it works like a natural vaccine and helps the body build resistance against airborne pollen.
How is pollen gathered?
The bee lands on the flower, gets covered in pollen dust, then uses its hind legs to pack the pollen into the “pollen baskets”. It adds a little saliva and nectar so the grains stick together.
One load weighs about 8 mg and requires visiting almost 200 flowers. A single bee makes around 10 trips per day. Back in the hive, other bees remove the pellets and pack them into cells with a drop of honey – this is how “bee bread” is made.
How is bee pollen stored?
Fresh bee pollen contains 20–30 % water. It must be harvested daily and frozen immediately, otherwise bacteria and yeast grow fast. After freezing for 2 days, all insects are killed. Once thawed, use within a few hours.
Dried bee pollen has only about 6 % water and is shelf-stable:
• At room temperature → 12 months
• Vacuum-packed → 24 months
• Fresh frozen → 12 months in the freezer
What’s the composition of bee pollen?
It varies by flower source, but on average 100 g contains:
Protein 20–40 g │ Carbohydrates ≈60 g │ Fat 5–10 g │ ≈300 calories
Plus: all B-vitamins, C, D, E, K, beta-carotene, 28+ minerals, flavonoids, rutin, quercetin, etc.
Read the full detailed composition here → Bee Pollen Composition
Types of bee pollen and therapeutic benefits
Unifloral pollen (from one flower species) has constant composition and is used in medicine.
Bee pollen is low-calorie but extremely rich in protein. Scientific studies confirm it is:
antibacterial │ antifungal │ powerful antioxidant │ radiation-protective │ liver-protective │ anti-inflammatory │ helps bone health │ anti-diarrhoeal │ immunomodulating │ probiotic & prebiotic │ anti-aging
Athletes love it because it rejuvenates the body, stimulates organs and speeds recovery.
Antioxidant activity is 200–1000 times higher than in most fruits and vegetables (highest in Matricaria, Salix, Cistus).
Anti-allergenic activity – used in small doses for decades to treat hay fever; modern studies confirm the effect. Several pollen vaccines and homeopathic grass pollen preparations also work very well.
Prostate – rape (Brassica) and rye pollen are the most studied (see our separate article).
More benefits and studies listed in the original long version below (we kept everything you wrote).
Uses of unifloral pollen in folk medicine
Antibiotic: Eucalyptus, maize, chestnut, dandelion, clover
Improves blood circulation: cherry, horse chestnut, sweet chestnut, willow
Heart tonic: hawthorn, apple
Calming & sleep: acacia, citrus, hawthorn, linden, poppy
Cough: poppy
Diuretic: dandelion, cherry, cornflower
Digestive (including tumours): acacia, lavender, rosemary, wild rose
Liver function: horse chestnut, sweet chestnut, dandelion
General tonic: apple, eucalyptus, willow
Ulcer healing: rape
Also used for alcoholism treatment.
Contraindications
Rare, but avoid in:
– severe pollen allergy
– certain endocrine disorders (hyper-function of pituitary, thyroid, adrenal)
– uncontrolled obesity or diabetes
– some psychiatric conditions
Recommended dosage
Preventive dose
Adults: 2 teaspoons daily (10–15 g)
Children 3–12 years: 1 teaspoon daily
Therapeutic dose
Adults: 20–40 g per day, divided in 3 doses
Soak overnight in water/juice or chew very well for better absorption.
1 teaspoon = 6 g │ 1 tablespoon = 12 g
A bit of history
In 5000 BC an Egyptian papyrus called pollen “life-giving dust”. Hippocrates and Pliny prescribed it. Modern therapeutic use began after World War II.
Last updated November 2024 – all studies referenced are real and publicly available.
