Bee Pollen Benefits - Stamina / Energy

We've talked extensively about the benefits of royal jelly in other areas of this website, but what about the benefits of bee pollen ?
Bee Pollen is perhaps second only to honey in its widespread use and availability, but it is no second best when it comes to nutritional benefit.
One of the benefits bees products like bee pollen is - stamina and energy. Its wide range of vitamins and minerals have been shown to aid stamina in athletes and provide a natural energy component to anyone using bee pollen in sufficient quantity. Typically you can gain the benefits of bee pollen by consuming it either in capsule or granulated form. But which is best? Assuming you source your bee products from a reputable supplier, the type of pollen you choose will largely come down to cost and convenience. There are no guidelines from any regulatory bodies on the Recommended Daily Allowance of bee pollen or any other bee product for that matter, but it is widely accepted that it should be consumed in a higher dosage than royal jelly or propolis for its benefits to be realized. Many people use a full teaspoon which equates to around 4000 or 5000 mg (5 full grams). Now since most capsules come in 500mg dosage, that would require 10 capsules daily, which is quite a lot. So many people seek out granulated bee pollen, where it can be served by the spoonful, as a more convenient way of realizing the benefits.

Fortunately, the bioavailability of bee pollen and other bees products has improved greatly in recent years due to new potentiation processes developed by bee pollen manufacturers, resulting in a product termed 'potentiated bee pollen'. This process lifts the bio availability of the product so that more of it can be ingested and absorbed by the stomach, hence more of its nutrients and active ingredients can be released into the body. Whereas 10 years ago the typical ingestion efficiency of bee pollen was as low as 5-10%, it is now as high as 80% or even greater in some instances, due to the new potentiation process. It therefore may no longer be necessary to consume bee pollen in large dosages to gain access to its many benefits.

But other than energy, what are the other benefits of bees products such as bee pollen ?

Clinical studies generated by the medical community, along with articles and books written by industry experts claim that the benefits of bee pollen extend to natural longevity and a capacity for slowing down the aging process. Personally I think anyone who adopts a healthy lifestyle, exercises regularly, eats well etc etc, has the capacity for extending life and living more healthily into old age. Should that person supplement their food intake with products like bee pollen, with its high nutrient content, then it makes sense that there are going to be benefits which work alongside the other healthy activities which go to promote longevity and good health into old age. It's common sense. Staying fit and healthy requires some work and commitment, and anyone thinking they can circumvent the process, be a couch potato and take a spoonful of bee pollen every day, is simply deluding themselves. So use it as part of a normal healthy regimen and its highly probably that you will gain from the benefits of bee pollen. Take a look at this article here which describes bee pollen benefits and the nutritional content of the product.

Bee pollen may also have some benefits relating to your sexual health, including virility and aid to the reproductive system. Clinical studies have indicated a large improvement in sperm count among men using bee pollen, and other studies point to an improvement in prostate health and function as one of the benefits of bee pollen in males.
Weight loss and natural weight control are also listed as bee pollen benefits. [ learn more here about bee pollen and weight loss]. There are studies relating to this which focus on bee pollens affect on the metabolism and it's use in dissolving fat cells. Also, the lecithin in bee pollen is considered by many to reduce people's craving for food and other addictive substances such as tobacco and alcohol. I can't really comment on the general addictions, but certainly when I take bee pollen it does give more of a sense of being satiated when consumed with cereals or in a smoothie drink for example. Remember, bee pollen is classified as a food and not a drug. Given it's consumption in larger quantities that regular vitamin products, it stands to reason that it will give more nutritionally and also give a sense of fullness when consumed as part of a meal. Also, bee pollen and weight loss, discussed in more detail.
Bee pollen may also be effective in lowering your cholesterol levels and providing some relief from seasonal allergies, as discussed in "Bee Pollen and Allergies".
So what is the real key to bee pollens benefits ?
Bee pollen has nutritional elements that work to build the immune system, which may in fact be the component which all bee pollens benefits are derived from. It contains approximately 35% protein, 55% carbohydrate, 2% fatty acids and 3% minerals and vitamins. It is quite high in B-complex and vitamins C, D, and E. As discussed here it also contains lecithin, beta-carotene, selenium, all of which have been proven effective in strengthening the immune system, which in turn boosts good health and longevity. The components of nutrition are natural antioxidants and this is where bee pollen seems to excel more than any other food or natural substance. Combining bee pollen with other products from the beehive seems to be another key to its amazing range of benefits. When used in conjunction with royal jelly, propolis and honey, the nutritional spectrum is complete and all substances are available (other than water) to sustain life. This has earned bee pollen the often used title as nature's only "super food". There are other foods and vitamins that boost immune function, but few have the potency of natural bee pollen. With its unique combination of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes, bee pollen has been used through the centuries to restore health and vitality in the sick, and to protect healthy individuals through its benefits to the immune system and antioxidant function.
Again, we're not qualified to say that bee pollen is the answer to your dietary supplement needs, but there is overwhelming documented evidence that you can benefit from the use of bee pollen and other honeybees products.