Royal Jelly - Benefits to your Health
Royal Jelly is a creamy white substance synthesized by the common worker bee for the sole nourishment of the Queen bee and has been shown to provide a host of benefits to our health.
Royal jelly benefitsbecome more apparent once we examine its role in the diet of the Queen bee. The Queen bee is remarkable in its extended longevity and reproductive capability when compared to the worker bee. The Queen lives almost ten times longer then the worker bee: five years for the Queen, and less than six weeks for the worker bee. The Queen grows to be almost 50% larger than the worker and has exceptional reproductive capabilities, laying almost 2500 eggs in a single day.
So how does the Queen bee achieve this remarkable longevity? – Royal Jelly. The Queen is hatched from the same egg as the worker bee but is selected to receive a diet of pure royal jelly, while the common worker bee feeds off honey and other substances around the hive. Royal Jelly benefits the Queen bee in many ways and transforms her into an incredible insect, enhancing her physical performance to remarkable levels.
Royal Jelly Uses
- Taken widely to
- help combat the effects of allergies
- as an energy booster
- may help with the affects of stress and fatique
- For Hair / Skin / Nails
- Often Taken for longevity
- as a potent anti-aging supplement.
View more uses for royal jelly
Not surprisingly, man has shown much interest in royal jellyand has long sought to unlock the benefits and recreate the substance artificially. Many studies have been performed to try to establish its nutritional content and the effect and benefit of those nutrients on living beings.
Royal jelly is the only natural source of pure acetylcholine. It has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties and has been implicated as beneficial in a wide range of health conditions. It is associated with benefits to bronchial asthma, insomnia, and many skin problems. It is known to support the immune system and may be of benefit in liver, kidney, and pancreatic diseases as well as stomach ulcers and bone fractures.
What is the chemical composition of Royal Jelly?
It contains approximately 12% protein, 5-6% lipids and 12-15% carbohydrates. It’s B Vitamin content is high, and with 17 amino acids, including all 8 essential amino acids, it is a nutritious hormone-rich substance with a wide spectrum of potential benefits. Royal Jelly also contains around 15% aspartic acid, which is important for tissue growth, muscle and cell regeneration.
- Vitamin Content?Vitamin B I (Thiamine) 1.5 to 7.4 mcg
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 5.3 to 10.0 mcg
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 2.2 to 10.2 mcg
- Niacin (nicotinic acid) 91.0 to 149.0 mcg
- Pantothenic Acid 65.0 to 200.0 mcg
- Biotin 0.9 to 3.7 mcg
- Inositol 78.0 to 150.0 mcg
- Folic Acid 0.16 to 0.50mcg
- Vitamin C Trace amount
Benefits of royal jelly - Many of the benefits are associated with its high concentration of essential amino acids, and we refer you to our chapter on amino acids for more information and more possible benefits to explore. Royal Jelly as a natural bee supplement.
In short, Royal Jelly has been noted for its potential benefits on:
• energy
• chronic fatigue
• skin / hair / nails / bones / joints
• hormonal regulation
• asthma
• sexual vitality / impotence
• weight regulation
• rejuvenation - recovery from illness
• immune system stimulant
• cholesterol levels
• cardiovascular health
• anti-depressive / anti-anxiety
• high blood pressure
• mental condition / memory
• depression
• arthritis
• liver ailments / conditions
• eczema / impetigo / skin disorders
• diabetes
Can Man Recreate Royal Jelly?– No. Studies have uncovered some of the nutritional properties of this substance, but much remains undiscovered.
Dr. Albert Saenz of the Pasteur Institute in Paris wrote:
"Numerous studies demonstrate the existence of fractions in Royal Jelly which correspond to 97 percent of the substance, plus an undermined fraction whose very presence could explain the remarkable and mysterious properties of Royal Jelly." He continues, " Here's yet another product of the beehive with a touch of the bee's magic in it. I suppose some day science will figure out what these unidentifiable elements are and some researcher will try to manufacture them. Until then, the only place to get these mystery nutrients is from the bees."
How is it processed for human consumption? – Royal Jelly is a liquid containing approximately 67% water, and as such is prone to contamination once it is removed from the sterile environment of the beehive.
Once removed from the hive it must be processed quickly to prevent contamination, ideally within two or three hours. Processing generally involves one or a combination of the following steps:
• Treating the product with a chemical preservative.
• Lyophilizing the product (removing the water, often termed freeze-drying)
• Adding a natural preservative like honey.
• Freezing the substance or attempting to maintain it in a refrigerated state.
Which royal jelly has most benefits, fresh or freeze dried ?
The favored process is lyophilizing or freeze-drying. This removes the water without effecting the nutrient quality of the product and creates a white powder which can be capsulated for human consumption. Once in capsulated form the product generally has a shelf life of 4 years and does not require refrigeration.
Many questions are raised about the nutritional quality of Royal Jelly, and usually relate to the issue of processing:- "freeze-dried versus non-freeze dried".
Freeze drying ‘locks-in’ the nutritional content of the product and removes any doubts about handling the product down the line. For example, if you choose liquid royal jelly which is sold as ‘requiring refrigeration’, how do you know that the product has been stored and transported in a refrigerated state, and that it isn’t in a partially decomposed state with diminished nutritive properties.
Summary-
Royal Jelly – A veritable jewel of nutrition and recognized as a potent bringer of energy, vitality and a variety of health benefits. It differs in its nutritional properties from bee pollen and propolis, offering a broad range of amino acids and other nutrients which may be of benefit to your health.
It is rich in minerals, natural hormones, B vitamins, fatty acid, and folic acids, along with aspartic acid which is important for tissue regeneration and growth. It contains all essential amino acids required to sustain life.
Visit here for a wide range of royal jelly, bee pollen and propolis products
The amino acids in royal jelly are of significant interest to nutritionists and may in fact be the primary source of royal jelly benefits. Long associated with the ability to fight ‘free-radicals’ in the body, amino acids form the very basis of our chemical make-up, and are essential to growth and the ability to fight infection and disease. In most cases we cannot create our own amino acids, we must ingest them through the foods that we eat. The importance of amino acids and the fact that they are so abundant in bee products warrants special attention. It is in our section ‘Amino Acids’ that we will reveal the true potential of the product as a nutritive substance that is rich in amino acids.
Royal Jelly and our health:-
Royal Jelly (along with bee pollen, propolis and honey) contains a natural source of essential nutrients which the body needs to maintain good health. Maintaining good health is especially hard in today’s increasingly toxic environment. Both our food supply and our diet is often deficient in important nutrients. Therefore these benefits, we need to supplement our diet with products such as royal jelly and the other products of the beehive
Royal jelly also has a yeast inhibiting function which may prevent conditions such as thrush and athlete’s foot. It is also used to treat muscular dystrophy, MS and Parkinson’s disease as well as reduce allergic symptoms and help control cholesterol levels. Also of significance, it has been found to be of great help in boosting the body’s resistance to the harmful side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These treatments attack the immune system at its very core, and in many cases the actual treatment delivers a debilitating blow and not the illness itself. Royal Jelly with its high amino acid content can help the immune system and provide a basic defense against external elements that ordinarily attack the immune system and reduce our capability for defense. Supplementing our diet with Royal Jelly and capitalizing on its array of health benefits helps to rebuild the good cells that are destroyed by chemotherapy and helps to strengthen the immune system.
Royal Jelly also contains the amino and gamma globulin, which helps your immune system fight off viral infections. It also contains sterols, phosphorous compounds and acetylcholine, which is needed to transmit nerve messages from cell to cell.
Like propolis, it also appears to have anti-tumor properties. A team of Japanese researchers gave the substance to one of two groups of laboratory mice before transplanting different types of cancer cells in them. The royal jelly had dramatic effects on sarcoma cells. The life-span of the mice was extended by about one-fifth and tumor sizes were about half the size, compared with untreated mice, according to a report in the journal Nippon Yakurigaku Zasshji-Folia Pharmacologica Japonica (Feb. 1987;89:73-80).
Frequently Asked Questions about Royal Jelly
Q - What is Royal Jelly? -
A - Quite simply, royal jelly is a creamy yellow sustance that is secreted by worker bees in the beehive, for the nourishment of the Queen bee. (secretion from the hypopharyngeal glands located on either side of the head of a bee).
Q - What is a Queen Bee?
A - The Queen starts life in the hive just like any worker/nurse bee. She is selected randomly by the workers for Queen status, and fed an exclusive diet of royal jelly. The diet then turns her into the remarkable being that she is, living forty times longer than the worker bees. So it is the royal jelly that make the queen bee, she is not born as royalty, she is made that way by her exclusive diet.
Q - How is it collected? -
A - it is only present in the hive in very small quantities. Accessing it requires a similar approach to removal of other hive substances, but in the case of royal jelly collection it is much more involved. The Queen is removed from the hive, providing access to the queen larvae cells which are cut away by the beekeeper in order to access the royal jelly.
Q - What is in it? -
A - Royal jelly contains lipids, minerals, vitamins (A, C, E, and B), amino acids, sugars, sterols, phosphorus, fatty acids, acetylcholine, nucleic acids, gelatin, gamma globulin, decanoic acid (an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal component), and several components which are unidentified and therefore cannot be recreated in a lab.
Royal Jelly Benefits
A milky white substance from the beehive, the benefits of royal jelly when taken as a health supplement are covered in this article.
Just a few of the commonly associated benefits of royal jelly include* -
- More energy
- Weight Loss / control
- Healthier skin and hair
- More youthful appearance
- Strengthened immune system
- Reproductive health - fertility
- More resilience to colds/flu
- Reduced feelings of stress etc.
Royal Jelly is taken extensively to promote energy and good health, it is considered by many to be a potent anti-oxidant. Produced in the beehive for the nourishment of the queen bee, it is a complex substance that cannot be recreated synthetically by man. When examining its properties and considering the source of its documented benefits, many conclude that it is its high amino acid content that may make it such a special and rejuvenating substance.
As with bee pollen, it is a nutritionally dense 'food' which may provide the body with many of the essential nutrients missing from modern diets. Its low glycemic index may compliment the properties of bee pollen in working as an effective weight loss aid*. Weight loss benefits
It's most common use is as a natural energy supplement, where it is said to provide not just a quick boost of energy but longer term benefit to energy, stamina and endurance. More and more we see people looking for information on royal jelly and how it might benefit the reproductive system and help hormonal balance. This isn't however a supplement sought after mostly by women, we see around a 53:47 split in the gender of our customers, with 53% being men.
It is also taken by many people as an antioxidant to aid the immune system. Free radicals are 'toxins' which attack the immune system and taking antioxidants in our diet can help prevent the build up of these harmful toxins in our system. The benefits may include a higher resilience to colds, viruses and flu, but the immune system has so much more control over our well being than the prevention of the common cold. So royal jelly benefits when associated with immune system are of great interest and the subject of various clinical studies.
But what happens when you take it back to its natural environment as found in the hive and combine it with bee pollen, propolis and honey?
If you are considering trying this product as a nutritional supplement, then consider this - there's a 'special synergy' from taking all four products from the beehive together in the correct proportions. [ Learn more about this special synergy here ]
Rita Elkins MH identifies and talks about this synergy in her book "Healing from the Hive". J.S Taylor covers it in his journal "Power of the Beehive".
Frequently Asked Questions about Royal Jelly
Q - What is Royal Jelly? -
A - Quite simply, royal jellyis a creamy yellow substance secreted by worker bees in the beehive for the nourishment of the Queen bee. (secretion from the hypopharyngeal glands located on either side of the head of a bee).
Q - What is a Queen Bee?
A - The Queen starts life in the hive just like any worker/nurse bee. She is selected randomly by the workers for Queen status, and fed an exclusive diet of royal jelly. The diet then turns her into the remarkable being that she is, living forty times longer than the worker bees. So it is the royal jelly that make the queen bee, she is not born as royalty!, she is made that way by her exclusive diet.
Q - How is it collected? -
A - it is only present in the hive in very small quantities. Accessing it requires a similar approach to removal of other hive substances, but in the case of royal jelly collection it is much more involved. The Queen is removed from the hive, providing access to the queen larvae cells which are cut away by the beekeeper in order to access the royal jelly.
Q - What is in it? -
A - Royal jelly contains lipids, minerals, vitamins (A, C, E, and B), amino acids, sugars, sterols, phosphorus, fatty acids, acetylcholine, nucleic acids, gelatin, gamma globulin, decanoic acid (an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal component), and several components which are unidentified and therefore cannot be recreated in a lab.
Q - What's the difference between fresh and freeze-dried royal jelly ?
A - This question is asked of us more than any other. There are a couple companies around who make a big marketing deal out of selling "fresh" royal jelly. In doing so, they naturally claim that if it's freeze-dried then it isn't fresh and isn't as good. Baloney. First of all, much of the so-called "fresh" royal jelly products are not fresh at all, they are reconstituted powder that has been re-liquified with water and other solubles. Why?. Well, the royal jelly as it is removed fresh from the hive, has around a 12 hour window for it to be "locked-down". If it isn't processed in this time-frame it loses its potency and starts to go bad. So it can either be frozen, where it obviously needs to be thawed for any subsequent processing (into capsules, vials etc), or it can be freeze-dried (the water removed) whereupon it becomes stable and can be stored/processed. The vast majority of royal jelly on the market today has been freeze-dried upon removal from the hive. It's the most effective way to handle and process the medium, and has no detriment to the nutritional value of the substance, provided it is done right.?Certain companies take the freeze-dried powder and add liquid, capsulate it, and sell it on as "fresh liquid royal jelly". It sure looks fresh, but it has been processed twice.?Others take the frozen royal jelly and sell it in jars, claiming that freeze-dried royal jelly in "no good". Well, you're selling frozen product, so how can freeze-drying be no good?...it's removing the water only, nothing else. ?The upshot is, you'll need to be careful and read between the lines of what people are telling you. If they're screaming "fresh is good" - "freeze-dried is bad" and there pills contain only around 150mg, and there packaging looks like it's made for the Television commercials, then we suggest that you be very wary about believing anything that they are telling you.
For more information on royal jelly we recommend that you download our free ebook [ download ebook ]
As we've discussed elsewhere, royal jelly has benefitsand uses is Homeopathy in a variety of ways and to treat a variety of conditions. Whilst we refrain from making claims as to its benefits, we will help you investigate the many uses for royal jelly and assist in helping you find the most appropriate format for your needs.
We looked at Wikipedia and found a good deal of positive and useful information relating to royal jelly and the ailments it is commonly used to treat. Using Wiki as a reference point we found the following information - Royal jelly has been reported as a possible immunomodulatory agent in Graves' disease.It has also been reported to stimulate the growth of glial cells and neural stem cells in the brain. To date, there is preliminary evidence that it may have some cholesterol-lowering, anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, and antibiotic effects, though the last three of these effects are unlikely to be realized if ingested (due to the destruction of the substances involved through digestion, or neutralization via changes in PH. Research also suggests that the 10-Hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA) found in royal jelly may inhibit the vascularization of tumors. Royal Jelly is said to improve fertility in both men and women, in men by increasing the quality of their sperm, and in women by increasing the quality of their eggs.
There are also some preliminary experiments (on cells and lab animals) in which royal jelly may have some benefit regarding certain other diseases, though there is no solid evidence for those claims, and further experimentation and validation would be needed to prove any useful benefit.
Our own research shows a much broader range of applications for royal jelly. We have people use the substance primarily for its associations with improved energy, but we feel that's really only scratching the surface. With its amino acid content it primarily acts in support to the immune system, and that in itself has far reaching benefits.
We supply royal jelly, we use royal jelly, but we are not medical practitioners, so please do your own research and be sure that you locate only the best products when you get around to trying it for yourself.What is royal jelly and what are the benefits of freeze dried royal jelly?
Often known a bees’ "milk", royal
jelly is the concentrated super food
whose nutritional benefits are responsible for turning an ordinary worker bee
into a Queen Bee. Growing 50% larger than worker bees, she lives 4 to 5 years,
compared to other bees that only live through one season.
Fresh royal jelly is a
liquid containing approximately 67% water. It must be kept refrigerated or
frozen to retain its nutritional integrity. Like any other product containing
that much water it is perishable and has a
shelf life of about one year if refrigerated. Most stores and suppliers do not
keep their fresh royal jelly
refrigerated and therefore the benefits of royal
jelly may
become depleted. Freeze-drying, also known as lyophilizing, is a
dehydration process which removes the water from a substance by exposure to dry,
freezing air: no heat or chemicals are involved. Lyophilized royal
jelly is a freeze-dried powder in
which allthe nutrients of
fresh royal
jelly are still present. In this
state it can be stored at room temperature and thus has more
uses and a longer shelf life, three years.
Also, of even more concern, yet rarely
discussed, is the practice some suppliers use of working with
pasteurized royal
jelly. Protect yourself from this
and learn more about pasteurized royal
jelly here
.
But why then do people still continue to sell it in liquid
form?- there's no reason not to, so long as
you (the company) have the capacity to process it and to still
retain it's benefits. The downside is that you are essentially producing a
product that is mostly water. When you offer this in pill form the pills are
going to be very low potency, only 150mg of active susbtance is typical. So the
consumer must take many pills to have an effective daily dose and to reap the
benefits of fresh royal jelly -
this can prove very costly! So we do prefer to remove the water, retain the
integrity and offer our customers high dosage capsules, like our
1000mg royal
jelly.
The finest Royal Jelly is
freeze-dried, with all its nourishment and benefits 'locked-in' for the duration
of its shelf life - other products retaining the high water content are
perishable and the potency/benefit diminishes with normal storage.
Advantages of Royal
Jelly
Just the name of this substance conjures up
impressive images, and it may well be true that the properties and advantages
of Royal
Jelly are just as dramatic as its
name. All bee larvae are fed Royal Jelly
for the first three days after hatching – this powerful food
is evidently essential to get the proper development of
the bee under way and provide with the nutritional advantages that other common
bees do not have. After those first days however, only larvae destined to become
queen bees are fed this nutritious substance, the bees slated to be
workers are given only bee bread and pollen. The queens-to-be
literally swim in the Royal Jelly and
much more is placed in their special brood cells than is needed for maturation.
Royal Jelly actually looks a
great deal like milk.
Royal Jelly
is not produced from pollen or nectar, but is a substance produced
in the salivary glands of the bees tending the larvae. Bees serve as nurse bees
for only a certain number of days, and it is during this time that they are
able to
produce Royal Jelly
and benefit from its many advantages. This substance is absolutely
essential if the developing queen is destined to have functioning ovaries and
provide eggs for new workers in the hive. Royal
Jelly also contributes to the
much larger size of the queen, and the fact that she will live for up to seven
years, rather than just a season as do the
workers.
The high level of protein found in Royal
Jelly might also provide
some nutritional benefits and advantages to you if
you add this
to your dietary supplement
program. Royal Jelly
typically contains between 12% and 15% protein, along with a full
complement of amino acids and fatty acids. There are quite a few essential
minerals found in Royal Jelly,
including iron, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Probably the most important
group of vitamins found in the jelly are those
belonging to
the Vitamin B group – folic acid, B1, B2, and B12. Simple sugars are also
found which may work to provide the body with a natural
energy boost.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure,
affects many people and can lead to serious problems such as heart
disease, stroke, or even kidney failure. Royal Jelly
supplements have been found to naturally lower high blood
pressure, and this has been proven in several tests conducted in
Japan.
One very important property of Royal
Jelly is that it seems to have a
beneficial effect on the glial cells in the brain. It also works positively on
the stem cells located there too. These cells are vital in
sending messages throughout the brain, so the nurturing effects
of Royal Jelly
may help to prevent, or reverse (to some
extent) some of the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease or perhaps senility.
Experiments have shown that ingesting Royal
Jelly can have a positive response
in cognitive functions. Read more about royal
jelly and its
benefits
As Royal Jelly
feeds what might be termed the most important member of the hive, keeping
the larva designated as a potential queen healthy, is paramount. The close
environment of the hive, despite the cleanly habits of bees, can foster the
growth of bacteria and fungi. Fortunately, Royal Jelly and
the other hive substances (like propolis and honey) contain compounds which are
antibacterial in nature and help prevent the larva from becoming
diseased.
Royal Jelly
can help to fight E. Coli bacteria as well
as gram positive bacteria and Streptococcus bacteria. Some help in
dealing with recurrent bladder infections has also been reported with regular
supplemental use.
As Royal Jelly
greatly extends the life-cycle of the queen bee, it is
thought that it might have some 'longevity' benefit on those who
take Royal Jelly
supplements. Although long term tests have yet to be
verified as
to any human longevity benefits, tests conducted on mice
have shown that the rodents will live consistently longer when
fed Royal Jelly.
Our immune system is what protects us from
bacteria, viruses, and other disease. Anything that compromises the immune
system, such as stress or fatigue, can leave us more vulnerable to a wide
range of ailments. In our fast paced world, any external support we can
provide to
keep our immune system strong and responsive will keep us healthier and
happier. Royal Jelly
has been shown to augment and strengthen the
immune system. The gamma globulin contained in Royal
Jelly may help your
immunological system to become more effective at
fighting pathogens.
Adding Royal Jelly
to your daily
supplement regimen could well produce favorable results for you. The many
nutrients and trace elements, which are impossible to
replicate in the laboratory, may work to
help your body deal with stress, aging,
high blood pressure, and damage to the immune system. You may
well find that your complexion, hair, skin and
nail health improves both as your body is nourished more
completely, but also because of the ability and advantages
of Royal Jelly
when it comes to promoting the development of
collagen. Collagen is important in keeping the skin younger and wrinkle free.
The
benefits of royal jelly
to the skin have seen the substance
commonly used within natural skin care products.
Royal Jelly and Fertility
A question we are asked many times is "can royal jelly help with fertility?"
Royal Jelly is taken as a dietary supplement for a wide variety of issues/reasons, including to boost fertility. In fact it isn't just taken to boost fertility but also for other areas of reproductive health, including to increase libido and support egg health.
Certainly the inference is that it is most commonly used to boost fertility in women, but it is also taken by men for the same purpose of increasing virility, libido and sperm count.
Also, it isn't just taken prior to conception, but also during and after pregnancy to assist with hormonal imbalance, as it may assist in providing support to the endocrine system. We've also discussed on our blog that studies have shown Royal Jelly may have estrogen like effects, which can help the many women who suffer from low estrogen levels. Of course, we strongly advise that you consult with your health care professional before taking royal jelly for fertility, or during pregnancy.
Of course it's always good to have some scientific support before embarking on a regimen on supplements to boost fertility. In the "Infertility Cure", fertility expert Dr. Randine Lewis describes various studies detailing royal jelly as potentially beneficial to fertility.
We've covered in great detail around our website the many and varied benefits of royal jelly and we've covered also its chemical composition and nutrient content .
If you decide to include royal jellyin your diet then obviously you'll have choices to make. We recommend that you start by reading this article on how to select bee products, as a way of understanding the differences and making an informed selection.
Royal jelly effectsus all in different ways and it's important to understand the benefits of this product, particularly when considering something as important as fertility and reproductive health.
Studies of royal jelly on female fertility.
There have been too few studies on humans to conclude any real benefits when considering royal jelly and its impact on fertility. Lab studies on animals however have shown some potential for fertility benefits and improvement. A study published in the June 2006 issue of "Animal Reproductive Science" tested the effects of royal jelly on sheep, comparing it with placebo. The rates of conception were higher in the groups given royal jelly than in the placebo groups, indicating a positive benefit on reproductive health and the likelihood of conception.Male Fertility Studies
A study published in 2010 ["Animal Reproductive Science"] examined the effects of royal jelly on male fertility in rabbits. A total of 24 rabbits were given placebo or doses of royal jelly. Testosterone levels rose to as high as 143 percent of initial levels and sperm improved by as much as 18 percent with actual sperm output increasing by as much as 65%Generally speaking animal studies are intended to be useful as indication of the potential effect on humans, though in some cases human effect is not a consideration.
Royal Jelly and Libido / Reproductive Function
Various
studies have been conducted into the
effectiveness of royal jelly
in improving libido, desire, energy and sexual
function, in both men and women. Also, as a tonic
for reproductive
health and
fertility, it
has
been closely examined and
various reports and
studies are available.There is little doubt that our sex drive diminishes at various times during our lives. Stress, illness, or simply that natural course of aging can have a dampening effect on our love lives leading to increased stress and anxiety on ourselves and our partners. Royal jelly has been used for centuries as a natural libido aid and aphrodisiac. It's properties, high amino acid content, minerals, vitamins, and that 'unknown' element which has still to be identified, appear to assist in reproductive function and intimate stimulation. It has even been used by high profile figures, to aid in fertility. The Duchess of York and Prince Andrew took royal Jelly to boost their fertility prior to the conception of the royal princesses!
While there are conflicting opinions among experts as to the cause of low libido/desire, there is a commonly shared view that certain foods can help. A diet rich in fruits, fibers, vegetables, grains and legumes can help assist libido and sexual desire, as can many of the traditional libido enhancers such as ginger root, cardamon, cloves and fresh garlic, pepper.
On the supplement front, both ginseng and royal jelly are used to increase libido, though we don't generally recommend ginseng since it can have other negative effects on the cardiovascular system, particularly in older people.
Impotence
Royal Jellyhas been shown to have positive effects on impotence in men. It can work positively on the prostate gland, and also to relax urethra compression. Impotency is by no means incurable and it isn't always necessary to resort to harsh chemicals and prescription drugs to assist the problem. Natural products like royal jelly have been shown by Chinese and Korean researchers to be effective in the treatment of different libido / fertility related problems including impotency.
As always, if you plan to add royal jelly to your diet, do so under medical supervision, particularly if you have a history of medical problems. This can be said of all vitamin supplements, not just bee products. If you plan to purchase royal jelly, try to source a supplier where you can be sure that the product has not been pasteurized, as many seem to do these days. Also, consider combining royal jelly with bee pollen, propolis and honey, as a complete source of daily nutrition and vitamin supplementation.
Does royal jelly work?
If you're
looking for a good place to start, a good resource for royal
jelly information, then turn to
our resource directory
here. Then when you think you are ready, bookmark our website and
take a look around at what's out there on the WWW. Use Googleto search for royal
jelly and see
what you come up with. Then head back on over here to our
royal
jelly product page
here. What is royal jelly and what is it good for?
Honey bees make royal jelly in the beehive as food for the queen bee. It is obviously good for the Queen as she lives much longer when compared to the common worker bee or drone, and has far greater reproductive powers.
But what is royal jelly?
It is a nutritious,
yellow, liquid substance, with a creamy texture. It is quite acidic on the
tongue and very pleasant to taste, unless of course it has been combined with
honey. The substance itself is actually a secretion from special glands located
in the heads of worker bees. It is fed initially to bee larvae, which eventually
develops into queens, whereupon the queen continues on her rather exclusive diet
for the remainder of her days. When asking 'what is royal
jelly?' most people are looking
for information on its nutritional properties and how those specific nutrients
might be beneficial to our health. A basic chemical assessment of the substance
determines that royal jelly
is made up of 60-70% water, 12-15% protein, 10-15% percent sugars,
and 3-7%% percent fats. The remainder is made up from amino acids and vitamins.
So it's worth noting that as with most substances existing in a liquid state,
the majority of its chemical composition is H2O, or water. Now people start
to get
a little confused about royal jelly
and water and whether or not it's better for you if you leave the water
in it. ( Learn about
freeze-dried royal jelly
where the water is removed, here). Lets be clear,
there's nothing mystical or magical about water, it's two hydrogen elements
combined with one oxygen. The issues becomes more focused on the processes used
to remove the water, as is usually the case when royal jelly
is converted into a vitamin supplement. Read the above article to
understand the importance of the process of freeze drying and how it leads to a
more stable, fresh and potent substance. So we've answered the
question of what is royal jelly, it is 70% water, but
remove the water and you have a concentration of proteins, sugars and fats, with
some amino acids and vitamins. Those of you thinking "oh, I'm going to gain weight if
I take this", just hang on a second. You're generally only going to take around
1000mg of royal jelly
per day, which isn't going to make you fat, it only contains 4 or 5
calories. But what you are going to be ingesting are the vitamins, and more
importantly the amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of life and
some are considered 'essential' to life and most be ingested through what we eat. It
is believed by many that the true power of royal
jelly, if such a thing exists, is
in its amino acid makeup.So what is it good for, what are the health benefits?
We have a lot of information around this website on the benefits of royal jelly.Start by following that link and we'll show you some of what has been reported as being beneficial. Commonly, the first thing people think of when considering what is it good for, is energy. Then, research leads us into observations about its anti-aging possibilities and we associate that with 'longevity'. Many assume that because of its role in the beehive and its affect on the reproductive capacity of the queen bee that it is good for fertility. Let's look at royal jelly and fertility as a separate topic here .
Beyond the above, the range of benefits are directly assumed due to the listed amino acids and nutrients. Each listed component has its own research and when found in royal jelly it is assumed that those specific benefits will be present. Lets look at these specifically -
Vitamin B I (Thiamine) 1.5 to 7.4 mcg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 5.3 to 10.0 mcg
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 2.2 to 10.2 mcg
Niacin (nicotinic acid) 91.0 to 149.0 mcg
Pantothenic Acid 65.0 to 200.0 mcg
Biotin 0.9 to 3.7 mcg
Inositol 78.0 to 150.0 mcg
Folic Acid 0.16 to 0.50mcg
Vitamin C Trace amount
It contains traces of all 8 essential amino acids.
It's worthy of note that regional variations and the processes used in collecting royal jelly will impact these numbers, so they'll vary slightly from source to source and batch to batch.
Hopefully
that goes some way to answering the question of what
is
royal jelly and you have a better
understanding of its potential benefits. But it
doesn't end there. You can quite easily neutralize any benefits
during the collection and subsequent processing of the substance as it's removed
from the hive. So be sure to buy product from reputable sources. For example, if
I do a Google search for 'royal jelly',
and run through the top 20 or so companies who appear in the results, I know for
a fact that over 50% of them use raw ingredients which are pasteurized. That
sounds odd when you consider the wild claims people make about the 'freshness'
and integrity of their products and how one might 'feel the benefits'. Obviously
this is hype, given the knowledge of their approach to processing/packaging the
substance. So tread carefully, and here's a little more information on the
harm
caused by pasteurization .and
propolis. Each have a different nutritional focus and
each may provide you with a unique set of health benefitsRoyal Jelly Effects
Usually people looking for information on royal jelly effects are looking for its side-effects and there's and obvious negative connotation associated with the term "side effects". Without doubt, royal jelly has been shown to be mostly free from negative side effects and largely speaking a provider of positive benefits to human health. It should be stated that very few clinical studies have been performed to examine the effects of royal jelly on human health, most of the studies which have been conducted have been overseas.
So taking royal jelly, what effects can you expect?
Side effects - some people have an allergic reaction when taking royal jelly and other bee products. This is generally mild and the result as a slight reddening of the skin, closely mimicking a mild case of 'Hives'. Quite often a simple test can be made in new users by simply placing a small pinch of the powder on the back of the tongue, if there's a burning or irritation then this is probably a sign of a negative side effect. But very few users are troubled by these issues, there are very few reported cases of a negative reaction to royal jelly.
What is royal jelly good for?
There are many resources and references available to demonstrate the health effects of royal jelly. Usually people examine the nutrient content of this substance then associate certain vitamins and minerals with certain known health benefits. So deciding what royal jelly is good for is made simpler by looking at the nutrient content and going from there.
Generally the positive health associations include energy, longevity / anti aging and benefits to the immune system. Is it going to be good for you? - why not try it to find out for yourself.
So as always there's a stigma that follows health supplements and it's important for people to do their own research and find out what effects they are looking for and how a specific substance might prove beneficial. Of course this process needs to be approved finally by one's own GP
Royal Jelly - The Natural Rejuvenator or not?
I remember the time when royal jelly was relatively unheard of, perhaps as far back as the start of the Internet revolution. Nowadays there's a lot more awareness of health supplements and far more people are aware of the health benefits of royal jelly particularly with its reputation as an anti aging supplement.
Taking vitamin supplements seems to be the trendy thing to do. Whether or not something we are taking is known to work, or even known to be safe, is something that we conveniently place in the back of our minds. But what we need to understand is that not all supplements are created equal, and when it comes to nutritional composition we find royal jelly to be amongst the top, at least in terms of its potential benefit as a natural rejevenator and its anti aging support on human health.
There are other substances which attract our attention from the beehive, honey perhaps being the most popular followed by bee pollen, royal jelly and then perhaps propolis. Some people also swear by the use of beeswax and even fewer take bee venom as a nutritive supplement. But what is all of this and how can it possibly be of benefit to us?
Bee products are unusual in the
way they are so different yet they contain quite similar properties. They're
different in the sense of how they come to be. Take bee pollen for example. A
nutritionally dense substance which is basically select pollens collected by
honeybees from plant life and bundled together into tiny pellets and transported
back to the hive. Mixed along the way with certain bee secretions the pollens
take on a wide range of nutrients, actually with quite an impressive nutritional
profile. Packed with proteins, usable carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals,
amino-acids – bee pollen is a complex substance which has the capacity to
provide us with all of the nutrition our body needs. That in itself is quite
remarkable, given the simplicity of its origins in the plant and insect
world.But what of the subject of this paper, “royal Jelly”? It is really quite an interesting substance from the top down. Sharing some of the properties of its cousins from the hive it also contains many useful vitamins and minerals and more importantly perhaps, amino acids. Again, very complex in its structure, it also contains compounds which are not yet fully understood, compounds which may account for the rather unique role it plays within the beehive. This role essentially is in the nutritional nurturing of the bee larvae, creating and ongoing support of the ruler of the hive, the Queen bee. This remarkable insect possesses certain powers which are bestowed only on her and are missing from the rest of her companions in the beehive. These powers include a remarkable capacity for longevity and reproduction, far out-performing the workers/drones on all levels. Her only source of power is through her nutrition – royal jelly.
The story of the beehive becomes complete when you
examine the role of
propolis , widely termed 'bee glue'. It is also collected externally from
the beehive by the honeybee from the sticky resins of plant bark and leaves,
then returned to the hive where it is used to repair cracks in the hive wall and
create a sanitary foundation for the hive population. It has strong anti viral
and antibiotic properties which essentially seal the hive against viral attacks
from the outside world, rather like a computer firewall, to use a modern
parallel.
So there you have it. A remarkable
place acts as home to these remarkable insects, with the fruits of their labor
being available to man as power-packed nutritive substances – bee pollen –
propolis – honey and royal jelly.
