Pollen: properties, benefits and uses

Stimulating properties: pollen is above all a natural tonic and fortifier which improves the general condition of the body and strengthens the immune system. Its trace elements activate enzymes participating in energy-producing metabolism. In addition, it stimulates the appetite, allowing weight gain, and restores strength to convalescents and sick people. Thanks to the presence of magnesium, phosphorus, vitamins and amino acids, it is an excellent intellectual tonic which stimulates memory. It also acts on mood by being euphoric, and it is best taken in the morning. These properties are due to the presence of phenylalanine and tryptophan, two essential amino acids which participate in the synthesis of neurotransmitters (dopamine and adrenaline for phenylalanine, serotonin for tryptophan) regulating brain activity and balancing mood. Against stress or reduced libido, pollen is a great ally!

Digestive properties: pollen is a true ally of the intestinal flora. Thanks to its intestinal regulatory effect, it improves both diarrhea and constipation and generally has a positive effect on all digestive disorders. It provides fibers which activate transit and have a “prebiotic” effect for the bacteria of the intestinal flora.

Metabolic properties: pollen is a general stimulant of the body which will notably improve bone calcification and is thus useful for growth delays. And this is not its only positive effect, because it stimulates and regulates all functional imbalances linked to increased or decreased metabolism.

Antioxidant properties: thanks to its antioxidant molecules (trace elements, vitamins, polyphenols, rutins, etc.), pollen traps the free radicals which are the cause of cellular degradation. Thus, it fights against senescence, and also helps prevent hair loss thanks to Vitamin B3 and rutin.

Thanks to its richness in nutritional compounds with a thousand and one virtues, pollen is ideal in the following cases:

• Fatigue physical, psychological or sexual
• Digestive disorders and transit problems
• Aging of the body, hair loss
• Rickets and growth disorders
• Benign prostatic hyperplasia

Pollen is used under fresh or dry form in a 3-week treatment, especially during seasonal changes. Fresh pollen must be stored in the fridge, and it should be chewed in the morning on an empty stomach, before drinking a glass of water. For dried pollen, you can let it dissolve in water long before (the day before) in order to take it in the morning on an empty stomach. The average recommended dose for an adult is 15-20 g per day for prevention and up to 30 g per day for attack treatment. For adolescents, the dosage is 12-15 g per day.

The pollen is not recommended for children under 12 years old without medical advice. Finally, pollen has no side effects or contraindications (except in cases of renal insufficiency), and one must be careful in case of pollen allergy (even if as seen above, this pollen is different from pollen allergic).

Fresh pollen should be frozen for better preservation. It will keep for 6 to 8 days at room temperature.

The pollen corresponds to the male flower seed, produced by the stamens, and is collected by the bee when it leaves to gather. Indeed, thanks to its hind legs, it collects this pollen and mixes it with honey and saliva to form small balls stored in the “pollen baskets”. The latter are then brought back and deposited by the foragers, then the balls are transported by the workers to the cells surrounding the brood, in order to feed the larvae and the hive during the winter. Thus, the pollen is placed in these cells, and the workers insert a thin layer of propolis to prevent any gas exchange. Therefore, in a few days anaerobic fermentation (without oxygen), pollen transforms into bee bread, which is used to feed young larvae and nurses. This product is almost unknown to the general public, but it is the only form in which bees consume pollen!

But back to our return to the hive and the harvest. Pollen being a essential element for bees, the only source of protein, it is essential for the rearing of larvae, food for bees and the survival of the hive: without pollen, no royal jelly, no brood, no wax, no swarm…and more bees. Thus, the harvest by the beekeeper must be reasoned and he must respect the balance of the hive. To do this, he places traps or traps at the entrance to the hive. pollen traps, which are a kind of grid that will “catch” a few balls of pollen when the bees return home. The size of the mesh must be defined precisely: neither too large nor too small, it must allow just a small part of the pollen collected to be taken so as not to jeopardize the survival of the hive. Over the course of the year, the beekeeper will collect 2 to 4 kg of pollen, corresponding to approximately 10% of the total harvest.

The pollen thus collected, or fresh pollen, is very humid, and can be sold as is provided that it is frozen quickly so as not to lose its properties. Otherwise, the pollen must be dried quickly by partial dehydration or drying, before being marketed in solid form. In addition, in both cases, the pollen must be sorted because at this time we find impurities such as insects, bee legs, or other waste.

The pellets of pollen produced by bees contain on average:

• 30 to 55% of carbohydrates
• 20 to 35% of proteins
• 7 à 15 % d’water
• 1 to 13% of lipids
• 2 to 6% of minerals
• 0.3 to 20% of fibers
• 2 to 5% other compounds.

In addition, as pollen comes from the stamen of flowers, there are as many pollen grains as there are flower species! Thus, the composition of pollen varies greatly depending on its origin.

However, whatever the pollen, its richness lies in its high content of proteins and amino acids (20% on average). These are essential amino acids, enzymes and other nutrients, and it is said that eating 100 grams of pollen is equivalent to eating 7 eggs, just that !