“Bee pollen works, and it works perfectly. Pollen allows superstars to increase their strength and stamina up to 25%. This increase in strength and endurance may be the key to the secret regenerative power of bee pollen. The whole beauty of bee pollen is that it’s as natural as you can get.”
—ALEX WOODLEY, HEAD OF PHILADELPHIA PIONEER CLUB AND COACH TO MANY OLYMPIC GOLD-MEDAL SPRINTERS.
“If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years left to live.”
—ALBERT EINSTEIN
Like algae, bee pollen is a perfect food, in that it contains every single known nutrient that the body needs. Theoretically, if you were stranded on a desert island, you could live on bee pollen and water alone. Pollen is also like algae in that it is a primordial food, one of the oldest foods on this planet, and so it must be made of something pretty amazing to have made it this far. Probably more has been written about pollen than any other food in this book; its incredible healing and rejuve-native properties are well researched and documented. Like all the superfoods, it is the synergistic effect of so many important nutrients that makes pollen so powerful, but it also contains substances as yet unidentified by science that add to its unique magic. Bee pollen is actually a bit of a misnomer because pollen does not come from bees, it comes from flowers, and is collected by the bees and brought back to the hives. Strictly speaking, pollen is not a vegan food, but I personally feel it is unlikely that Mother Nature would have designed the perfect food for humans and not meant us to eat it.
Pollen is a great superfood because it tastes so nice, sweet and rich like honey. Children love it, it is a wonderful food to add to their diets and increase their nutritional intake. It is easy to sprinkle on cereal for breakfast or add to trail mixes and desserts. Pollen has a very “buzzy” energy; it is sometimes called natural speed. I remember the first time I took it; it was about 10 p.m. at night, I had just put two children to bed, I was home on my own, and didn’t know how I was going to face the rest of the evening’s chores, tidying the kitchen and sorting out the washing. I took two pollen tablets to get me through those last few hours, and ended up with enough energy afterwards to dance around the living room! Pollen is a great food if you are always on the go, flitting from one activity to the next like a bee flying from flower to flower. If you are eating a meal that is a quick stopgap, with no time to rest or think, then adding pollen to it gives you that boost to rush off, full of enthusiasm and energy, rather than dragging yourself on feeling tired and reluctant.
The quality of bee pollen can be quite variable, and depends a lot on where it is gathered. Ideally, the environment in which the flowers and bees are living should be as pristine as possible, which is why desert pollen is very good. At one of the world’s largest pollen producers, workers drive around the land in electric cars so as to minimize pollution. As a fresh food, pollen goes rancid easily. If it is kept in packaging that exposes it to light for long periods of time the quality can deteriorate. It also doesn’t like being exposed to heat so it is best kept refrigerated. You can tell if it is past its best by putting pollen granules in a glass of water—if it floats, it’s rancid. The majority of pollen that is sold in the West is dried—if you can find fresh pollen it’s really in a class of its own. Look out for the French Percie du Sert pollen that is sold frozen to preserve it. Pollen also goes off quickly when it is ground up, so if you are adding it to recipes, better to use it in its whole form, unless you are planning on eating it straightaway. Most commercially available pollen is polyfloral, i.e. it comes from more than one variety of flower. Monofloral pollen is made when the bees collect pollen from one type of flower only, linden or hawthorn for example. Monofloral pollens have quite distinct tastes, and act on specific physical and energetic areas according to the flowers that they are from; for example, linden pollen is calming for the nerves, hawthorn nourishes the heart. The most beneficial pollen is that which is sourced locally to you, because then it is helping your body to tune into its immediate environment.
Pollen is produced by flowers and collected by bees that bind it with enzymes and carry it back to the hive in their pollen sacs. Beekeepers place fine brushes at the entrance to the hive that brush the bees’ legs as they enter releasing the pollen from the sac, to later be collected by the beekeepers. Bees seek out the most nutritious pollen, so flowers compete for bees’ attention as a means of ensuring their survival. In order to achieve reproductive success, flowers try to produce the most nutrient-dense pollen possible which ensures that pollen is always of the highest possible quality. Interestingly, when scientists have tried to replicate pollen in laboratories, by taking all pollen’s known constituents and mixing them together, they have been unable. Bees in the hive live on pollen, but bees fed on this replicated pollen die. This proves that pollen contains some unidentifiable substances that must contribute to its special potency.
Pollen can help with allergies and hay fever. When taken at least six weeks before the beginning of hay fever season, symptoms are very much reduced. This works in a similar way to homeopathy: minute doses of the substance the body is allergic to builds up resistance so that when the body is exposed to larger doses, an immune response has been cultivated and no symptoms occur. The airborne pollen that people have a problem with is known as anemophile pollen grains; the kind that is collected by the bees is the entomophile pollen grains. Pollen has been shown in studies to have the same immune-strengthening results with other allergic reactions such as asthma and sinusitis. Because it is rich in enzymes, people often find pollen gives them digestive discomfort when they first take it because it is so stimulating to the gut. If this is the case, it is best to take it alone rather than with other foods, and consider a course of enemas or colonics because it is likely that old matter in the gut is being stirred up. Many people also find they are allergic to pollen. Out of all the foods in this book, pollen is the one people are most likely to have a problem with; people commonly report itchy skin or tingly lips. This is due in part to the fact that we all have weakened immune systems due to antibiotic use, pollution in the environment, poor diets and not enough exposure to nature. If this is the case, you can either fast to cleanse the system before trying pollen again, or just build up slowly. If you keep taking minute amounts of pollen daily, your resistance will build up and you can gradually increase the dose until your immune system functioning is restored and the pollen doesn’t have the same detoxifying effect.
Bee pollen’s use goes way back into history. It is recommended in the Bible, as well as by Pliny, Pythagoras, and Hippocrates. It is also mentioned in ancient Chinese and Egyptian texts. In Russia, where pollen has been much researched, inhabitants of the villages near the Caucasus Mountains are renowned for their longevity, with many centenarians living amongst them. In the 1970s, some American scientists investigated into the cause of their extraordinary longevity, and found that there were many beekeepers among them, and the common factor was the “scrap honey” they all ate, the residue from the bottom of the hive, rich in pollen, propolis and other beneficial substances. Like royal jelly, another popular therapeutic bee product, pollen is well regarded for its anti-aging properties, as it stimulates cell renewal and so rejuvenates the skin.
Pollen contains at least 96 nutritional elements. It contains all 22 amino acids, consisting of 40% protein, weight for weight more than any animal product. Bee pollen is a great dietary source of B vitamins. Whenever we get stressed because we are doing too much, our B vitamin levels get depleted, so taking pollen is an excellent antidote to stress. If we have had a stressful incident in our day, for instance getting stuck in a traffic jam and then not having enough time to get ready for an important meeting, or having an argument with someone and then having to take the children out somewhere, taking some pollen gives us the energy to carry on without feeling depleted. It is one of the best dietary sources of vitamin B6, and a reputed source of the hard-to-find B12. It is a good source of vitamin C, the best dietary source of rutin, a glucoside that strengthens the capillary system, and one of the richest sources of carotenoids and bioflavonoids. Pollen is a great source of minerals, especially zinc. It has significant amounts of potassium, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, silicon, manganese, sulphur, selenium and iron.
Here are some more of the benefits of pollen:
As far back as 1948, research was published that showed that taking bee pollen acts as a preventative against cancer, and can reduce tumors. It has also been demonstrated to protect against radiation and help with the side effects of chemotherapy.
Pollen is good for fertility; it is literally the sperm of the flower, the male seed produced in large quantities to ensure some of it succeeds in carrying on the species. It stimulates the ovaries and improves the libido. Due in addition to its high zinc content, it is particularly good for prostrate problems.
It is favored by athletes for its abilities to increase stamina and endurance, and was used by Muhammad Ali to “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” There are many, many reports from sportspeople and sports trainers who have used bee pollen to improve their performance.
It is rich in lecithin, which helps to metabolize fats in the body. Lecithin contains substantial amounts of phosphatidyl choline, which is beneficial for the brain, especially for children whose brains are still developing. For this reason also, it is a great food for pregnant women. Bee pollen has great synergy with flax oil, because the lecithin in the pollen helps ensure flax oil’s abundant supply of EFAs are broken down and absorbed properly.
It is a great source of the nucleic acids RNA and DNA, the building blocks of the body.
Like coconut oil, it normalizes cholesterol levels in the blood and balances the metabolism, so helping with weight loss.
Like algae, it is a superb source of phenylananine, which regulates the body’s natural appetite.
It rehabilitates the gut, strengthens the intestines, and has been used to treat Crohn’s disease, colitis, and digestive ulcers.
It is a natural antibiotic.
It is popular for pets, for boosting their immune systems, improving the quality of their coats, increasing longevity and as an aid to fertility.
It has been used to treat anemia, it boosts the circulation, aids cardiovascular health, regulates the blood sugar, and has been extremely successful at treating a huge variety of weaknesses and illnesses.
Taking locally harvested fresh bee pollen is far superior to the dried stuff, if you can find it. Taking local pollen can help combat allergies from flowers and dust in the area from which it is harvested.
Pollen and cacao together is a brilliant source of positive energy. When you eat pollen and cacao, you feel like you can do anything! As pollen has a natural sweetness, it complements the bitterness of the cacao well. We often make trail mix just by mixing up some pollen granules and nibs up with a few other snack foods like goji berries, coconut chips, or yacon root.