POLLEN

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Bee pollen is a combination of plant pollen and honeybee secretions and nectar.

The Bible and ancient Egyptian texts are documented proof of its use in public health. It is considered a gold mine of nutrition due to its active components that have significant health and medicinal properties. Bee pollen contains bioactive compounds including proteins, amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and polyphenols. The vital components of bee pollen enhance different bodily functions and offer protection against many diseases. It is generally marketed as a functional food with affordable prices with promising future industrial potentials. This review highlights the dietary properties of bee pollen and its influence on human health, and its applications in the food industry.

• Antioxidants: Flavonoids, carotenoids, and polyphenols combat oxidative stress and protect against chronic diseases.
• Vitamins: Vitamin C and Vitamin E are powerful antioxidants, while B vitamins support various bodily functions.
• Minerals: Pollen contains essential minerals like potassium, iron, manganese, and copper.
• Proteins and amino acids: These are the building blocks for repairing damaged cells and building new tissues.
• Anti-inflammatory agents: Compounds like cinnamic acid and dicaffeoylquinic acid derivatives can help reduce inflammation. 

​Bee pollen has been recognized for its potential anti-inflammatory properties, attributed to its rich composition of bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids and polyphenols. However, it’s important to note that while numerous in vitro and animal studies have demonstrated these effects, direct evidence from human clinical trials remains limited.

Still, the anti-inflammatory activity of bee pollen has been compared to drugs, such as naproxen, analgin, phenylbutazone, and indomethacin.

A comprehensive review published in the Iranian Journal of Allergy Asthma and Immunology highlighted that certain flavonoid components in bee pollen exhibit anti-allergic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, suggesting their potential as therapeutic agents in allergic and immunological diseases. The authors emphasized the need for further studies, including phytotherapy and molecular pharmacology research, to fully understand and harness these benefits. ​

Another review discussed the biological and therapeutic properties of bee pollen, noting its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and immunostimulating actions. The authors called for long-term, large-scale clinical studies to substantiate these findings and to address the variability in bee pollen composition due to different plant sources.

Researchers have suggested that it can be used in acute and chronic inflammatory conditions, initial degenerative conditions, and liver disease or toxicity. A 2010 in vivo study published in Pharmaceutical Biology found, for instance, that honeybee pollen displayed significant anti-inflammatory activities when given to mice with acetaminophen-induced liver necrosis.

Another study conducted in 2010 investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of bee pollen bulk, its water extract, and its ethanol extract by a method of carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats.

The results indicated that the bulk mildly suppressed the paw edema, while the water extract showed almost no inhibitory activity. The ethanol extract showed potent anti-inflammatory activity, and researchers suggested that it can be used as a dietary supplement and as a functional food.

Studies have revealed that enzymatic hydrolysates from bee pollen are beneficial for patients undergoing various diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. The antioxidant properties were measured in a 2005 study, and researchers found that it has remarkable antioxidant activity. They witnessed high scavenging activities against active oxidative stress. Researchers even suggested that the inhibitory activities of pollen were similar to those found in fermented foods, such as natto, miso, cheese, and vinegar.

Another study examined the impact of adding bee pollen to honey on its antioxidant activity. The results indicated that enriching honey with bee pollen significantly increased phenolic content and enhanced antioxidant activity.

However, it’s important to note that this study focused on the combined effect of honey and bee pollen, rather than bee pollen alone.

Additionally, a 2025 study evaluated the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of polyfloral bee pollen collected in Tuscany, Italy. The findings demonstrated that bee pollen extract exhibited notable antioxidant activity, but this study was conducted in vitro and did not involve human participants.

Bee pollen is often touted for its potential to protect the liver, but direct evidence from human clinical studies is currently lacking. Most existing research has been conducted in vitro or in animal models.

One 2013 study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that chestnut bee pollen protects hepatocytes from oxidative stress and promotes the healing of liver damage caused by toxicity.

Rats with carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage were separated into two groups. One group took two different concentrations of chestnut bee pollen orally (200-400 milligrams per kilogram a day), and one group was given silibinin, a medication that contains flavonoids.

The researchers detected that both treatments reversed the liver damage, but silibinin caused significant weight loss and death due to severe diarrhea when given to rats. These findings suggest that pollen is a safe alternative to silibinin in the treatment of liver injuries and can be part of a liver cleanse.

Another study evaluated the biochemical and biological potential of Abrantes pollen extract, focusing on its antioxidative and antidiabetic properties. The study reported non-cytotoxic effects on human liver HepG2 cells in vitro, suggesting potential liver-related benefits.

Nonetheless, these results are preliminary and derived from laboratory cell cultures, not clinical trials. ​

Bee pollen has antimicrobial and antiviral properties. A 2014 study published in Food and Chemical Toxicology evaluated the biological activities of eight commercial bee pollen products purchased from the market.

All of the samples exhibited antimicrobial activity. Staphylococcus aureus was the most sensitive to pollen, and Candida glabrata was the most resistant.

Bee pollen may also be a natural allergy fighter. A 2008 study conducted in Japan investigated the effect of bee pollen on mast cell activation, which plays a central role in various allergic diseases.

The researchers performed in vivo and in vitro experiments and found that bee pollen does have anti-allergic action because of its ability to inhibit the activation of mast cells, which play an important role in the early and late phases of allergic reactions.

​Bee pollen is widely marketed as a dietary supplement due to its rich composition of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols. These nutrients contribute to its reputation as a functional food with potential health benefits.

Research into the therapeutic applications of bee pollen has included clinical trials focusing on allergies and prostate conditions, with some studies exploring its effects on cancer and skin issues. However, comprehensive clinical evidence supporting its efficacy across these areas remains limited. ​

Additionally, bee pollen has been identified as a good source of essential minerals like zinc, iron, chromium, and manganese, which are vital for human health.

Researchers have suggested that it can be helpful when given to children who have a lack of appetite or experience a developmental delay. It may also help malnourished children and adults, especially before and after surgery, when recovering from an addiction to alcohol, or when they’re under physical or mental stress.

A 2015 study conducted in Germany found that both honey and bee pollen improved menopausal complaints in breast cancer patients on antihormonal treatment. More than two-thirds of the patients who completed the study reported improvements in their symptoms.

Researchers suggested that bee pollen and honey may be offered to women who have failed to respond to other alternatives to cope with postmenopausal symptoms. They also noted that the flavonoids found in honey and pollen have been found to help prevent breast cancer, supporting the use of these products in women with menopause symptoms and problems with or without a history of breast cancer.

​A notable study published in Climacteric evaluated the effects of Femal, a herbal remedy derived from pollen extracts, on menopausal symptoms. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involved 64 menopausal women over a period of three months.

The findings indicated that 65% of participants receiving Femal experienced a reduction in hot flushes, compared to 38% in the placebo group. Additionally, the treatment group reported improvements in other menopausal symptoms and overall quality of life.

The study concluded that Femal significantly alleviates hot flushes and certain other menopausal symptoms when compared to a placebo, and these bee pollen benefits have been confirmed in other studies.

Bee pollen can be used as a topical ointment to speed up the healing process, and it’s especially useful as a home remedy for burn relief. The pollen includes kaempferol, which inhibits the activity of enzymes after a burn and decreases inflammatory reactions and swelling.

Research has shown that pollen helps improve blood circulation in the vessels, and it moistens the skin. The anti-inflammatory and analgesic action of flavonoids in bee pollen helps relieve pain and prevent platelet aggregation.

Pollen also helps prevent infection because of its antimicrobial activity, allowing a wound or burn to heal quickly.

Because pollen is a great source of many vitamins and minerals, it can also help keep your skin looking younger and glowing. It stimulates blood supply to all skin cells, helps detoxify the body, reduces the appearance of wrinkles, and speeds up the healing process.

​Research has revealed that bee pollen possesses anticancer potential, primarily demonstrated through in vitro studies.

For instance, a study published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology explored the effects of bee pollen hydrolysates on human lung cancer cells (ChaGo-K1). The findings revealed that these hydrolysates could induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in the cancer cells, suggesting a potential anticancer property. ​

The kaempferol in bee pollen is also known for its anticancer activities. Kaempferol has been associated with a reduced risk of several human cancers, such as those of the breast, bone, and cervix. ​

Bee pollen benefits extend to those with prostatitis, aka inflammation of the prostate. ​In fact, research has shown it may help alleviate symptoms of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) in humans.

A notable study evaluated the efficacy of a pollen extract in patients with inflammatory CP/CPPS. This multicenter, randomized, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study demonstrated that patients receiving the pollen extract experienced significant symptom relief compared to those receiving a placebo.

Additionally, a review in Urology discussed various phytotherapies, including bee pollen, used in treating prostatitis. The review highlighted that treatments such as cernilton (bee pollen) have shown promise in preliminary studies for improving prostatitis symptoms. ​

Furthermore, a 26-week randomized, controlled, single-blinded phase III study compared the effects of a pollen extract combined with hyaluronic acid and vitamins to ibuprofen in patients with CP/CPPS. The study found that the combination treatment was more effective than ibuprofen in improving symptoms and quality of life, with fewer side effects. ​ ​

In animal research, bee pollen benefits for the following have also been found, but human studies are needed to confirm these potential effects:

• may support metabolic health
• could help protect brain health
• may help reduce heart disease risk
• may help lower uric acid levels

Pollen granules are also available. They can be added to yogurt, cereal and baked goods. Granules can be blended to create ground pollen, which can be added to smoothies or sprinkled over salad.

Pollen grains or granules can be added to warm water for two to three hours. They then crack and release their nutritional value.

This can also be done with milk and juices. You can then drink the liquid or add it to a smoothie to get these awesome bee pollen benefits.

If you have an allergy to honey, pollen, pollen, bees, or any other bee byproduct, you’ll also likely react to products containing pollen. Pollen may also cause its own allergic reaction when used for a long time.