Bee Pollen Health Research Studies

It has been researched the world over along with its other bee product constitutents including propolis, royal jelly and honey.

Bee pollen, while not as popular as its cousin bee honey, is well known among health afficionados and athletes looking for the extra edge. It's more than that, though.

Bee pollen has been shown in clinical studies to help with allergies, athletic performance, to deter aging, and in stopping cancer cells in their tracks.

It's also been shown to have a positive effect in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia or an enlarged male prostate.

All of these studies hyperlinked below are found at PubMed.gov, which is overseen by the National Institutes of Health under the auspices of the U.S. Library of Medicine.

This website is invaluable in finding research studies that are either government sponsored or have been catalogued in the U.S. federal government's Library of Medicine.

Bee Pollen & Allergies. This study is entitled, "Lipid-soluble components of honeybee-collected pollen exert antiallergic effect by inhibiting IgE-mediated mast cell activation in vivo." It outlines bee pollen's "anti-allergic effect." The study was originally published on November 23, 2009.

Bee Pollen & Antioxidants. This study is entitled, "Comparison of bee products based on assays of antioxidant capacities" as published Feb. 26, 2009.

Bee Pollen & Athletic Endurance. This study is entitled, "Effects of pollen extract upon adolescent swimmers" as published Sept. 16, 1982. What you see is a quick abstract. However, to read the full study via a free downloadable pdf file, click here. (To read it you'll need Adobe Reader, which you can get for free here.)

There are a couple of things worth mentioning here with this study. This stuidy is somewhat inconclusive yet it is open minded as to the positive effect of bee pollen supplementation.

It says for instance, "The results indicate that no positive benefit was obtained from the use of pollen supplementation. However, the number of training days bee

missed due to upper respiratory tract infections was much less in the pollen treatment group (4 days) than in the placebo group (27 days).

In a study of longer duration, this difference could lead to an improved performance by the pollen treatment group due to fewer interruptions to training."

The bee pollen supplement used was "Pollen Supertablets" as sold by Health & Diet Food Co. Ltd., Godalming, Surrey, England. It should be noted also that as of the time of this writing, the study is almost 30 years old. Better bee pollen supplements are now available. Such as this one here: bee pollen supplement.

Bee Pollen & Prostate Cancer. This particular study may be of especial interest to men for prostate health is vital especially to those 40 and over. This study is entitled, "A steroid fraction of chloroform extract from bee pollen of Brassica campestris induces apoptosis in human prostate cancer PC-3 cells."

A particular element in bee pollen causes cancer cells to undergo "apoptosis" or self-termination. In other words, something in bee pollen causes cancerous prostate cells to self-terminate while leaving health cells around them unaffected. This is good news.

It's also good news to cancer sufferers notwithstanding prostate cancer is endemic to males only. This study certainly has applicability to women as well regarding its ability to incite cancer cells to undergo self-termination.

This study was published October 1990 and although it is 21 years old as of this writing, its implications are nonetheless very intriguing. In this particular study it says, "There was a statistically significant subjective improvement with Cernilton (69% of the patients) compared with placebo (30%)." Cernilton (pronounced SUR-na-teen) was the pollen extract used.

According to Dr. Ronald Hoffman at http://www.drhoffman.com/page.cfm/200, "Cernilton is a flower pollen extract which is the Swedish name for the pure and natural substance derived from the heart of flower pollen" (para. 1).

So, in truth, this study is not completely on bee pollen, just one of its components cernilton. In the interest of full disclosure, this study here at PubMed.gov, "Cernilton benign prostatic hyperplasia," which was published in 2000 is not as complimentary of Cernilton. However, there are some mitigating factors that should be mentioned.

The study says, "Cernilton did not improve urinary flow rates, residual volume or prostate size compared to placebo or the comparative study agents."

However, look at what is in the reviewer's conclusions: "The Cernilton trials analyzed were limited by short duration, limited number of enrollees, gaps in reported outcomes, and unknown quality of the preparations utilized.

The comparative trials lacked a proven active control. The available evidence suggests Cernilton is well tolerated and modestly improves overall urologic symptoms including nocturia. Additional randomized placebo and active-controlled trials are needed to evaluate the long-term clinical effectiveness and safety of Cernilton."

This study was published in the February 2010 issue of Therapeutic Apheresis and Dialysis. Also, the study was conducted and overseen by Japanese researchers in Japan.

This is obviously serious. Without having read the study in its entirety, I will assume the researchers are completely accurate in their contentions. Does this mean bee pollen should not be taken as a supplement?

No, I don't agree with that premise. While this scientific study's conclusions are self-evident, I would also hasten to add that there are many other clinical studies that show bee pollen as very effective and safe.

One aspect of the study's abstract that irritated me was the statement, "This report serves as an important reminder to the public as well as healthcare providers of the potential of renal failure related to nutritional supplements."

The western medical establishment has tens of thousands of incidents on their credit balance where they harmed people through indifference, wrongful diagnosis, and just outright mistakes.

Pharmaceutical drugs are notorious for having an abundance of side effects many of which are more harmful than the malady it was designed to cure! Western medicine is a great gift to mankind but it has since the 1950s at least been it seems more concerned with making money than actually helping people.

One thing the study does infer is the importance of using quality bee pollen that is proven pharmaceutical-grade quality.

Another lesson to be learned from this man's experience is the need to "cycle" one's usage of bee pollen.

I don't take bee pollen everyday. I'll take it in a sporadic fashion deliberately.

Such a course of action has been recommended in the past by althrnative health researchers and doctors like the now deceased Dr. John R. Christopher who recommended a "six days on, one day off" type of cycling.

He even recommends if people take a particular supplement or even food for six months straight to go a full month without it.

Needless to say, bee pollen can be a great supplement with an abundance of credible studies to back up its enthusiasts claims, but as the incident of the Japanese man attest, it should be used with wisdom and judgment.

You have three options when taking bee pollen essentially: tablet form, capsule form, or the native granule form. Each has their pluses and minuses. The granules, for example, can easily be added to shakes, salads, oatmeal, etc.

Tablets and capsules, though, are very convenient: just swallow the recommended amount with water or juice and you're done.

Xtend Life Natural Energy with NZ Bee Pollen

If you're looking for a good bee pollen supplement in tablet form made in a facility with cGMP-compliant standards that qualifies as a pharmaceutical-grade quality vitamin surpassing even the British Pharmacopoeia standards (which standards exceed even the FDA), I recommend the one I've been using for seven years now -- click on the graphic of the bottle to the left of this paragraph or by clicking here on this link.

It's safe as it's a pharmaceutical-grade quality product and that's important to me.

Okay, if you prefer adding bee pollen granules to your health regime instead of the pill form, I recommend the bee pollen granules found here.

That is 16-ounces of bee pollen granules, though. (It's for only $20.83.) If, however, you prefer to test bee pollen out, this convenient four-ounce bee pollen granules option here is superb and it's only $5.00.

Whatever option you choose, I know you will be satisified. I never recommend anything that I don't personally use.

I hope this bee pollen health research studies web page has been useful to you.