|
Through
the ages, bee gathered pollen has been used as a food, a source
of energy and a cure or preventative for all manner of maladies.
While it is clear that some claims for its remarkable properties
are exaggerated, it remains that pollen is a very wholesome
food, a potent source of essential amino acids (protein) necessary
for the building and maintenance of body tissue and muscle,
a powerful metabolic regulator and a remedy for a host of human
problems. It should be noted however, that a very few people
are allergic to some varieties of pollen. For this reason it
is best to eat only a pinch at first. The symptoms to be aware
of are a burning sensation in the back of the throat and watering
eyes. Pollen is the male germ of the plant world. The pollen
grains themselves are microscopic, haploid germ cells, each
with two nuclei and each capable of affecting fertilization
in a plant of its own species. Physically, pollen is a flour-like
substance which varies widely in color and flavor depending
on the specific floral source. Apricot pollen, for example,
is pea-green in color and sweet tasting while dandelion pollen
is yellow-orange in color and somewhat bitter.
Pollen is the
protein source in the bee's diet, while honey supplies their
carbohydrate requirements. Honeybee-gathered pollen, or bee
pollen, differs from pollen on the flower in that the bee, in
order to facilitate carrying the pollen back to the hive, packs
it into pellets by mixing the dry grains with a tiny bit of
honey. Also important is the fact that bees know and will select
(blend) the most nutritious varieties of pollens. This creates
a well balanced, complete and highly nutritious food. When the
bees enter a hive equipped with a pollen trap, they are directed
through a grid. Some of the pollen pellets are dislodged from
the bees' legs and fall into a drawer below. The bee pollen
is then gathered weekly, carefully screened and Winded, and
immediately until packaging. During the pollen season, (May-September)
pollen is sold fresh directly from the hive. Surplus pollen
is frozen. Out of season, the frozen pollen is sold i n chronological
order.
The bulk of our pollen is gathered from native, wild
flora. Some pollen, however, is from cultivated plants such
as alfalfa, apple or peach. We are extremely careful to avoid
any possibility of contamination in the cultivated sources and
work closely with local growers in order to anticipate pesticide
applications. Nothing is added or taken from our pollen and
it is in no* way altered from the wholesome state in which the
bees gathered it. Bee pollen is a very potent food. Do not overindulge!
Consumption of one or two teaspoons per day is about right for
most people. Those using bee pollen to treat an allergy or malady
such as prostitis may wish to eat a bit more. It should be remembered
that pollen is a food and not a medicine. It is best to eat
just a pinch or two at first and then gradually work up.
It is best to eat pollen along
with other foods. Sprinkle it on salads, mix it with orange
juice, spread on toast with honey, or make your own culinary
delight. Pollen is a perishable food not unlike bread. It may
be kept frozen or refrigerated and, most importantly, it should
be kept dry.
Pollen has been demonstrated to be
highly effective in the treatment of chronic prostitis, bleeding
stomach ulcers, respiratory infections and various allergy reactions.
The bulk of information regarding pollen's curative, preventative,
pharmaceutical and regulatory effects comes from individuals
and the scientific communities of Europe. It is claimed that
pollen is a cure for several types of anemia in that it stimulates
the production of red blood cells. Pollen is an excellent treatment
for chronic constipation. After severe illness or shock pollen
tends to accelerate restoration of weight and strength. Pollen
is a ready supply of muscle building protein for strength and
stamina as many professional and amateur athletes will testify.
Pollen is a powerful natural antibiotic and as such is a preventative
for many bacterial infections such as colds. Pollen has a profound
revitalizing effect on elderly people. Pollen tends to normalize
major metabolic functions, stimulating appetite in the anemic
and curbing it in the obese. Bee pollen has been used very successfully
as an immunizer against wind-born pollen allergies, (hay fever)
by accustoming the allergic person to the tiny amount of wind-born
pollen in the bee pollen. Pollen stimulates and normalizes digestion.
Pollen acts as a mile sedative, having a pleasant, calming effect.
Pollen has been shown to retard aging of the skin.
The following
is a representative analysis of the composition of bee pollen.
The precise composition will vary somewhat depending on the
floral source and local soil types. The following should be
a good rule of thumb: Gross composition of dry matter; Ash (minerals)
- 4%, Carbohydrate - 40%, Fiber - 7%, Lipid - 4%, Protein -
45% (as compared to 15% for a T-bone steak or 13% for a whole
egg.) Free amino acids; alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, glutamic
acid, glycine, histine, seucine/isoleucine, lysine, methionine,
phenylaianine, proline/hydroxyproline, tyrocine, valine. Pollen
contains all 8 essential amino acids, those which the body is
unable to biosynthesize, in a very favorable proportion for
human consumption. Pollen also contains ash (major minerals),
potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, sulfur,
water (trace minerals), aluminum, boron, chlorine, copper, iodine,
iron, manganese, nickel, silicon, titanium and zinc. Pollen
contains the B-Vitamins 2, 3, 6 and 12, as well as Vitamins
C, E, H, i.e., riboflavin, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid,
pyridoxine, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, biotin, plus at least
11 caratenoids (Vitamin A), and 8 flavinoids. Pollen also contains
the nucleic acids DNA and RNA a wide variety of enzymes and
a host of other components.
The list of pollen's qualities is long, indeed. A growing number
of people are becoming aware of the benefits of adding this powerful
protein and vitamin supplement to their diet. When you consume
a teaspoon full of pollen, you are eating some 2.5 billion pollen
grains. Please enjoy every one of them.
*R.G. Stanley, Pollen: biology, biochemistry, management,
Berlin, Springer-Vergiag, 1974.
|
