pollen

What is flower pollen?

Flower pollen (pollen) is the male element of plant reproduction. It is a natural, high-quality, nutritious, concentrated, and, most importantly, biologically active food product. The miraculous substance that flowers produce under the influence of the sun, comes to our table with the help of industrious bees. Therefore, we can say that pollen is a useful food product for both bees and humans.

Composition of flower pollen

Pollen contains proteins, sugars, fats, mineral salts and almost all possible vitamins, enzymes, phytohormones and phytoncides – natural antibiotics. In total, more than 250 active biochemical compounds have been found.

Thanks to numerous studies, it became known that pollen contains 27 metals and non-metals:

• Sodium, potassium, titanium, nickel, vanadium, zirconium, beryllium, zinc, lead, silver, tin, gallium, strontium, barium, magnesium, molybdenum, copper, calcium, iron, manganese, uranium and aluminum;

• Silicon, boron, chromium, phosphorus and arsenic.

The most common are 3 minerals:

Their ratio is carefully balanced by nature, so pollen can be used in the treatment of a large number of different diseases. The beneficial properties of flower pollen can be explained by the fact that the content of nutrients in it significantly exceeds their content in honey. The protein content in flower pollen ranges from 7 to 30%, and it is worth noting that this is several times more than in any other food product.

Pollen contains 10 amino acids that the human body itself does not produce, but they must be supplied with food. At its core, flower pollen is a natural concentrate of amino acids, which makes it possible to correct the errors of the current human diet, allows you to increase the rate of recovery of tissue proteins when there is a decrease in the content of animal proteins in the diet. Nowadays, many food products are refined, and after heat treatment they are deprived of most of the important substances, including amino acids. Filling this gap is especially important for the elderly.

Pollen contains a lot of natural carbohydrates, combined with a wide range of minerals and trace elements, so it is an ideal source of energy for the body, and does not cause any harm, unlike refined sugars.

Pollen also contains vitamin P, which, due to its properties, helps to strengthen the walls of capillaries, and also increases the resistance of the immune system to various infections.

It is known that flower pollen contains rare biologically active substances:

• Phospholipid (lecithin);

• Ethanolamine phosphoglycerides (cephalin);

• Inositol phosphoglycerides;

• Phosphatidylserine

All of the above components are part of the semi-permeable membranes of the cells of the human body, they quite selectively regulate the flow of ions, at the same time they are actively involved in metabolism.

The content of phytosterols in pollen is very high: approximately 0,6-1,6%; among them, one of the most prominent places is occupied by 3-phytosterol, which acts as an anti-atherosclerotic agent, and is also a cholesterol antagonist in the human body (How to lower cholesterol at home without drugs?).

Pollen contains lipids and paraffinic carbohydrates, such as:

• Heptacosan;

• Nonokosan;

• Tricosan;

• Pentacosane

Scientists have noted that the pollen of all plant species contains carotenoids (from about 0,66 to 212,5 mg per 100 g of dry matter), which are converted in the human body into vitamin A and vitamin C.

[Video] Briefly about pollen, what it is and why you need to eat it:

pollen contraindications

When pollen is ingested, allergic reactions are very rare. As a rule, such reactions are associated with the fact that the pollen is contaminated with the remnants of the chitinous shell of insects. It’s almost like having an allergic reaction to fake honey mixed with sugar. Allergic reactions to pollen are detected in only 1-5% of people, and pollen is contraindicated only for them.

It should be noted that hypersensitivity manifests itself less often to pollen and bee bread fermented by bees than to pollen collected from the plants themselves. There is an opinion that the addition of nectar and secretion of the glands of bees is good at destroying pollen allergens.

If you take pollen mixed with honey, allergic reactions are possible, which manifest themselves in the form of severe itching of the skin, headache, runny nose, watery eyes, and other things. Before you start using pollen for medicinal purposes (just like any other bee product), you must conduct at least 1 test for allergic reactions of the body.

Despite the fact that pollen is an excellent medicine, due to its unique composition, it is necessary to observe the dosage of the intake. It must be remembered that the excessive use of flower pollen can cause various negative reactions, the consequences of which are unpredictable.

You can not take flower pollen later than 19-20 hours, due to the fact that it has a tonic property and can disrupt a person’s normal sleep. In severe forms of diabetes, pollen should not be mixed with honey.

Conclusion

Bee pollen is a real storehouse of the most valuable vitamins, mineral compounds, antioxidants, which makes it useful for most people.

Multiple studies have shown that pollen can help reduce symptoms of inflammation, boost immune function, relieve menopausal symptoms, and speed up the healing of wounds and thermal damage to the skin. Most of the results are still classified as preliminary, since a significant part of the experiments were carried out on laboratory animals. At present, studies involving people have been initiated to fully study all the properties of bee pollen.

Most experts are of the opinion that pollen can be a great addition to your daily diet. It is best to buy pollen at local apiaries or farm shops.