Bee pollen
Mixed flower pollen collected by bees
Bee Medicine. Modern nutrition and Folk & home remedies.
Also called Flower pollen, Pollen pellets
Pinyin: Fēng Huā Fěn
Spanish: Polen de abeja
Can cause severe allergyFlower pollen that worker bees pack into small pellets, sold as a food and supplement.
Did you know? Bees carry pollen on their hind legs in small baskets, called corbiculae, and each pellet's color depends on the flower it came from.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Men's health. A few small studies report better urine flow in men with an enlarged prostate. Results are weak.Traditional proof
- Allergies. Some sellers say it helps hay fever. There is no good evidence for this, and pollen can trigger allergy.Not supported
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Used in European and Chinese folk tonics for energy and general health. Modern use centers on nutrients and prostate claims.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Nutritive, Antioxidant, Tonic. Energy: neutral.
How people take it
Sprinkled on food, mixed into drinks or taken as capsules. Amounts studied vary.
Food, powder and capsule.
Where to get it
Collected by beekeepers using pollen traps at hive entrances. Sold as dried granules or pellets, and as capsules or powder.
Be careful
Serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, have been reported, especially in people with pollen allergy. Contamination with pesticides or microbes is possible.
Avoid if: pollen allergy; bee product allergy; asthma; pregnancy.
Mixing with other things
No specific mixing notes on file. That doesn't prove it's safe with everything; ask a pharmacist about your full list.
The honest take
Bee pollen is a nutritious food with few good human studies. Its prostate and hay fever claims are weak. The main real danger is a severe allergic reaction, especially in people allergic to pollen.