Bee Pollen: A Whole Food Supplement

So last week I put down artificial supplements... so I thought I better be more positive this week! I recently bought some local bee pollen from the nearby health food store. This is why:

**First of all, I want to mention that all of the information summarized below is from peer reviewed published articles. I found the articles on Science Direct or PubMed, which both search for academic papers from many different journals. However, some inferences are mine (marked as *), based on University of Alberta nutrition & science courses.**

Bee pollen has:

• antimicrobial activity
• antimutagenicity properties
• antioxidant activity
• carotenoids (up to 243ug/g of dry bee pollen)
• protein (~20%)
• B vitamins, including vitamin thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), and vitamin B6

However, due to different flowers, soil types, weather and handling methods, there is high variability between different bee pollen samples.

So, what is bee pollen good for then?

• Killing (or stopping the growth of) bugs, especially Gram-positive bacteria
• Possibly prevent DNA mutations or unwanted changes 
• may help prevent cancer*
• May help prevent chronic diseases related to oxidative stress (resulting from too little antioxidants) such as:
• cancer
• autoimmune disorders
• cataracts
• rheumatoid arthritis
• cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases
• Antioxidants found in bee pollen can also help slow down the aging process
• Carotenoids reduce risk of diseases, especially certain cancers and eye diseases
• Protein is a required "macronutrient" for energy, strong hair, supple skin, muscle building, and a strong immune system (among many other functions).*
• B vitamins are highly involved in body metabolism, and should be consumed on a daily basis for good health*

(* = personal inferences based on knowledge from science and nutrition university courses.)


You can probably find bee pollen in your local health food store. However, if you are having trouble finding it, keep in mind that raw honey also contains the pollen! 

Important note: Keep in mind that bee pollen comes from flowers! If you have any allergy to pollen or other environmental allergens, please do not eat this product... Search up nutritional yeast instead for a whole food supplement. :)

References:

Almeida-Muradian, L., Pamplona, L., Coimbra, S., & Barth, O. (n.d.). Chemical composition and botanical evaluation of dried bee pollen pellets. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 105-111.

Arruda, V., Pereira, A., Estevinho, L., & Almeida-Muradian, L. (n.d.). Presence and stability of B complex vitamins in bee pollen using different storage conditions.Food and Chemical Toxicology, 143-148.

Arruda, V., Pereira, A., Freitas, A., Barth, O., & Almeida-Muradian, L. (n.d.). Dried bee pollen: B complex vitamins, physicochemical and botanical composition.Journal of Food Composition and Analysis,100-105.

Johnson, E. (2002). The Role of Carotenoids in Human Health. Nutrition in Clinical Care, 56-65.

Pascoal, A., Rodrigues, S., Teixeira, A., Feás, X., & Estevinho, L. (n.d.). Biological activities of commercial bee pollens: Antimicrobial, antimutagenic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 233-239.

Pham-Huy, L., He, H., & Pham-Huy, C. (2008). Free Radicals, Antioxidants in Disease and Health. Int J Biomed Sci.,4(2), 89-96. Retrieved January 18, 2015, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3614697/

<3 Jessica

My Cold/Flu Remedies

Yesterday I was suddenly plagued with a headache (that lasted all day), general brain fog, a sore throat, decreased appetite, swollen lymph nodes and body aches. I couldn't go to work and slept 12+ hours...
Today, I shook off a mild headache in the morning and am now only stuck with a mild sore throat!

This is what I did to boost my immune system:

1. Obviously, lots and lots of sleep. This allows your body to focus on getting rid of the virus.
2. Oil of oregano water. This essential oil is very potent and has antiviral and antimicrobial properties due to the active ingredient carvacrol. Just put a drop (or two) into a large glass/bottle of water and sip throughout the day. If you don't dilute it enough, the oil of oregano can be extremely unpleasant to drink and burn your throat. Also, fair warning: it will make plastic cups and bottles taste forever "herb-y", especially if you don't rinse right after drinking.
3. Drink more water than usual. The adequate intake of healthy adult women and men, respectively, is 2.7 L/day and 3.7 L/day. To expel the virus and toxins, your body requires more water, so drink plenty of water and teas (chamomile is nice and soothing). Absolutely no coffee or other dehydrating beverages allowed!
4. Drink a glass of organic, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar (ACV) that still has the "mother". Apple cider vinegar can kill off any yeast that may be feeding the infection, help your body maintain an alkaline state, and unpasteurized ACV also provides many useful enzymes and nutrients.
5. Have soup based on (homemade) bone broth. Bone broth provides many nutrients, especially minerals and amino acids, that are easily absorbed and useful for fighting infections. I recently made lots of venison bone broth and have it ready in the freezer.
6. Supplement with immune-enhancing nutrients, such as: zinc, vitamin C, and echinacea. Remember that recommended dietary intakes are based on healthy individuals, and if you are sick, you need more to compensate. I supplemented with both zinc (picolinate) and vitamin C (ascorbic acid).

<3 Jessica