Bee pollen, propolis and royal jelly are all products of bee hives.
Bee pollen, propolis and royal jelly are all bee-derived ingredients that are often marketed as traditional medicines. While all three come from beehives, they are produced and used in different ways by bees. Claims about their effects on human health are controversial and the research on their efficacy is inconsistent.
Production
Bee pollen is pollen from flowers that sticks to bees' bodies, combined with plant nectar and bee saliva. The insects use it as a food source for male drones.
Propolis, also known as bee glue, is a resinous substance the bees collect from tree buds and use to seal cracks in the hive.
Royal jelly is secreted from the salivary glands of worker bees and fed to bee larvae.
Medicinal Claims
Bee pollen is promoted as a nutritional supplement that is said to improve athletic stamina. It is also used to treat a range of conditions, including constipation, aging and wound healing.
Propolis is marketed as an anti-inflammatory with anti-tumor and anti-oxidant characteristics.
Royal jelly has been studied for many of the same uses as bee pollen and propolis and is additionally considered capable of effecting lipid profiles and having neurological and estrogenical effects.
Research
Claims of bee pollen's nutritional benefits have not been verified by scientific research.
Royal jelly has been observed to have some of its alleged affects, but it has not been vigorously tested in clinical trials.
Propolis has presented antimicrobial and anti-tumor properties in laboratory tests, but it has likewise not been subjected to large-scale clinical trials.
Critics also warn that all three products could cause potentially dangerous allergic reactions.
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