How to Use Bee Pollen? 3 Cool Uses and 4 Key Benefits

So, what is bee pollen?

Bees collect pollen from several plants. This pollen becomes a source of food for bee colonies in the form of minerals, proteins, and fats. 

Bee pollen may also consist of other compounds like honey, enzymes, nectar, and bee wax.

Now, to answer your question.

3 Main Uses of Bee Pollen

You can use bee pollen in the following ways:

1. In food & natural dietary supplements

2. In skin softening products

3. As an energy tonic

4 Benefits of Consuming Bee Pollen

You can find bee pollen granules at health stores. You could also buy it from your local beekeeper.

Did you know that bee pollen has very rich nutritional value?

Before we dive into the benefits, let’s discuss how exactly you can consume bee pollen.

1. You must soak bee pollen granules for 2-3 hours before consuming them. Either that, or you could grind them into powder and then mix it with honey or yogurt. 

2. Another convenient way to take bee pollen is through tablets or capsules.

Remember, make sure to avoid bee pollen products if you’ve got any allergies. Some bee pollen dangers include itching, swelling, and shortness of breath. Do check with your provider before consuming them.

Some health benefits of consuming bee pollen are:

1. Protection From Chronic Diseases

Bee pollen is loaded with antioxidants. These antioxidants can protect the body against diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cancer.

Additionally, bee pollen is also said to help eliminate bacteria, reduce chronic inflammation, and fight the spread of tumors.

These antioxidants also make bee pollen good for the skin. How to use bee pollen for skin? You can use it as a moisturizer, face mask, or even in soap! Bee pollen benefits for skin include anti-aging, lightening, and hydrating.

2. Improvement of Liver Function

Some animal studies have shown that bee pollen may enhance liver detoxifying abilities.

A few other animal studies showed that bee pollen safeguards the liver against toxic substances and drug overdoses.

3. Reduction of PMS Symptoms

According to a study, 71% of women noticed an improvement in menopausal symptoms after taking bee pollen.

And as per another study, 65% of women experienced lesser hot flashes upon using bee pollen supplements. They also observed other health improvements like better sleep, and improved mood and energy.

4. Healing of Wounds

Because bee pollen has anti-inflammatory properties, it can aid wound healing.

As per an animal study, it was seen that applying bee pollen-infused balm on a burn improved healing over commonly-used medicines.

PS: Since all studies have been conducted on animals, the effectiveness of bee pollen is still not completely guaranteed. 

How Long Does Fresh Bee Pollen Last?

If stored in the refrigerator, fresh bee pollen can last up to 1 year. And if kept in the freezer, it will last up to 2 years. 

If not stored in the freezer or refrigerator, it’ll only be good for a few days. So, remember to store it in the fridge as soon as you can!

How Much Bee Pollen to Take Daily?

It’s best to take only a few granules of bee pollen at a time.

If it’s your first time consuming it, I suggest you take 2-3 bee pollen granules every day for 1 week. After that one week, you could gradually increase your bee pollen consumption by 4-5 granules per day.

Make sure to listen to your body. Not everyone can consume the same amount of bee pollen per day. If your immune system seems to be getting disturbed, reduce your intake until you’re comfortable enough to increase it again.

Will Consuming Bee Pollen Help You Lose Weight?

Nope, it doesn’t. It does provide some nutritional support though.

Bee pollen has received the false reputation of aiding in weight loss. This is probably because, back in 2013, Classic Zi Xiu Tang Bee Pollen Capsules were observed to help reduce weight. 

It was then found that those were laced with an illegal weight loss drug. Yikes.

Read more about this here.

5 Must-Try Bee Pollen Recipes

1. Chocolate & Mango Protein Smoothie

Ingredients:

Greek yogurt

Fresh mango chunks

Almond butter

Cacao

Bee pollen

Chia seeds

Instructions:

1. Mix chia seeds with water in a bowl. Stir well. Let it soak for 5 minutes so that it forms a thick texture.
2. Blend your mango chunks, Greek yogurt, and almond butter until you have a creamy-looking smoothie.
3. Add your soaked chia seeds to this smoothie and blend it all. Store it in the fridge, and serve after sprinkling some bee pollen powder on it!

2. Goji Berry & Banana Almond Milk Smoothie

Ingredients:

Goji berry

Bananas

Almond milk

Orange

Bee pollen

Agave nectar

Instructions:

1. Soak your Goji berries for 10 minutes; drain the water and transfer them to a food processor bowl.
2. Peel your oranges and bananas and chop them into cubes and chips respectively.
3. Transfer your fruit to a food processor bowl and stir with agave nectar.
4. Add in your almond milk and blend all your ingredients until you have a smooth texture. 
5. Finally, top your smoothie with some bee pollen powder, and you’re done!

3. Banana Lemon Smoothie

Ingredients:

Watermelon

Ginger

Cantaloupe melon

Lemon juice

Mint leaves

Flaxseeds

Bee pollen

Coconut water

Bananas

Instructions:

1. Mix sliced bananas with lemon juice.
2. Blend chopped watermelon, cantaloupe melon, and coconut water into a smooth mixture.
3. Add in your ginger powder, ground flaxseeds, bee pollen and mint leaves to the mixture, and blend everything. Store it in the fridge and serve!

4. Yogurt Acai Oatmeal

Ingredients:

Apple

Bee pollen

Kiwi fruit

Acai berry powder

Dates

Water

Vanilla extract

Oats

Greek yogurt

Bananas

Instructions:

1. Mix oats with boiling water. Let the mixture thicken.
2. Add vanilla extract, Greek yogurt, and chopped dates to the above mixture.
3. Take some more yogurt and mix it with your acai berry powder in a bowl.
4. Add your acai yogurt to your oats mixture, and top this mixture with apple, sliced kiwi, bananas, and bee pollen!

5. Blueberry & Bee Pollen Pancakes

Ingredients:

Blueberries

Salt

Oat flour

Eggs

Maple syrup

Strawberries

Vanilla extract

Buckwheat flour

Almond milk

Baking powder

Bee pollen

Soy yogurt

Instructions:

1. Separate egg whites from the yolk, and whip your egg whites with salt.
2. Whisk the yolks in another bowl and add buckwheat flour, oat flour, baking powder, almond milk, and vanilla extract.
3. Combine the egg whites with the above batter.
4. Pour your prepared pancake batter onto a non-stick pan over medium heat.
5. Sprinkle the raw side of your pancake with blueberries, and flip it over until it’s golden brown.
6. Garnish your pancakes with maple syrup, strawberries, blueberries, and bee pollen.

I hope you’ve found this article on bee pollen to be useful!

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