Do bees have a health secret that will make you healthier and live longer? The promoters of bee pollen want us to believe that there is something magical about this substance. Thanks to good advertising, many people think that it will improve their sports performance and give them more energy. The truth is, they’re better off chasing bees than swallowing this crap!
Part of the allure of pollen is the air of mystery that surrounds it. It is said to contain protein, vitamins, sugar (the main ingredient), fat, carbohydrates, and enzymes. The amounts of these substances vary in different products, making it difficult to assess their actual nutritional value.
To complete the charade, the makers of these questionable products often refer to “Russian studies” or “secret documents” to back up their outlandish claims. But it is no secret among experts that pollen cannot cure hair loss, forgetfulness, alcoholism, eye problems or diabetes as its promoters claim.
Some pollen pushers even go so far as to suggest that pollen can make you live longer as long as you take it every day. Not a bad sales pitch. But for consumers, this is less than suicidal, as some people can suffer life-threatening allergic reactions when eating pollen, according to Dr. Jack Yetiv in Popular Nutrition Practices: Sense and Nonsense.
“In addition to containing pollen from various types of flowers, the products are often contaminated with insects and their debris and eggs,” Kurt Butler and Dr. Lynn Rayner of the University of Hawaii added in The Best Medicine.
To help you sort fact from fiction, here are other claims made by pollen pushers followed by the facts:
CLAIM: It has been estimated that bee pollen contains more than 5,000 enzymes and coenzymes, many times more than any other food. Only bee pollen contains all known enzymes
in perfect proportion and perfect balance.
FACT: Although enzymes are necessary to digest food and synthesize tissue, they are found abundantly in the body. Therefore, taking pollen is a waste of money.
“The body makes all the enzymes we need, even when the diet is as poor as in some developing countries, so taking more is pointless,” Arnold Bender said in Health or Hoax?
Second, human enzymes are different from those extracted by chemical processes from animal and plant tissues, such as pollen. This means that the body will not be able to use the bee pollen no matter how much you swallow.
CLAIM: Pollen is the finest, most perfect food: a giant germ killer in which bacteria simply cannot exist.
FACT: This is not true as pollen can harbor many germs. Mark Bricklin, executive editor of Prevention magazine, which promotes natural medicine, said “there is no industry or government standard for pollen purity.”
More statements and facts about pollen in the second part of this series. To strengthen your body, take Immunitril, your first line of defense in maintaining a healthy immune system. For more information, visit http://www.bodestore.com/immunitril.html.
