We know all about the various health benefits that come with the use of honey, but bee pollen is another product from bees that may have a lot of benefits as well. Bee pollen has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, it can strengthen the immune system and may assist with losing weight in a safe and effective manner. Bee pollen also contains a large amount of protein, along with vitamins and minerals that can assist with exercise recovery and energy. So if you’re looking to improve your quality of health and drop some pounds along the way, you may well benefit from using bee pollen on a regular basis.
What is Bee Pollen?
Bees collect pollen from the flower of a plant and bring the pollen back to its hive. After being placed in one or more of the cells in the hive by the worker bees, the pollen will be mixed with saliva, honey and wax. A chemical reaction starts to occur as lactic acid from the saliva will result in the pollen fermenting. The fermentation process will result in a product that contains amino acids, protein, healthy bacteria, vitamins and minerals. In a single tablespoon of bee pollen, there is more than 2.5 billion pieces of pollen. Interestingly, no two will have the exact same composition.
The Properties of Bee Pollen
The most beneficial properties of bee pollen are said to include its ability to decrease inflammation, boost the immune system and provide antioxidant effects. While these benefits can potentially treat and prevent a number of health issues, you can also tap into its super powers for assistance with weight loss. Recovery can happen at a much faster rate after workouts when you’re using a natural anti-inflammatory on a regular basis. Antioxidants from bee pollen polyphenols and flavonoids can reduce the amount of soreness and fatigue that you feel after a workout.
Increasing Physical Stamina and Metabolism Function With Bee Pollen
Bee pollen may have a positive impact on how the body can perform under physical stress. You can add it to a smoothie or take a bee pollen capsule for a boost in performance. Regular exercise can keep metabolism functioning at a high rate, and bee pollen may also support your metabolism with its rich antioxidant content. When your metabolism is functioning optimally, you burn more calories at work, play or even when at rest. Physical activity is a key component of weight loss, so it’s important that you have the endurance and stamina that you need to complete a workout.
Bee Pollen Weight Loss during Menopause
Around the age of 40, a woman will start to go through some hormonal changes relating to menopause. These fluctuations in hormones will often cause a shift in how weight is lost or gained. It becomes harder to lose weight for many women, and many women fear that they’re losing their ability to maintain a healthy body. The emotional changes that come with menopause can be very challenging, which often causes a woman to overeat or eat the wrong foods. Anxiety and depression are a very real concern during menopause. Bee pollen has the potential to relieve a number of symptoms relating to menopause, so health and fitness can remain a high priority. Being able to naturally balance your hormones can help with weight loss, but also have the potential for preventing a number of hormone-related conditions and cancers.
Nutritional Deficiencies
You may be eating what you think is a well-rounded diet, and you’re still perplexed by why you can’t lose weight. Weight loss isn’t just about limiting what you eat and watching the numbers on the scale go down. Your body needs all of the nutrients that it needs. Otherwise you’ll find yourself experiencing unhealthy cravings. It’s important to have an adequate amount of protein with each of your meals (bee pollen has about 1.2 grams of protein in each tablespoon). While bee pollen isn’t going to be your single source of protein, it can be a nice compliment.
Bee pollen also contains other nutrients that are necessary for a well rounded diet. There are over 250 different biologic substances in bee pollen. This includes high levels of B2, B3 and B5. The B vitamins can help you boost your energy and keep your stamina high. They also help improve your mood and level of motivation when you have to work out.
The Process of Selecting Bee Pollen
Bee pollen weight loss products can contain a large array of ingredients, so it’s important that you look at everything you’ll be consuming before you purchase a product. Stay away from products that contain artificial ingredients, excessive fillers, coloring, etc. Freeze-drying is the best way to process the bee pollen for encapsulation - never heat. It will ensure that there isn’t a loss of nutrients. Think about how you want to consume your bee pollen. Capsules and tablets are great if you want easy and fast consumption with fast results. Granules and powder can be added to smoothies, beverages or food if this is how you would prefer to take it.
Storing Your Bee Pollen
Storing your bee pollen is a lot like storing honey. It’s very stable at room temperature, and the antibacterial properties of bee pollen make it able to naturally keep itself preserved in your pantry. Most bee pollen products will recommend that you keep them in a cool and dry location. Always check a new product to see what is recommended for storage before you stash it away somewhere.
Dosage Information for Weight Loss
There isn’t a recommended dose of bee pollen that has been approved by the FDA, but a typical dose is around 1/2 of a teaspoon to 1 full teaspoon once daily, but the dose can be increased to a maximum amount of 6 teaspoons daily. It’s a good idea to start with a small dose until you see how well you can tolerate bee pollen. Bee products like royal jelly and bee pollen have been known to cause allergic reactions in susceptible individuals. Though negative side effects are rare, starting out with a very low dose is a good idea if you’re new to these products. If you’re using bee pollen for weight loss, you should check with your doctor before starting a bee pollen regimen or weight loss program.
A body mass index of 25 to 29.9 indicates that a person is overweight. Anything that is over 30 indicates that a person is obese. Being overweight or obese can put you at risk of developing diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease and it can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. If your doctor has informed you that you should lose weight, it’s important to come up with a healthy way to drop some pounds. Crash diets and starving yourself isn’t the way to go if you want to safely lose weight that will stay off over a long term period of time. A combination of exercise and a healthy diet is beneficial. You can also use safe supplements to help support your natural weight loss plan.
