Top Rank Antioxidant
New studies show bee pollen has the highest antioxidant activity of whole foods
by Lyle Hurd, editor
 he substances of the beehive have held a revered place throughout history among the ancient
cultures of Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, the Middle East and the
Slavic and Native American peoples.
Beehive substances have been mentioned in
virtually every religious text ever written
including the Bible, the Torah, the Koran
and the Scrolls of the Orient.
The production of pollen by a plant is an
extraordinary, powerful step in the food
chain. Primal forces of nature are harnessed
inside the tiny pollen grain. Bees collect
pollen from the flowers and mix it with
their nectar, transforming it into a nutrientdense,
natural super food (a single granule
of bee pollen contains 300,000 to 500,000
pollen grains). The bioactive ingredients
found in bee pollen number in the thousands.
These include enzymes, carotenoids,
essential fatty acids, free amino acids, natural
chelated minerals, whole vitamin complexes,
lipids and trace elements, as well as
phenols and polyphenols, which are significant
contributors to antioxidants in the
human body.
Even though beehive products have been
used since ancient times as dietary supplements,
in modern times the perception that
beehive products promote health, due to
their nutritionally beneficial compounds,
has increasingly come under attack. This
skepticism has been particularly due to the
lack of scientific studies examining the issue.
However, today laboratory techniques
have been developed that make it easier to
study the beneficial effects and the nutritional
make up of natural substances.
The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) test is an emerging standard
by which science measures antioxidant
activity in foods and natural supplements.
Antioxidants are important to
protect the body’s cells from
damage caused by free radicals
(reactive oxygen species). Cell
membranes are susceptible to free
radicals because they are largely
composed of fatty acids (lipid
bilayer). Polyunsaturated fatty
acids are particularly susceptible
to free-radical-mediate oxidation
because of their unique structure.
Cell membrane damage due to
oxidation of fatty acid membrane
components (lipid peroxidation)
can lead to the disruption of the
function and structure of whole
cells. Furthermore, for good
health it is important to maintain
normal levels of lipid peroxidation
of lipoproteins.
Dietary antioxidants, or free radical-scavengers, may play a preventive role in protecting a person’s health. High levels of antioxidant activity, as determined by ORAC, have been found to be present in blueberries and black raspberries.
When the ORAC scores of these berries
became known, annual consumption of those
fruits increased dramatically. Berries became
famous as the foods possessing the most
antioxidant activity of all the whole foods. The
highest ORAC scores for wild blueberries is
listed at 61 ORAC units (umole TE/g). Black
raspberries scored higher at 164 ORAC units.
Recently High Desert Bee Pollen (a proprietary
ingredient of the CC Pollen Company)
was tested for ORAC by Brunswick
Laboratories, a leading analytical services company
specializing in antioxidant capacity
measurement and antioxidant activity (see
graph). According to Boxin Ou, principal
research scientist at Brunswick, the result of
247 ORAC units is the highest score ever
recorded for any whole food.
Brunswick Laboratories is currently conducting
ongoing research to identify the individual
properties of the components in the
pollen which contribute to the potent antioxidant
value of this particular product. Brunswick
Laboratories is also conducting concurrent
research on CC Pollen Bee Propolis.
Certain laboratories are now also measuring the polyphenol content of foods and supplements.
Polyphenols, as a class of nutrients, include bioflavonoids, organic acids and phenolic acids. Most of the antioxidant activity of a food is created by polyphenols. Polyphenols have been extensively studied in regard to their antioxidant activity and healthpromoting biological activities. Generally, total polyphenol content is regarded as a measure of the health-promoting qualities of a whole food.
When tested for total polyphenol content High Desert Bee Pollen also showed the highest polyphenol content of any of the foods tested.
In order to explore the practical implications of the findings of the High Desert Bee Pollen studies to health conscious consumers, we consulted some respected authorities in the field of nutritional sciences.
Alexander G. Schauss, Ph.D., is the director of Natural and Medicinal Products Research, Life Sciences Division and president of the American Institute for Biosocial and Medical Research, Inc., in Tacoma, Washington. Over the past 30 years of being involved in nutrition and botanical medicine Dr. Schauss has been recognized for numerous outstanding achievements in both the private and public sectors. Dr. Schauss is the author/coauthor of more then 125 papers and
scientific works. His forthcoming book, with coauthor Laura Frank, Ph.D., R.D., is about the
treatment of obesity.
Dr. Schauss:
There has been a great deal of research done for many years on bee pollen, not only by individuals in the apiary community in the U.S. but all over the world. There are thousands of
studies that have been published in numerous countries looking at the nutritional composition
of bee pollen and bee propolis. The literature is very rich in this area. You can literally
find them in the U.S.D.A. libraries throughout the U.S.
High Desert Bee Pollen measured what no
other bee pollen research had done before. It
looked at the ORAC value. And frankly I found
it quite remarkable that the ORAC assay outcome
was significantly higher than the fruits
and vegetables included in the study. This is
very promising quantifiable data that documents
the actual antioxidant potential of the
food. However, we should also stress that this
research was conducted on the specific High
Desert Bee Pollen formula perfected over 20
years of identifying which pollen strains
deliver the highest nutritional values. Data
cannot be projected to other processed bee
pollens. There can be significant variations in
composition in bee pollen and propolis
products.
We also need to consider that the reality is
that most consumers of food today are getting
far less of the compounds and constituents
found in fruits and vegetables which
researchers believe play a vital role in the prevention
of numerous diseases, especially those
that are related to aging, such as cancer, coronary
vascular disease and diabetes. As a result,
we are looking at how we can provide them
convenient vehicles for getting some of the
constituents found in these foods, such as phenols
and polyphenols, which are significant
contributors to antioxidant activity in the
human body, and delivering them in a manner
that is efficacious, reasonable and affordable. I
think this is where products like bee pollen
and bee propolis can make a significant contribution,
particularly from a weight and volume
standpoint. If an individual either can’t or
won’t consume the necessary quantities of
food, the option of taking two tablets three
times a day and receiving the same compounds
and constituents they need to assist the body
in maintaining optimum health is an important
option.
C. Leigh Broadhurst, Ph.D., is a physical
and analytical geochemist and an expert in the
design and operation of chemical research laboratories.
She is a research scientist at the U.S.
Department of Agricultural Research Service,
Beltsville, Maryland. Her work in the field of
polyunsaturated fat nutrition is fundamental
to understanding the causes and natural cures
for asthma.
Dr. Broadhurst is also president of 22nd
Century Nutrition, a corporate/personal
nutrition and scientific consulting company.
Her books include Health and Healing with
Bee Products (alive books, 2000) and The Whole
Family Guide to Natural Asthma Relief (Avery,
2002).
Dr. Broadhurst:
Bee pollen preserves an element of nature
which is virtually nonexistent in horticultural
produce today. Many of the phytochemicals
are bitter and not that pleasing to our palates.
For instance, there are a number of beneficial
flavonoids in citrus peel. The white pith of the
orange delivers the highest antioxidant potential
in the fruit. Citrus extract was one of the
first bioflavonoids sold. However the current
trend is to grow produce to be larger, sweeter
and milder. In doing this we have bred down
the concentration of phytochemicals.
Consequently we have to look to supplementing
with herbal products to bring them
back to levels in the diets that evolved in our
eating preferences.
Bee pollen bypasses these considerations.
Pollen doesn’t fall into the category of iceberg
lettuce, oranges, orange juice, blueberries and
strawberries. It provides phytochemicals that
are in higher concentrations by far than any
type of produce. No matter what it may be,
you are not going to achieve the concentration
and variety delivered in bee pollen. Bee pollen
is comprised of the male reproductive spore of
the plant. It is filled with components
designed to grow it into a mature, healthy
plant. Also the pollen needs to constantly
evolve to conquer the increasing toxicity in its
environment. Due to the vulnerability of the
organism, these embryonic cells are highly
concentrated in antioxidants, which can protect
against losing the plant and a generation
in nature.
There are obviously many reasons for consuming individual produce. I include bee pollen in the broad scope of produce. It is a quick, pleasant and easy to obtain serving of fruits and vegetables. It is derived from a broad spectrum of plants; one granule can provide up to half million pollen spores. Due to its complement of plant sex organs it is also very high in phytosterols; we are currently looking closely at the role of phytosterols and in lowering cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. The ORAC testing, which confirms the antioxidant potential of high desert bee pollen, is a positive confirmation of bee pollen potential as a valuable nutrient for establishing and maintaining human health.
Ongoing research into benefits of the compounds and components of bee pollen and bee propolis can only help us even better understand the science behind the wonders of bee pollen extolled by inhabitants of countless cultures over the past tens of thousands of years.
What’s in Bee Pollen?
Bee pollen is packed with many different nutrients: amino acids, antibiotic factors, DNA/RNA, enzymes, glucosides, hormones, minerals, vitamins and other ingredients not determined yet.
Amino Acids/Protein. There are 22 amino acids in bee pollen, including all of the essential ones in highly concentrated amounts, making it an extremely usable and complete
protein. Weight for weight it is higher in protein than steak, eggs or cheese, without large
amounts of fat.
Antioxidants. Being rich in phytochemicals, including flavonoids, carotenes and phytosterols,bee pollen provides a host of important antioxidants including lycopene, selenium, quercetin and beta carotene.
Antibiotic Factors. Bee pollen has the capacity to regulate intestinal bacteria, thereby neutralizing toxic wastes and improving blood health.
DNA/RNA (or deoxyribonucleic acid and ribonucleic acid) carries the genetic coding of the plants from which the bees found it. It is found in pollen since pollen is the part of the plant responsible for reproduction.
Enzymes. Rich in enzymes, pollen therefore promotes improved metabolism and
digestion. It contains 18 different enzymes including amylase, diastase, phosphatase, pepsin and trypsin. Enzymes are necessary for all bodily functions and because bee pollen is such a rich source, it greatly assists the body. Glucosides are natural sugars that are involved in the creation of energy in the body. One main glucoside is rutin, which is important for its ability to help capillary walls resist infection, improve heart function and respiration, promote better healing and coagulation and control hypertension by regulating blood flow.
Hormones. Pollen contains plant hormones that activate and assist the body’s own
endocrine glands to allow them to function better. This is especially true for men since can also lead to an increased sperm count.
Minerals. There are 27 different minerals in pollen including calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium as well as: boron, chlorine, copper, iodine, molybdenum, phosphorus, selenium, silicon, sodium, sulfur, titanium and zinc.
Vitamins. All known vitamins, from A to K, are found in concentrated amounts in bee pollen. They are provitamin A, B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (group pyridoxine), B9 (folic acid), B12 (cyanocobalamin), biotin, choline, inositol,
vitamins C, D, E, K and rutin.
Bee pollen even contains vitamin B12 which is rarely found in plants or their products. It is essential for metabolism of fat, carbohydrates and protein, as well as blood cell and bone marrow formation and for healthy skin and nervous system. With all the other vitamins present, it therefore makes an excellent addition to the diet to ensure healthy functioning of all bodily processes.
|
|
