Pollen, a Blessing and a Curse: By Dr Damiana Corca

Pollen can trigger different reactions in people. While allergic sufferers might have a fit only at the sound of this word, others might be quite excited by the potential opportunity of enriching their diet with a high nutrient food. After all, would you say no to an energy-boosting and totally healthy food?

The irony is that while inhaled pollen can trigger allergic reactions in some people, if ingested it can actually treat allergies. How can that be? Well, strange as it might seem, the explanation is simple. The body reacts differently when the pollen intake is achieved through the digestive system instead of the respiratory system.

Let’s now talk about the interesting way bees gather the pollen. I bet you did not imagine that bees mix the pollen with their saliva and stick it to the back of their legs to carry it back to the hive and feed it to the male honey bees. No wonder bees are known to be some of the best workers. Those tiny legs, almost imperceptible to the human eye, must carry so many loads to make one single grain. We should always keep this in mind and prize every little grain of bee pollen, as it is the fruit of such a tremendous and tireless effort! It’s not for nothing that we use the phrase busy as a bee to describe a tireless person.

Bee pollen is commonly used to boost energy and this shouldn’t come as a surprise as it is sometimes called the perfect food containing almost all the essential nutrients our body needs. Proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins – pollen has it all, to honor the beauty of plants and the industriousness of bees. Pollen can give a real boost to your energy when time seems to be shrinking and lower energy levels kick in.

Another common usage of bee pollen is to promote longevity. Pollen has been found to contain this protective coat with such a tremendous power that has kept intact some 200 million years bee pollen grains attached to a rock. That definitely rocks! Thank goodness bee and human saliva provides the appropriate enzymes for the pollen to be digested, otherwise we would be long gone while the bee pollen we ingested would still be there even after millions of years.

Finally, let’s talk about the beautiful quality of bee pollen as a remedy for allergies. Don’t you hate when allergies keep you arrested away from nature because of the continuous sneezing, runny nose and even headaches? Instead of our common Allegra, why not try something different this year. Just start taking a few granules of bee pollen and work your way up to two teaspoonfuls a day and when the allergy season comes in you might be quite surprised to see that nature is not your enemy anymore. Bee pollen seems to be working by strengthening the immune system and desensitizing the body of common allergens. However, some people can be allergic to bee pollen itself so if you have ever had anaphylactic shock you should exercise caution and consult a health care provider before introducing it to your diet.

I think these are enough reasons pleading the case of bee pollen. If you really wish to buzz around with new forces, think about introducing bee pollen into your daily diet!

More on my blog: www.elitehealthplex.blogspot.com

Damiana Corca, DOM, AP, Dipl. O.M., Dipl. C.H.

Doctor of Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture Physician

Board Certified in Oriental Medicine

Board Certified in Chinese Herbology

Western Family and Consultant Herbalist

Candidate, Board Certified Classical Homeopath