Young bees spend a large percentage of their days visiting hundreds of flowers in search of deliciously sweet nectar found in the stamens of plants. However, something which is less commonly known is that bees also do this in order to collect pollen. Only the female worker bees of the hive are able to fulfil this role as they have specially adapted hairs on their legs to transport the pollen. On re-entrance to their hives, the bees mix the pollen, nectar and some saliva to form pollen spindles. These act as a primary food source for their colonies.
However, there is an explanation… By ingesting a small amount of bee pollen each day, this exposes the immune system to small doses of it, with the aim of desensitising your body to it. Over-time this has been proven to reduce allergic reactions to the pollen, hence lessening one’s symptoms.
In order to have the best chance of success in using bee pollen as a natural hay fever remedy, it is recommended to start the process early, a good few months before hay fever season truly kicks in. This will then give your body enough time to adapt and de-sensitise to the pollen, before it starts to be prevalent in the air. In addition, if possible, it is advised to try and source local bee pollen. Individuals are often allergic to a specific type of pollen and so local bee pollen is more likely to be from the same tree or flower as the one you are allergic to.
Although some people enjoy the crunch and slight bitterness of bee pollen, the flavour is not for everyone… Luckily there are other ways of secretly incorporating it into your diet! We have just released a new Beeble Chocolate Bar which is enriched with bee pollen grains. This adds a subtle crunch to the texture, without compromising on the delicious, Peruvian aromas of the chocolate.
Ultimately it is a chocolate bar which is actually good for you! The perfect excuse to eat chocolate every day…
Written by Hester
