Bee Pollen and Stress
Bee pollen-Cope more easily with stress
Can Bee Pollen Help You Cope with Stress?
Can Bee Pollen Help You Cope with Stress?
Bee pollen is one of nature’s miracle foods. Collected by bees from various flowering plants and kept in hives as food for bee larvae, bee pollen is abundant in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other nutrients essential to life. Research suggests that bee pollen can improve stamina and energy levels, help with weight control, strengthen the immune system, build resistance to allergies, and improve health in various other ways.
Some research suggests that bee pollen can also help one cope more easily with stress. Stress is a physical response to events in our lives that threaten us, or upset us, or throw us off balance in some way. Pressure at work, financial pressure, the loss of a loved one, all can cause stress. When we feel stress, our nervous system responds by releasing various hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones prepare our bodies for action, causing the heart to pound faster and the muscles to tighten. Our breath quickens and our senses become more acute.
Often, this hormonal response can be positive — our stamina is increased, our reaction time quickens, and our focus is enhanced. We tend to perform better if we have to give a presentation at work, or perform at a sporting event, or buckle down to accomplish a task. If we are truly facing a life-or-death situation, the hormones that are released by stress can help us through.
However, beyond a certain point, the stress hormones lose their utility and begin to damage our health, our moods, our productivity, and our quality of life. The body often cannot distinguish between genuinely stressful situations and everyday irritations such as traffic jams, bills, and routine quarrels with family or friends, and people who suffer chronically from stress can experience high blood pressure and a suppressed immune system. This in turn increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, as well as clinical depression.
How can bee pollen help reduce stress levels? One group of nutrients that have been shown to control chronic stress are the B-complex vitamins, a grouping of vitamins including thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and others. B vitamins are water soluble, and thus are quickly leached from the body and must be replaced on a constant basis. These B vitamins help regulate the biochemical cycle in which the brain releases cortisol, adrenaline, and other hormones that cause stress. (Cortisol speeds up metabolism; epinephrine, from the adrenal glands, increases the heart rate and alertness.) Without an adequate concentration of B vitamins, these hormones may be released in excessive amounts.
Vitamins B6 (pyridoxine) and B12 (cobalamin) are particularly significant in controlling stress. Cobalamin is only available from animal sources, so vegetarians are particularly susceptible to a deficiency. However, rather than pinpointing these specific B vitamins, it is best to take a supplement that includes all the B vitamins, to ensure that there is no depletion of any specific vitamin.
Bee pollen contains most of the B-complex vitamins in significant amounts. Exact amounts cannot be determined, as the composition of bee pollen varies from location to location, but vitamins B6 and B12 (as well as thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin) are always found in bee pollen, along with scores of other essential vitamins and minerals. If you suffer from stress and perhaps lack regular sources of B vitamins in your everyday diet, bee pollen would be a valuable food supplement.
The best way to purchase bee pollen is in raw granules, as you are ensured of receiving pure, unprocessed bee pollen. You can purchase granules directly from a beekeeper, or at your local health-food store. Granules should be kept in a cool place until consumed, and should be consumed relatively quickly after purchase, though you can freeze some for consumption later. Raw granules can have a strong flavor, but you can add them to yogurt or cereal, or mix them in with a health drink; you have lots of options! You can also purchase bee pollen capsules, which are easier to store and consume, but the strength of the pollen’s nutrients may be compromised in the processing of capsules.
If you have tried other methods of alleviating stress but have not found success, give bee pollen a try: with so many benefits, it is one of the most valuable food supplements on the market.
