Tell me about...
Royal Jelly
What is royal jelly? Why do we need
it?
Royal jelly is a mixture of flower nectars, sugars, proteins,
vitamins and secretions that is made by worker bees to help
develop and maintain a queen bee. Royal jelly is fed to bee
larvae until they begin to mature; only the queen bee is fed
it throughout her life.
Test tube studies have shown that royal jelly fights bacteria.
Animal studies have suggested a variety of actions for royal
jelly, including more effective wound healing; enhanced immune
function; and the lowering of blood cholesterol levels. Several
human studies have also found it to significantly lower cholesterol
levels.
How much royal jelly should I take?
Although a recommended daily allowance for royal jelly has
yet to be established, many alternative health practitioners
recommend 50-100mg per day.
What are some good sources of royal
jelly? What forms are available?
Royal jelly is made by worker bees, who feed it to the queen
bee. It is available as a supplement in many health food stores.
What can happen if I don't get enough
royal jelly? What can happen if I take too much? Are there
any side-effects I should be aware of?
Because royal jelly is not an essential nutrient, no deficiencies
have been reported. To date, no levels have been established
for royal jelly toxicity.
Patients who are susceptible allergies may develop sensitivities
to royal jelly, and in some cases may provoke a severe allergic
reaction. In addition, some manufacturers have raised concerns
over the lack of standardized testing for bacterial or environmental
contamination in royal jelly (and other bee products).
At present, no evidence of drug interactions has been reported
with royal jelly.
Other Resources :
The
More You Know About Minerals
The
More You Know About Nutrition
References
- Abou-Hozaifa BM, Roston AAH, El-Nokaly
FA. Effects of royal jelly and honey on serum lipids and
lipoprotein cholesterol in rats fed cholesterol-enriched
diet. J Biomed Sci Ther 1993;9:35—44.
- Fleche C, Clement MC, Zeggane S, et al.
Contamination of bee products and risk for human health:
situation in France. Rev Sci Tech 1997;16:609—19.
- Fujii A, Kobayashi S, Kuboyama N, et al.
Augmentation of wound healing by royal jelly (RJ) in streptozotocin-diabetic
rats. Jpn J Pharmacol 1990;53:331—7.
- Sver L, Orsolic N, Tadic Z, et al. A royal
jelly as a new potential immunomodulator in rats and mice.
Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 1996;19:31—8.
- Vittek J. Effect of royal jelly on serum
lipids in experimental animals and humans with atherosclerosis.
Experientia 1995;51:927—35.
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