Pollen, royal jelly and propolis often sell mixed into honey, and the virtues claimed for them change depending on whether the page addresses men or women. The truth is simpler, and the same for everyone.
What they are
Bee Pollen (90 dh) is gathered by bees from stamens and carried home as pellets. It is a rich food: around 20 % protein, B vitamins, minerals and carotenoids. Of everything the hive makes, its nutritional value is the best established.
Royal Jelly (200 dh) is secreted by young workers to feed the larvae, then the queen alone. It holds water, proteins, sugars and one particular fatty acid, 10-HDA. That is what turns a larva into a queen rather than a worker, in bees. In humans, nothing of the sort has been shown.
Propolis (160 dh) is a plant resin bees bring back to seal and disinfect the hive. It is very rich in polyphenols and slows several bacteria in the laboratory.
For men, for women
No study shows a different effect by sex. Pollen contains no hormone, and neither does royal jelly. Pages promising an effect on male fertility or on women’s cycles are selling an idea, not a measured result.
What is established: these three bring real nutrients, in small amounts. A teaspoon of pollen delivers about 1 g of protein. It is a food supplement in the literal sense, not a treatment.
Our Royal Honey (450 dh) brings the three together with honey, for anyone who would rather keep one jar than three.
Allergy, the real subject
This is the point nobody raises and the only one that truly counts.
Royal jelly triggers serious allergic reactions in some people, including asthma attacks and anaphylactic shock. Reported cases involve mostly asthmatics and people already allergic to bee products or pollens. Pollen and propolis carry the same risk to a lesser degree.
So the rule is simple. Start with a very small amount, the tip of a spoon, on a morning when you are not alone at home. Wait twenty-four hours. If you have asthma or a grass allergy, speak to your doctor before you even try.
How to take them
Pollen is eaten by the spoon, in yoghurt or fromage blanc, one teaspoon a day. Dry pellets are hard: soaked for a few minutes, they go down far more easily.
Royal jelly keeps in the fridge and is taken in the morning, a small dose under the tongue, in courses of a few weeks.
Propolis comes in pieces, powder or extract. Mixed into honey it goes down better: on its own it sticks to the teeth and tastes frankly bitter.
And as with honey, none of this before twelve months.