wellness

supplements and functional foods

Royal Jelly
WHAT ALL THE BUZZ IS ABOUT
by Julie Rothschild Levi
Produced by glands in worker bees' lieads, rordl jelly is fed to lar\'ac and the adult queen bee. The larvae that are fed only royal jelly beeonie queen bees; tliose not fed royal jelly become simple worker bees. Tbe tjneen grows 40-60 percent larger tban the worker bees and lives 4-6 years, whereas worker bees live just 6 weeks on average, l l i e qneen also produees one and a balf times her own body weight in eggs, making ro\'al jelly not onK' a longevity' marve! but a fertility' cnbancer as well. And if that's not enongh, it's also a nntritional powerhouse. Royal jelly eoiitains all of tbe B-complex vitamins, witb high concentrations of pantotlienie acid (B;) and pyridoxine (B,,), plus minerals, vitamins A, C, D and K, enz\ines, hormones, and 18 amino acids. It also contains DNA and gelatina predecessor of collagen and an anti-aging compound that helps preser\e skin. Royal jelly is a popular Ingredient in cosmetics, particularly tbose marketed for skin rejuvenation, and it's found in creams or ointments for bnni and wound healing. ing capacity and better memor\'. It is also reported to work as a stimulant, an immune-response intensifier, a fertility and libido booster, a cholesterol controller, a natural antidepressant and a weight-loss enhancer. Research bas linked royal jelly intake with tbe potential for healtli and healing, but experts caution that tlie data is preliminary' as most of it has been conducted solely on laboratory mice and rats. According to Catlierine Ulbricht, PbamiD, chief editor of Natural Standard (naturalstandard.eom), an international organization tliat researches alternative and complementary' tberapies, more studies on royal jelly need to be done. Examples of royal jelly's promise ean be found in scientific journals such as tbe |nne 2004 issue of the jouma! of the Science of Food and Agriculture. It reported that bee products such as royal jelly, propolis and venom might help prevent cancer by inbibiting tumor growth; the study was done on mice. Tbe December 2002 issue of the Townsend Letter for Doctors (5 Patients showed tliat there is some evidence that royal jelly supports liver bealtb and liver eel! grou'th. It may support glyeogen restoration, and it may also detoxify laetate and ammoniawaste products found to cause fatigueas well as enhance oxygen intake in the liver. And royal jelly was found to have au anti-hypertensive effect in Inpertensive rats beeause of tbe peptides found in the couiponnd, according to February 2004's Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin. The one buman trial published on royal jelly, found in Kxperientia (September 1995), showed that 50-100 Lnilligrams (mg) daily of royal jelly can decrease total senim cholesterol levels by 14 percent and totai .serum lipids by 10 percent in bumans with atherosclerosis.

What Are the Health Risks?

Royal jell)' could pro\'e hannfiil for tliose allergic to bee stings, honey or ragweed pollen (which is present in bee pollen). Its topieai use may eause dermatitis. Royal jelly has been linked witb acute astbma, anapbylaxis and deatb in Hong Kong wbere consumption is bigh {Clinical 6 Experimental Allergy, Mareb 1997) as well as in Australia. Otlier adverse reactions to royal jelly have included eezema, rhinitis, hives and broncbospasms, and pregnant women and nursing motliers are advised to avoid royal jelly.

What Are the Health Benefits?

Since the l95Us, people have believed tbat royal jelly has tlie abilit\' to work myriad health miraelcs in bumans as well as bees. Aneedotal evidence on its benefits abound. Tliere are claims that it pro\'idcs an immediate feeling of well-being, resistance to fatigue, a greater leam-

Choosing a Royal Jelly Product

If you want to give it a try, look for freeze-dried royal jelly products. Because royal jelly's composition is nearly 70 percent water, it's highly degradahle, and freeze-drying helps lock in its nutrient value. Also, since qualit} coneems have arisen about certaiu brands, you sbould ask your retailer for recommendations.

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may 2005

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