What is Pollen?
Pollen is the male reproductive cells or microspores produced by and discharged from the anther of a seed plant. While a grain of pollen is extremely tiny, measuring only about 1/50mm - 1/100 mm in diameter, they are present in large quantities. Seed plants depend on pollens to fertilize ovules in the pistil to propagate. Upon fertilization, a grain of pollen can grow into tens of thousands times its original size within a matter of only several days, thus its highly nutritive composition is evident.
Wind-pollinated flowers are fertilized by pollen carried on the wind. For this type of flowers, the pollens are smoother, small in size, and dry, making them to be easily dispersed when the wind blows. The flowers of many other plants are insect-pollinated, as their stickier and heavier pollen grains are so evolved to depend on bees and other insects for dispersion. Edible pollens, mostly gathered by bees, are not only richer in nutrients but also safe for human consumption. In contrast, pollens of wind-pollinated flowers tend to cayse pollen-related diseases, and hence are inappropriate for human consumption. Bees used their fore legs to harvest pollen grains, which after mixing with nectar and saliva secreted by the bees to form pollen balls, are subsequently stored in the pollen baskets located on their hind legs before being taken back to the beehive as their staple food. Bee larvae are fed with these pollen balls and their body-size can grow a thousand folds after their birth within only several days. This exceptional rate of growth is attributed to the nutriments provided by the pollen balls.
Marmalade fly sitting on a grey-haired rockrose, its face and legs covered in pollen.
The Composition of Pollen
According to research works carried out by nutritionists, the wide spectrum of nutrients provided by a grain of pollen is hitherto unmatchable to any single food on earth. It has been proven that pollen contains up to 200 different types of nutritive components, of which more than 16 are vitamins, more than 16 are minerals, more than 96 are enzymes and coenzymes, more than 21 are amino acids, more than 28 are nucleic acids, as well as a good number of carbohydrates, in addition to many other nutrients.
1) Amino acids : Amino acids are the fundamental building blocks of protein. While different groups of amino acids constitute different types of protein molecules, more than half of the protein types contained in pollen exist in the form of free amino acids, which can be directly assimilated by the human body without having to go through the digestive processes.
2) Vitamins : Pollen is rich in vitamins of high bio-availability, these include vitamins A, D, E, K, M, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, folic acid, nicotinic acid, and inositol, which can all be readily assimilated.
3) Minerals : Pollen also contains trace elements and a wide variety of minerals, including phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, silicon, sulfur, iron, copper, sodium, calcium, and titanium.
4) Enzymes and coenzymes : These include amylase (starch enzyme) and proteinase (protein enzyme), which are helpful in effectively breaking down food molecules, and hence are indispensable in our metabolic processes.
5) Nucleic acids : These include nucleotide and purine.
6) Carbohydrates : These include many types of simple sugar such as monosaccharides and disaccharides, which cater the human body with the energy it needs to fuel its activities.
Natural Pollen
Natural Pollen is purely formulated using pollen grains collected by honeybees. In ensuring 100% bio-availability of the nutriments, raw pollen grains are subject to safety and hygienic processes to get rid of the impurities and bacteria before being extracted under the most stringent temperature and humidity controls. It is absolutely free from artificial chemicals, additives, preservatives, or any other substances not originated from pollen itself.
The health-care attributes of pollen include :
-Promotes longevity
-Encourages developmental growth in children and strengthens their physique
-Helps prevent pathologic changes in the vascular system
-Controls bodyweight
-Helps prevent the onset of diabetes and heart diseases
-Elevates vitality and strengthens liver functions
-Enhances facial radiance and regulates menstruation
-Eases menopausal disturbances
-Aids in gastrointestinal diseases
-Helps prevent cancerous diseases
-Helps prevent common cold
-Helps in the prevention and treatment of prostatitis
-Alleviates the conditions of constipation and diarrhea
-Improves the conditions of anemia
-Increases sperm counts
-Removes fatigue
-Helps prevent premature ageing
Source : Natural Pollen, revised edition December 2002, published by Double Crane Enterprise (Taiwan) Co Ltd
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