Bee Pollen:
A Nutritious Part of Your Dogs’ Diet

By
Alicia McWatters, Ph.D., C.N.C.

Bee pollen’s popularity is increasing as more and more dog owners and breeders are recognizing its great potential. Bee pollen contains many healing components and has been used for centuries as a source of nourishment. Today it is used not only for achieving better human health, but also to improve the health of our canine friends.

What is Bee Pollen?

Bee pollen is a yellowish dust or grain collected by honeybees from a variety of plants. Pollen grains are the male seeds or reproductive cells of flower blossoms. All flowers produce pollen; it is created in the stamen inside the plant’s blossom. Honeybees have two jobs. While gathering pollen as food for the colony, they are also responsible for the transfer of pollen to the ovaries of female flowers. This results in pollination. Honeybees pollinate or fertilize more than 80% of green plants, which result in the development of seeds or fruit. The bees fill their pollen baskets, located on their rear legs, with pollen from one blossom and deliver some of that pollen to the next blossom and so forth and this is how pollination takes place. The pollen is later taken to the honeybees’ hives and stored for future use.

=p>Nutritional Value…

Bee pollen contains phytochemicals and nutrients. These substances can strengthen health and prevent illness. Bee pollen’s primary action is providing nourishment and strengthening the immune system. Bee pollen influences the body by its antibiotic, nutritive, stress-reducing effects. It is known as a potent bactericide and may increase the body’s resistance to infection.

Bee pollen is composed of an average of 30% protein, 50% carbohydrates, and 14% polyunsaturated fatty acids and is rich in carotenoids, flavonoids, and phytosterols. Bee pollen’s protein is complete and weight for weight is higher in essential amino acids than beef, eggs or cheese. It also contains the B-complex vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, & folic acid. Vitamin C, D, E, enzymes, hormones and many minerals and trace minerals are contained in bee pollen. The nutritional profile will vary depending on the plant sources and growing conditions.

How to Purchase Bee Pollen…

Bee Pollen can be purchased as a fresh powder, fresh granules, in a capsule form, or tablet form. Some bee pollen products also contain royal jelly and propolis along with bee pollen. These ingredients enhance the bee pollen’s effects.

Fresh, raw bee pollen can be purchased from your health food store or by mail order. It is very important that you select a quality bee pollen product. Quality bee pollen is soft, colorful (i.e. gold, orange, brown) and sweet in taste. Bee pollen should be purchased in either a sealed bag or a nitrogen-packed can. This ensures that the product you’ve purchased is fresh. Additionally, the pollen you buy should be domestic pollen (from the U.S.A.). The imported pollens have suffered from improper storage and heating, so their nutritional integrity is compromised.

The product that I believe to be the highest of quality is Trinity. This a product manufactured by *Pet Power and contains bee pollen, bee propolis and royal jelly. Be sure to refrigerate your bee pollen once it has been opened to preserve its freshness.

Feeding your dogs a nutritive-rich diet is of utmost importance to their health, happiness, reproduction (if they are a breeder) and optimum longevity. Complementing their diet with whole food supplements, such as bee pollen can help to prevent illness and increase wellness in your dogs.