Honey Bees in the Garden: Royal Jelly a.k.a. Bee Milk

Unlike nectar and pollen, royal jelly is not collected from flowers. It is synthesized from bee pollen, propolis and other things and produced with enzymes from the glands of nurse bees. It is a creamy white or a pale yellow milky substance that is said to have an ultra sour bitter taste and strong odor. Beekeepers call it bee milk.

The overall composition of royal jelly is 67% water, 12.5% crude protein, including small amounts of many different amino acids, and 11% simple sugars (monosaccharides), also including a relatively high amount (5%) of fatty acids.

It also contains many trace minerals, some enzymes, antibacterial and antibiotic components, and trace amounts of vitamin C, but none of the fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K.cids.

The component of royal jelly that causes a bee to develop into a queen appears to be a single protein that has been called royalactin.

Royal jelly is extracted from queen cells in minute amounts and immediately refrigerated or freeze dried to prevent spoilage. It can take up to 1,000 larvae to produce one pound of royal jelly.

In ancient times only royalty or the very wealthy were permitted to take royal jelly because it was what made a worker bee turn into a queen bee.  It was also rare because of the lack of knowledge and primitive methods of keeping honey bees. Today, thanks to a better understanding of honey bees, their products and modern technology, it is available to anyone. 

There are all kinds of medical claims made for royal jelly, but very few studies have been conducted on humans. Because of their similarity to humans, mice have been used to research the effects of royal jelly.

Royal jelly is said to have antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-toxidant, anti-tumor, anti-hypertensive, and immunoregulatory properties.  Additonally, it has been demonstrated to have effect on the lipid profile, have insulin-like action, as well as estrogenic and neurologolical effects.

Royal jelly is used in dietary supplements, creams, skin lotions and cosmetics. Capsule forms of royal jelly typically contain 100mg, 500mg or 1,000 mg of royal jelly. Pure royal jelly is the best but freeze dried is cheaper. Royal jelly is sometimes combined with other beneficial products such as Vitamin E, honey, pollen or herbs

Royal jelly is not a substitute for a balanced diet that provides your body with all the nutrients it needs but it can supplement diets that are deficient in nutrients.

If you decide to give royal jelly a try, be aware that it can take up to three months or longer before you notice a change in your overall health. There are no clinical trial guidelines for how much royal jelly a person should take.

Of all the products produced by honey bees, royal jelly is the least understood.  Scientists haven't yet decoded all of the components that make up royal jelly.  More studies in humans are needed before it can be said that royal jelly has the same effects on humans as it does in mice.