Royal jelly

The secretion that honey bees produce to feed their queen is known as royal jelly and its effect on the queen larva is nothing short of miraculous. She, the queen larva, reaches 800 times her initial weight within 5 days and in a further 11 days is able to lay up to 2000 eggs a day. Since only the queen bee is fed with royal jelly for her entire life, she lives about 50 times as long as her fellow bees and has thus become a symbol of vitality, performance and vitality. This phenomenon has occupied not only national but also internationally renowned researchers for decades, who in the course of their investigations have been able to determine that royal jelly contains a balanced combination of natural substances for humans. Among other things, scientists have discovered that royal jelly contains amino acids, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and enzymes, but they have not yet been able to unravel the final secret of royal jelly. Of particular note is the free fatty acid 10-HDA (10-hydroxydecenoic acid), which is very rare in nature but is contained in royal jelly in high concentrations. To this day, some unidentifiable ingredients remain. Today, royal jelly is valued as an elixir for physical and mental performance and for the natural regeneration of the body. The basis of royal jelly is the forage juice of the queen bee, which beekeepers refer to as "royal jelly"; "it is produced by the 6-12 day old nurse bees...Royal jelly has a high nutritional value for the bees. It accelerates the growth of the queen larvae, increases the lifespan of the queen bees... Weisel...".

Among naturopaths, but also in Chinese medicine, the royal jelly of the queen bee is used and highly valued as a geriatric or natural cosmetic. Royal jelly owes its use as a regenerative and "rejuvenating agent" to an extremely impressive biological phenomenon: the lifespan of a queen bee, which lives on this food, is around five years, while the worker bees that produce the forage sap only live for four months.

Potential health benefits of royal jelly

Royal jelly is sold as a nutritional supplement to treat a wide range of ailments and chronic diseases. However, although royal jelly has long been used in traditional medicine, its use in Western medicine remains controversial.

Here's a look at the potential health benefits of royal jelly:

Royal jelly contains a variety of nutrients

Royal jelly consists of water, carbohydrates, protein and fat (1). The full chemical composition of royal jelly is not known, but its health benefits are believed to come from its unique proteins and fatty acids (1, 2).

These include 9 glycoproteins known as royal jelly proteins and two fatty acids - trans-10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid and 10-hydroxydecanoic acid (2). In addition, royal jelly contains several B vitamins and trace elements.

However, the nutritional composition of royal jelly can vary greatly between different sources of royal jelly (1). Some of the vitamins typically found in royal jelly include

Thiamine (B1)
Riboflavin (B2)
Pantothenic acid (B5)
Pyridoxine (B6)
Niacin (B3)
Folic acid (B9)
Inositol (B8)
Biotin (B7)

These nutrients may be responsible for some of the potential health benefits of royal jelly, but more scientific research is needed to make definitive claims.

Royal jelly may have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects

It is often claimed that royal jelly can reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. Several test tube and animal studies have shown that specific amino acids, fatty acids and phenolic compounds appear to have pronounced antioxidant effects (3). In addition, several test tube studies have shown that immune cells treated with royal jelly released reduced levels of pro-inflammatory chemicals (4, 5, 6).

However, although these results are promising, there is a lack of conclusive human studies. More data is needed to draw definitive conclusions about the potential treatment of inflammation with royal jelly.

Summary: Some test tube and animal studies suggest that royal jelly may have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Royal jelly may reduce the risk of heart disease by affecting cholesterol levels

Studies conducted with both animals and humans show that royal jelly may have a positive effect on cholesterol levels and thereby reduce the risk of heart disease. Although the exact mechanism is not yet known, specific proteins contained in royal jelly may help to lower cholesterol levels (7). A 12-week study found that rabbits given royal jelly were able to reduce their levels of bad LDL cholesterol by 23% and their total cholesterol levels by 28% (8). A one-month human study showed an 11% reduction in total cholesterol levels and a 4% reduction in LDL cholesterol levels in subjects taking 3 grams of royal jelly per day (9). In contrast, another small human study did not observe any significant differences in cholesterol levels between subjects who were treated with royal jelly and those who received only a placebo (10).

Although these studies are promising, further research is needed to better understand the impact of royal jelly on heart health.

Summary: Some human and animal studies show a reduction in cholesterol levels with royal jelly supplementation. However, further studies are needed to confirm these results.

Royal jelly could support skin ageing and repair

Royal jelly, whether taken orally or applied to the skin, may support wound healing and help to relieve inflammatory skin conditions. Royal jelly is known for its antibacterial effects, which can keep wounds clean and free from infection (11). A study conducted on animals showed increased collagen production in rats given royal jelly extract (12). Collagen is a structural protein that is important for skin repair.

A study carried out in test tubes also showed a significantly increased tissue repair capacity in human cells treated with royal jelly (13). In contrast, a recent human study found no difference in wound healing between a control group and study participants who treated diabetic foot ulcers with royal jelly applied to the skin (14).

Ultimately, further research is needed to draw definitive conclusions about the effects of royal jelly on wound healing and tissue repair.

Summary: Some studies suggest that royal jelly may stimulate the production of proteins involved in tissue repair. However, further research is needed in this regard.

Specific proteins contained in royal jelly could lower blood pressure

Royal Jelly could protect your heart and cardiovascular system by lowering blood pressure. Several studies conducted in test tubes suggest that specific proteins contained in royal jelly may relax the smooth muscles in the blood vessels and thereby lower blood pressure (15). A recent animal study investigated a supplement that combined royal jelly with other bee products and observed a significant reduction in blood pressure. However, the exact role that royal jelly played in this supplement is unclear (16).

Further research is needed on the relationship between royal jelly and blood pressure.

Summary: Although early research suggests that specific proteins contained in royal jelly may lower blood pressure, more research is needed.

Royal jelly regulates blood sugar by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation

Royal jelly may improve blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. Several animal studies showed increased insulin sensitivity and an apparent protective effect on pancreas, liver and reproductive tissues in royal jelly needled diabetic rats (17, 18, 19).

A small human study showed a 20% reduction in fasting blood glucose levels in healthy people supplementing with royal jelly (10). However, research in this area is very limited.

Summary: Several animal studies suggest that royal jelly may increase insulin sensitivity and improve glycemic control.

Royal jelly's antioxidant properties may support healthy brain function Royal jelly may improve brain function. One study showed that stress-induced mice treated with royal jelly had lower levels of stress hormones and a more robust central nervous system than the control group (20). Another study showed improved memory performance and reduced symptoms of depression in postmenopausal rats given royal jelly (21). Another study conducted with animals showed that rats treated with royal jelly were better able to break down chemical deposits in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer's disease (8). Most of these studies attribute the protective effects of royal jelly on the brain and nervous tissue to its antioxidant properties. However, while these data are encouraging, further research in humans is needed.

Summary: Several animal studies suggest that royal jelly may have benefits for the brain, but there is a lack of human studies to confirm this.

Royal jelly may increase tear production and help treat chronic dry eyes

Royal jelly could help treat dry eyes when taken orally. A study conducted in animals and a small human study showed improvements in chronic dry eyes when royal jelly was taken orally. These results may suggest that royal jelly may increase tear fluid production (22, 23). No adverse side effects were observed in the human study, which means that royal jelly could serve as a low-risk solution to dry eye problems. However, it should be kept in mind that this was a very small group of subjects and therefore there is no guarantee that royal jelly will be effective for every person suffering from dry eyes.

Summary: A limited number of studies show that royal jelly may stimulate tear production in people with chronic dry eyes, but more studies are needed.

Royal jelly could have an anti-ageing effect in different ways

Royal jelly could slow down the ageing process in several ways. Some studies show increased lifespan and improved cognitive function in rats treated orally with royal jelly (24). Royal jelly is also sometimes included in skin care products to help maintain healthy, youthful skin. Animal studies suggest that royal jelly may support increased collagen production and protection of the skin from UV radiation damage (12, 25).

As there is a lack of research on the anti-ageing benefits of oral royal jelly in humans, further research is needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn.

Summary: Royal jelly may reduce some common symptoms of aging, but more research is needed.

Royal jelly could support a healthy immune system

Royal jelly may boost the body's natural immune response to foreign bacteria and viruses (26). The glycoproteins and fatty acids contained in royal jelly are known to promote antibacterial activity, which may reduce the incidence of infections and support immune function (11). However, most of the available data is limited to animal and test tube studies, so further human studies are needed to confirm these effects.

Summary: Some animal and test tube studies support antibacterial effects of royal jelly and suggest that this substance may stimulate immune system function. However, human studies are lacking.

Royal jelly can reduce the side effects of cancer treatment

Chemotherapy and other cancer treatments often bring significant unwanted side effects, which can include heart failure, inflammation and gastrointestinal problems. Royal jelly may reduce some of the negative side effects associated with certain cancer treatments. One study observed a significant reduction in chemotherapy-induced heart damage in rats treated with royal jelly (27). A small human study also suggests that royal jelly applied to the skin may prevent mucositis, which can occur as a side effect of cancer treatment and is characterized by painful ulcers in the digestive tract (28). However, although these studies are encouraging, they do not allow any definitive conclusions to be drawn about the role of royal jelly in cancer treatment. Further studies are needed for this.

Summary: Royal jelly may help treat certain side effects of cancer treatment, but more research is needed.

Royal jelly may help treat certain symptoms of menopause

Menopause causes a reduction in circulating hormones, which is associated with physical and mental side effects such as pain, impaired memory, depression and anxiety. One study found that royal jelly can help reduce depression and improve memory in postmenopausal rats (21). In another study of 42 postmenopausal women, it was observed that supplementation with 800 mg royal jelly over a 12-week period may be effective in reducing back pain and anxiety (29).

Further research is also needed here.

Summary: Royal jelly may be effective in the treatment of menopausal symptoms, but further research is needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn.

Dosages and dosage forms

As research is limited, there is no definitive dosage recommendation for royal jelly.

As a nutritional supplement, royal jelly is available either in its natural form - a gel-like substance - or in powder or capsule form. Benefits have been observed at a wide range of dosages and recent research supports potential benefits at 300 to 6,000 mg per day (30). Royal jelly can also be applied to the skin and is included in some commercially available skin care products.

If you have never used royal jelly before, it is best to start with low dosages to prevent allergic reactions and side effects.

Safety and side effects

Royal jelly is potentially safe and harmless for most people when taken orally appropriately. One specific product containing royal jelly and bee pollen extract has been used safely for up to two months. Another combination product containing royal jelly and bee pollen has been used safely for up to 3 months. Royal jelly can cause serious allergic reactions in some people, including asthma, swelling of the throat and death. In rare cases, royal jelly can cause intestinal bleeding associated with stomach pain and bloody diarrhea. Royal jelly is also potentially safe and harmless when used appropriately on the skin. However, it can cause inflammation and allergic rashes when applied to the scalp.

In addition, some Royal Jelly products have been found to be contaminated with environmental toxins such as pesticides, which could lead to allergic reactions (2).

Precautions and warnings

Children: Royal Jelly may be safe for up to 6 months when taken orally.
Pregnancy and lactation: Not enough is known about the safety of royal jelly during pregnancy and lactation. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid royal jelly to be on the safe side.
Asthma or allergies: You should not use royal jelly if you suffer from asthma or allergies, as it could cause serious reactions and even be fatal.
Inflammation of the skin (dermatitis): Royal jelly could aggravate dermatitis.
Low blood pressure: Royal jelly could lower blood pressure. If blood pressure is already low, taking royal jelly could lower blood pressure too much.
Allergy sufferers: People who are allergic to bee products, bee stings, pollen or other environmental allergens should use royal jelly with caution.

Conclusion

Although royal jelly has been used for centuries in the field of alternative medicine, it has long been rejected by doctors in the western world due to a lack of scientifically proven effects. Nevertheless, this bee product is used as an alternative treatment for a variety of physical and mental ailments. To this day, many of the claims regarding the potential health benefits of royal jelly remain unproven. Most of the available research is limited to test tube or animal studies and small human studies with a small number of subjects. The consumption of royal jelly is not 100% risk-free. Serious side effects including anaphylactic shock have been reported in sensitive people. Although the available scientific studies are promising, more research is needed to determine whether royal jelly fits into a healthy lifestyle.