What is Royal Jelly?

Royal Jelly, despite sounding like something that Prince William might smear on his daily toast, is actually a biological product of honey bees.  More specifically, it is an excretion which used as the primary food source for developing bee larva as well as for the queen bee.  The larva are enclosed in small compartments and surrounded with Royal Jelly as their personal food supply as they develop and the queen is regularly fed the jelly by worker bees.  As humans have such a long history of stealing things that bees produce, its no surprise that we might figure out something else to take away from them!

As for what Royal Jelly is actually made of , the components vary depending on the breed and location of the bees from which it is harvested, but the rough breakdown is:

• 60% Water
• 15% Protein
• 16% Sugar
• 6% Fat
• 3% Vitamins, Salt, Amino Acids and Antibiotic components

Royal Jelly Benefits

The fact that Royal Jelly is used to promote the growth and nutrition of honey bees has given cause to many supplement companies to develop and market it as a unique health serum, vitamin supplement, or even weight loss supplement. Other suggested applications have included asthma, liver disease, pancreatic conditions, insomnia, PMS, stomach ulcers, kidney problems, skin disorders, and high cholesterol.

Though some might promote Royal Jelly as a miracle tonic or the “perfect food” because it is the sole source of nutrients for developing be larvae, let’s just remember that humans and bees are different in a lot of ways.  Even so, based on the preliminary research that has been done on the benefits of Royal Jelly, you might experience the following benefits:

• Improved metabolism
• Lower cholesterol
• Stronger Immune System

Each of these benefits may provide mild assistance for those who are looking to lose weight, but Royal Jelly is unlikely to have a direct impact in weight loss.

Royal Jelly Risks

Generally, Royal Jelly is known to be safe when taken as a supplement, though if you have any sort of bee allergy, or chronic allergies in general, you’ll definitely want to consult with your physician before taking Royal Jelly.  Some studies also suggest it may have negative interactions with a chemical called warfarin which is included in anti-coagulant medication. Specifically, it may increase chance of bruising or bleeding.  However, this effect is not something most people will ever need to worry about.

Conclusion

While Royal Jelly may sound a little gross, it’s a very safe and nutritious substance that will continue to be researched and developed for a variety of purposes.  Though many of the claimed benefits of Royal Jelly are completely bogus and it is by no means a “miracle food” or the “perfect food”, it may provide mild benefits when included in vitamin and health supplements.  As it is relatively difficult to harvest, Royal Jelly tends to be pretty expensive and so it isn’t clear how cost-effective its benefits may be.  If you’re looking to try something new, however, Royal Jelly is promising and all-natural.