Royal Jelly extract 3% | Apis mellifera

Properties: Honey is perhaps the most popular product created by bees. Thousands of these insects form one hierarchical and well-organized society that is able to create the sweet and sticky substance that we call honey. However, this is not the only thing they are capable of producing. Slightly less known, yet actually more important from the perspective of natural medicine, is royal jelly. As the name suggests, this substance is produced to provide nutrition to the hive’s almighty queen. But why in the world would it be so precious for humans? 

Asian practitioners of natural medicine have used royal jelly for centuries. They noticed that this substance benefits the immune response triggered by the presence of pathogens. Thereby, it prevents the expansion of viral and bacterial infections and limits the spread of inflammation. Immunity is not the only area that royal jelly supports, though. It also has an important influence on the male reproductive system. There, it helps to boost the production of testosterone which directly improves libido. Besides that, more testosterone translates to a faster accumulation of muscle tissue and better performance during workout. That’s about it for men. What about women? As it turns out, they too can surely benefit from the supplementation of royal jelly. Among numerous effects, this natural substance supports hormonal stability, especially the main female sex hormone – estrogen. This is particularly important during menopause. 

Apart from these effects, royal jelly effectively strengthens the general condition of the organism. Importantly, it lowers the level of cholesterol which, in excess, can lead to multiple diseases, including atherosclerosis. Therefore, royal jelly positively influences the functioning of the cardiovascular system. What is more, it stimulates the production of natural antioxidants and thereby helps to detoxify the organism. Noteworthy, people who regularly supplement royal jelly report increased levels of energy and motivation. Thus, this substance can be used to support the therapy of chronic fatigue or to neutralize the symptoms of physical exhaustion. All in all, royal jelly can effectively regenerate the organism and strengthen its general condition. The ancient herbalists believed that it promotes longevity. Modern research results confirmed that these statements weren’t far from truth at all, and this mysterious substance produced by bees does indeed benefit humans too.

Occurrence: Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are hymenopterous insects belonging to the Apidae family. They are able to fly thanks to the two pairs of wings made of transparent membrane. On the third pair of their legs they carry baskets for collected pollen. They are very useful and hardworking creatures. They collect nectar and pollen, which is their food, and at the same time they pollinate insect-pollinated plants. Plants that provide them with raw materials are known as “honey-bearing”. As a result of the work of bees, honey, wax, royal jelly, propolis (bee putty) and bee pollen are produced. Each of these products has its own properties and is valued in many cultures. An extremely interesting phenomenon in the life of honeybees is a special signaling dance performed by the collecting bee in the nest after discovering a new source of nectar. One type of bees, the so-called African honey bees (Apis mellifera scutellata), are particularly known for their high aggressiveness. Sometimes, they are nick-named killer bees.

Royal jelly is produced by honey bees (Apis mellifera). This creamy substance is secreted by young worker bees. It is used to feed newborn larvae in the first three days of their lives and the queen – during her entire reign. In traditional Chinese medicine, royal jelly is used to promote longevity and improve general health. Although these properties have been known for centuries, scientists picked up the topic only in the middle of the XX century. In 1953, the French beekeeper dr Alain Caillas from Orlean “discovered” royal jelly. Subsequently, he made it famous by describing its healthy properties in his book titled “Bees – the fountain of youth and vitality”. There, he stated that royal jelly increases the immunity of the organism and benefits its general strength with performance. However, we ought to mention that the first scientist who looked at the role of royal jelly in the lives of bees was… Aristotle.

Biochemistry: Royal jelly is exceptionally rich in nutrients. On average, it contains around 60% water, 12% sugars, 12% protein, 6% lipids and 5% organic acids. The protein fraction of royal jelly (including mainly albumin and globulin) is composed of 18 to 25 amino acids with as many as 9 exogenous (that must be supplied to the body with food). Its lipid fraction, on the other hand, consists mainly of fatty acids (saturated and unsaturated): phospholipids, EFAs, sterols and waxes. Royal jelly also contains certain amounts of hormones (estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone) as well as acetylcholine. On top of that, there are over 20 macro- and microelements (mainly phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, zinc, iron, copper and manganese) with vitamins (mainly from group B and C) and inositol.

Fun fact: One of the oldest bees preserved in amber is a worker bee of the Trigona prisca species found in New Jersey (USA). It is estimated to be around 70 million years old. Another one is the Melittosphex burmensis bee found in 2006 in a mine in the Hukawng Valley (Burma). It might even be 100 million years old.