Traditionally, doctors have always administered bee pollen to people suffering from allergies, which helped them to get rid of the problem. Read on to know more.
Pollens are minute particles which consist of pollen grains. Every pollen grain has one reproductive cell with two nuclei. It also carries non-reproductive cells, one tube nucleus and one generative nucleus. The cells are confined within a cell wall which is rich in cellulose and known as intine. It is further covered with a hard outer coating to provide protection to the reproductive cells during their movement from one flower to another. This outer wall is known as exine.
What is Bee Pollen?
Bee pollen are pollens of flowers that bees gather to use them as their food. Bee pollens can be termed as storehouse of rich plant nutrients. The nutritional variety of these pollens include carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, proteins, enzymes, vitamin complexes, etc. Bee pollen, if taken as a source of food or as a dietary supplement, can give us high quality nutrition and help to get relief from the symptoms of allergies.
Causes of Allergy
An allergy is caused when some confusion arises within the immune system. It is the result of a reaction of our body when some food materials, chemicals or any other natural substance enters our body through ingestion, inhalation or physical contact. Whether any substance that gets into our body is essential or non-essential is decided by our immune system. It considers any non-essential component as a foreign element.
When any such material comes inside the body, the body system starts releasing some antibodies which are known as histamines. These chemicals help to fight infectious germs and any other harmful components. Foods, dust or pollens have protein content that induces generation of antibodies into the system. The histamine thus released leads to some inflammatory reaction. As a result, our tissues, mucous membranes, organs, skin and lungs get affected.
How Does Bee Pollen Treat Allergies?
The first use of bee pollen for allergies began in London, England. Treatment of allergy by the means of bee pollen is often referred to as desensitization. Basically, it comprises intake of pollen in small amounts, which is a harmful irritant. Bee pollens reach the blood stream and set the immune system back in the right manner. This enables the immune system to build up defenses against that particular unwanted substance.
As a result, the making of antibodies like histamine, that causes the allergic reactions is stopped. When such a substance comes in contact with the system, it is then ready to tackle it effectively without making any hyper reactions. Bee pollen has proven to be beneficial in the treatment of allergies like hay fever and pollen-induced asthma. It is also considered helpful in treating other ailments like bronchitis, migraine headaches, some ulcers and urinary disorders.
Dangers of Bee Pollen Treatment
In some cases,this treatment does not suit the patient. It holds true for those who have prior history of severe reactions to bee stings or bee pollen. Such individuals should strictly avoid intake of bee pollen. Sometimes, it turns so serious that it can lead to an anaphylactic shock. This results in the swelling up of the tongue, throat and mouth to such an extent that it makes breathing impossible.
Thus, it could be fatal in some instances. The kind of allergen present in bee pollen may cause some adverse reactions with asthma. Therefore, it is advisable for such patients to consult their doctor before starting the doses of pollen.
The use of bee pollen for allergies is gaining popularity all over the world, more so because it is equally effective in any geographic location and with any kind of diet. Research work is on to investigate its other health benefits as well.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.
