Erectile dysfunction is a common condition that affects men over 40.
And let's be honest. If that's you, it sucks.
ED can be caused by physical or psychological issues. And the detrimental effects on a man’s self-esteem and relationships can be devastating. It can be the death-blow to a healthy sex life.
And that can leave a guy in a very dark place.
Fortunately, there are many natural products for ED that don’t involve taking prescription medications.
I'm a big fan of natural remedies for resolving sexual health issues: formulas that are made from all-natural ingredients. It seems that far too often, pharmaceutical approaches to problems like this end up causing more complications and long-term health issues than they fix.
As you've probably noticed by now, there are several different supplements that I've reviewed elsewhere on this site. I'm a big believer in natural products for prostate support and for maintaining a healthy sex drive. I'm also a big believer in natural testosterone boosters and HGH releasers. I use one myself.
But I recently learned about of more than one healthcare provider out there talking about bee pollen for this kind of thing.
Bee pollen as a supplement to alleviate erectile dysfunction.
In fact, bee pollen isn't just recommended to deal with ED; it is actually promoted to help with reproductive health and sexual dysfunction overall - for both men and women. Supposedly it helps with "sexual stamina," too - lasting longer, enjoying sex more, and all that. (And this, supposedly, goes for men and women.)
But erectile dysfunction is on your radar, you're at the back end of the "pleasure curve." And that can be devastating for relationships.
So let's take a closer look at what bee pollen is, and then we will try to understand how it can help with ED. Perhaps you can find help with this stuff. And if not, there are some great products out there to boost your sex drive and deal with erectile dysfunction issues naturally.
What is Bee Pollen?
Bee pollen is the powdery substance that honeybees collect from flowers, often referred to as “bee bread.”
According to Wikipedia, bee pollen is "is a ball or pellet of field-gathered flower pollen packed by worker honeybees. It is the primary food source for the hive. It consists of simple sugars, protein, minerals and vitamins, fatty acids, and a small percentage of other components."
Bee pollen is rich in micronutrients, minerals, and "phenolic compounds." Phenolic compounds act as antioxidants in your body.
It also contains essential amino acids, lipids and enzymes that are essential for human health. If you think about it, bee pollen is a complex mixture of substances that come from the very beginning of the food chain. So you'll find that bee pollen contains the building blocks of life.
The nutritional content of bee pollen varies depending on the type of flower it was collected from and the geographic location it came from. But regardless of where it comes from, the essential nature of it is pretty much the same.
How Does Bee Pollen Help with ED?
Bee pollen has been used in traditional medicine for centuries to treat various conditions, including erectile dysfunction. Scientific research has shown that bee pollen may help increase blood flow and circulation in the body, including to the penis and the reproductive organs – which is important for achieving an erection.
In addition, bee pollen contains powerful antioxidants that may protect against oxidative damage caused by free radicals in the body – which can also lead to improved erectile function in men suffering from ED.
On a website called "eHealthMe," they make a fascinating statement about clinical data they've collected in a study about "Bee Pollen And Erection Problems." Bee pollen and Erection problems, a phase IV clinical study of FDA data - eHealthMe What they said is, "We study 74,603 people who take Bee pollen or have Erection problems. No report of Erection problems is found in people who take Bee pollen."
That is a staggering statement.
In addition to its potential benefits for erectile dysfunction, bee pollen also has anti-inflammatory properties and can boost energy levels due to its high concentrations of nutrients like iron and magnesium.
It can even help boost immunity thanks to its high levels of vitamin C!
What dose levels of bee pollen are right for you?
I wasn't able to find anything on any authoritative sites that give an idea of a "recommended dose" of bee pollen. People do work up to 2 tablespoons a day of the stuff. Just keep in mind is that it's always good to start slowly and work your way up to that kind of an amount every day.
You'll probably not have any kind of an allergic reaction. But if you do, the allergy symptoms that you need to be aware of are things like inflammation, dizziness or itching.
Another consideration: royal jelly
So you know, honey, bee pollen and royal jelly are all products of the bee and the beehive. But they are produced differently and have different properties. The "Crystal's Raw Honey" website gives quite a good overview of what these different bee products are an where they come from.
If you're considering using bee pollen to treat erectile dysfunction (or even just a constant lack of sexual desire) royal jelly might be a good option.
Honey comes from the nectar the bees extract from flowering plants. The bees extract the moisture from the nectar until it is down to about 18% moisture content so it won't support mold growth.
Honey is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. It apparently even has some effects at helping reduce cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
The bee pollen is collected on their back legs as they move from flower to flower.
When they return to the hive, they pack it away for food inside the hive. Apparently, some doctors do recommend it as a preventative for PMS, asthma, allergies and for treating inflammation of the prostate.
So, what is royal jelly?
"Royal jelly" gets its name from its ability to turn a worker bee into the queen bee. Fun fact: any bee could be turned into a queen bee. It's a matter of what they are fed.
According to Crystal's Raw Honey,
"It’s a secretion from worker bees that consists of simple sugars, fatty acids, amino acids, water, minerals, enzymes, vitamin C, and antibacterial and antibiotic components.
"Interestingly, royal jelly comes from the hypopharyngeal gland located in the heads of young nurse bees. Unlike with pollen and honey, nurse bees feed royal jelly directly to the queen and larvae as they secrete it rather than storing it for later."
So the point of all of this is that royal jelly is produced by the bees from their processes as they are manufacturing the honey and the bee pollen.
According to Crystal, "While royal jelly and bee pollen have similar properties, royal jelly tends to have more potent effects as a result of its higher nutritional value. Therefore, the colony’s queen stays on a royal jelly diet to give her the extra nutrition she needs to continue laying eggs and boosting the population."
Bottom line: royal jelly is the top of the food chain for the bee colony
Of all the substances that bees collect and produce, royal jelly is the most densely packed, nutritionally rich part of the whole bee process. It has high concentrations of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids.
Crystal's site says it even has some anti-cancer benefits. So, if you have a concern about overall prostate health and protection against prostate cancer, then it might be a good fit for you.
And as an interesting little note, I started taking royal jelly on a lark some time ago to see if it would have any helpful effect for me with my thinning hair. The idea came from a book a doctor recommended that suggested it could work for hair loss.
What I found was that the dude who cuts my hair noticed it was thicker. And it wasn't until he mentioned it that I told him I was taking royal jelly. He was surprised, but said, "well, it definitely looks more healthy, for sure."
And on a curious note, my (somewhat) high blood pressure seems to be a little lower - for me, it actually seems to have lowered about 6 or 7 both systolic and diastolic.
So that is an interesting side effect that I believe may have come from this. Dr. Sarah Brewer promotes royal jelly as an aid in lowering blood pressure. So I guess there is a reason to believe there is maybe a correlation here.
Conclusion: bee pollen, royal jelly for sexual health and vitality
While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for erectile dysfunction, adding bee pollen (and/or royal jelly) into your daily routine may help improve your symptoms over time. Plus, you’ll reap additional health benefits like increased energy levels, reduced inflammation, and (probably) a better sex life!
If you’re interested in trying out this natural remedy for erectile dysfunction, consider speaking with your doctor first before incorporating it into your diet or supplementing regimen. With proper usage under medical supervision, you could improve your overall health while potentially alleviating some of the symptoms associated with ED.