Bee pollen is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.  The nutrients contained within it can help boost the health of the body and improve several different biological functions.  Bee pollen has been used for centuries by bee keepers around the world in order to promote better health and is often considered a longevity enhancing food.

However, when it comes to candida overgrowth, can bee pollen be beneficial?  Also, how much of this superfood should you consume?

Luckily, we’ve answers to all your questions plus more!  In fact, by the end of this post you will have a better understanding as to whether or not bee pollen is right for you!

That being said, we believe that bee pollen can make an excellent addition to the diet of anyone suffering from candida overgrowth.

What is Bee Pollen?

Unlike honey, bee pollen is much different in structure and overall nutritive value.  Bee pollen is in the shape of tiny yellow pellets that are a byproduct of the honey making process.  When bees enter the comb, their whole body is naturally covered in the pollen dust. 

Overtime, this pollen dust gets packed inside the tiny holes in the honeycomb.  When ready, the bee pollen simply falls out of the hole in the honeycomb and into a grate that the bee keeper uses to catch falling bee pollen!

As mentioned before, it’s prized for its regenerative properties and can help bring the body into a more optimal state of health.  In fact, bee pollen is often mixed with raw honey in order to create a delicious and nutrient dense snack.

Why Bee Pollen is Good for Candida Overgrowth

Research is clear that bee products can be beneficial for inhibiting the growth of candida in the body.  Studies have revealed that raw honey can help to inhibit the growth of several different candida species and has powerful anti-microbial properties (1).

However, bee pollen is unique in that it does not contain any sugar.  Also, per pound, it’s much higher in the B-vitamins than raw honey.  Bee pollen is particular high in the B-vitamin pantothenic acid (B5) which plays in important role in the health of the adrenals (more on this below).

That all being said, bee pollen, like honey, is jam packed with powerful antimicrobial properties which can be beneficial for those dealing with candida overgrowth.

In particular, one study found that several different bee products such as propolis, bee pollen, royal jelly, and honey all help to inhibit the growth of candida.  The study concluded that out of all the bee products, bee pollen had the second strongest anti-fungal effect against candida.  Propolis was determined to have the strongest anti-candida effect out of all of the bee products (2).

It’s for this reason that bee pollen can make an excellent addition to the diet of anyone suffering with chronic candida overgrowth.  The fact that bee pollen does not contain sugar is an added bonus and can be beneficial for those following a low sugar diet.

Helps Soothe The Adrenals

Adrenal fatigue is extremely common in those dealing with chronic candida overgrowth in the body.  This is because candida overgrowth naturally causes the body to produce high amounts of stress hormones.  Overtime, this overproduction of stress hormones can have a taxing effect on the body and can cause symptoms such as adrenal fatigue.

For those unaware, the adrenals are responsible for manufacturing the body’s stress hormones such as cortisol and aldosterone.  They’re two small organs that sit on top of the kidney’s.  However, dysregulation among the adrenal glands can cause all sorts of problems in the body.

Below is a small list of symptoms that are common in those with adrenal fatigue:

• Muscle Weakness
• Abdominal Pain
• Cravings for Salt
• Chronic Fatigue
• Loss of Appetite
• Brain Fog
• Blood Sugar Issues

Although these are just a few symptoms associated with adrenal fatigue, they’re very common among those dealing with this condition.

Luckily, research has shown that vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) supplementation in rats helped the adrenal glands to secrete corticosterone and progesterone; two anti-stress hormones (3).  As mentioned above, bee pollen is a rich source of the B-vitamins, especially vitamin B5.  Those suffering from adrenal fatigue due to candida may want to consider adding a high quality bee pollen product into their diet.

Excellent Source of Nutrients

There is no denying that bee pollen is full of high amounts of nutrients that can help boost overall health in the body.  It’s naturally a rich source of amino acids that are needed by the body for repair and regeneration.  Also, since it’s technically an animal food, it’s naturally low in anti-nutrients.

For those unaware, anti-nutrients occur primarily in plant foods and can hinder the absorption of nutrients in the gut.  Also, if consumed in excess, these anti-nutrients can contribute to intestinal inflammation and issues such as gut permeability.

Luckily, bee pollen is very low in anti-nutrients and is highly absorbable by the body.  It contains a wide array of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, and iron.  It also contains high amounts of B-vitamins and trace amounts of vitamin A and vitamin C.  B-vitamins are critical for overall well-being in the body and can help to naturally lower stress levels.

In our opinion, high quality bee pollen is a powerhouse of nutrition that can help to remineralize and  revitalize the body of those suffering from candida overgrowth.

Naturally Energizes the Body

Bee pollen is naturally energizing to the body due to the high amounts of naturally occurring vitamins and minerals.  Many suffering with issues such as chronic fatigue report improvements in their conditions after incorporating bee pollen into their diet.

As mentioned before, bee pollen is very nourishing towards the adrenal glands and can help correct adrenal dysfunction in the body.  Many suffering with chronic fatigue issues are oftentimes dealing with an adrenal gland problem.

Also, since it naturally has an inhibitory effect against candida, bee pollen can help lower the candida populations in the gut.  This in itself will help to improve energy levels in the body.

The Bottom Line – Should you Use Bee Pollen?

In our opinion, high quality bee pollen can make an excellent addition to the diet of those suffering from candida overgrowth.  In particular, it will help to add in much needed vitamins, minerals, and amino acids into the body.  It should be mentioned that the nutrients found in bee pollen are in food based formed.  Food based nutrients are much easier absorbed into the body than synthetic supplements.

Research is clear that bee pollen contains powerful anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties which can help to inhibit the growth of candida.  As a result, including this superfood into the diet of those suffering from candida can be a great option.

As always, quality is of the utmost importance.  In our opinion, pollen’s coming from other countries other than the United States is always going to be a better option.  This is because other countries have stricter laws on pesticide use.  Depending on where it’s coming from, bees can pollinate flowers which have been sprayed with pesticides.  Consequently, these pesticides can make their way into the pollen grains.

We’ve found that Stakich Spanish Pollen to be a good product.  This product comes specifically from Spain where pesticide use is highly regulated.

Consider our Candida Diet Protocol

Although bee pollen is great, following a correct anti-candida and gut healing diet is imperative in order to achieve real and long lasting results.  It’s for this reason that we created our free Candida Diet Protocol Page.  Here you will find everything you need to know about the best foods for candida and an easy to follow eating strategy.

That being said, high quality animal foods should always form the base of anyone’s diet who is suffering from candida overgrowth.  Animal foods contain all the necessary nutrients needed for regeneration and repair in the body.  They’re also low in sugar and naturally anti-candida!