General Description
Royal jelly is a milky white secretion produced by the pharyngeal
glands of the worker bee. It consists of a complex mixture of carbohydrates,
proteins, vitamins, lipids, and glandular secretions. During their
first three days of life, all bee larvae feed on royal jelly exclusively.
Beyond that point, only future queens are fed this substance, which
is responsible for their development into fertile adults, much larger
and longer-lived than their sterile worker counterparts. Royal jelly
is used commercially as an ingredient in various topical creams
and lotions, and is also available as a dietary supplement.
Health Applications
- General tonic/immune support
- Cardiovascular health
Primary Uses
Royal jelly has been promoted as an anti-aging substance, a sexual
tonic, and as a treatment for liver disease, rheumatoid arthritis,
anemia, gastric ulcer, and general mental or physical weakness;1
however, there is little scientific evidence to support any of
these uses. Nevertheless, royal jelly remains a highly popular
folk remedy in many regions. In a survey in Hong Kong, over 30%
of survey responders reported using royal jelly at some time.2
Preliminary in vitro and animal studies indicate royal jelly may
have cholesterol-lowering,3 antiinflammatory,4
antibacterial,5 antitumor,6
and immune-stimulating properties;7, however,
most of these effects have not been demonstrated in human subjects.
Although an analysis of the few human trials that have been conducted
suggests that daily royal jelly supplementation may reduce total
serum cholesterol levels by roughly 14 percent,8
further, large-scale studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Dosage/Toxicity
Because no therapeutic use for royal jelly has been established,
dosage recommendations vary. Studies on cholesterol-lowering in
humans have used 50 to 100 mg per day.8 Although
royal jelly has very low toxicity and is generally well tolerated
at this dosage range, severe allergic reactions have been reported
in some individuals.9,10 |
