Bee pollen is a mixture of nectar, enzymes, honey, wax, bee secretions, and pollen from flowers a bee has visited. This mixture sticks to a bee’s legs as it moves from plant to plant, and eventually gets carried back to the hive, where the colony uses it for food.

Bee pollen is a very nutritious and high-protein food that is full of vitamins and minerals? It is a source of vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, C, D and E, as well as calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, selenium and more! In fact, it has a reputation as nature’s “perfect food” due to its nutritional profile.

The list of potential benefits from regularly supplementing with bee pollen are quite astounding!

• Anti-inflammatory: Bee pollen has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties for humans and animals alike. A 2010 study found that bee pollen showed “potent anti-inflammatory activity” in a group of rats. It has even been found to have anti-inflammatory properties comparable to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like naproxen! If your dog has sore joints or muscles, he may benefit from a supplement of bee pollen.

• Allergy-fighting: Environmental allergies are on the rise in dogs, with a 7% increase from 2008 to 2018. If your dog suffers from allergies, she may get some relief if you include bee pollen in her diet. Some suggest that you look for locally harvested bee pollen in order to stimulate your dog’s immune system and provide some immunity to your local pollens. Because your dog might be allergic to some of the pollen in the product you choose, it’s important to start with small doses with advice from your vet to avoid a potentially severe allergic reaction. Note that bee pollen is not considered a remedy for food allergies in dogs.

• Immunity-boosting: Bee pollen has anti-bacterial properties that make it a good supplement for immune system support. This can prevent your dog from catching infections, or at least make symptoms less severe if your dog catches something. Bee pollen is also high in antioxidants, which have been shown to protect against free radical damage.

• Digestive health: Bee pollen can improve gut health for your dog. First of all, it has enzymes that can help digestion and help your dog get all the intended benefits from other foods that she eats. Since it’s also anti-microbial, it can help clear pathogens out of your dog’s gastrointestinal tract.

• Urinary health: Bee pollen is an alkaline food, meaning it balances the pH in the body. This can contribute to a healthier urinary tract, keeping your dog free of painful and dangerous urinary tract infections (UTIs).

• Arthritis: Bee pollen is high in rutin, a flavonoid that has been shown to be as effective as medication in relieving arthritis pain and improving joint function. It can be hard to get the benefits from rutin through a regular diet because of its low bioavailbility, but since bee pollen is already partially digested by the bees, it can get into the bloodstream more quickly, be absorbed by the body and start providing benefits more easily.

• Cancer-fighting: Last but not least – bee pollen could help fight cancer! Bee pollen may seem like a new-age fad without much scientific backing, but its benefits have been studied for decades. A 1948 study added bee pollen to the diet of mice who had been bred specifically to grow tumors. They found that mice in the bee pollen group developed cancer almost ten weeks later than those in the control group, and some of the mice even became tumor-free.