Bee Pollen for Allergies: Does It Work?

Question

​The claim that bee pollen can effectively treat allergies is false. Some preliminary studies and anecdotal reports do suggest potential benefits, however, there is insufficient scientific proof to support bee pollen as a reliable treatment for allergies.​ A small study on mice demonstrated that bee pollen suppressed the release of mast cells, which trigger allergic reactions. Another limited human study reported fewer allergy symptoms among participants regularly ingesting bee pollen. Nevertheless, these studies are only preliminary, and more extensive clinical trials are needed to establish actual proof.​ Health organizations, including the Cleveland Clinic, caution that most studies on bee pollen's benefits are small and not conducted on humans, rendering the results inconclusive.

Answer 1

The study from Cleveland Clinic was a good source to use for this claim. While it is correct that studies on humans are small or limited, the National Library of Medicine in 2021 published an article explaining everything we know about bee pollen. The study states, "Bee pollen also has an anti-allergy action. Bee pollen inhibited degranulation of mast cells in vitro when added to cells at the time of IgE (immunoglobulin E) sensitization. Varying concentrations of bee pollen inhibited the binding of IgE to mast cells without influencing the expression of FcεRI (the high-affinity receptor for the Fc region of IgE). In line with this, bee pollen at small doses (0.1–1 µg/mL) inhibited TNF (tumor necrosis factor) production from mast cells. Another mechanism of action was that bee pollen inhibited the signal transduction pathways as observed in bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC) in vitro. In the murine model of OVA-induced allergy, bee pollen phenolic extract reduced immunological parameters."

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8230257/

Comments

Your fact-check made me believe the claim is true -- I'm a bit confused!

Answer 2

The claim that consumption of bee pollen can effectively treat allergies is false. While it is true that there can be some nutritional benefits to consuming bee pollen, this is not a suitable treatment for allergies. Most news articles on this topic cover the nutritional value of consuming bee pollen, not the effectiveness of consuming bee pollen for treating allergies. The National Library of Medicine confirms that bee pollen has some nutritional value and has uses in pharmaceuticals, but other studies have been inconclusive about bee pollens effectiveness in combating general allergies. Additionally, most health organizations such as the Cleveland Clinic agree that individuals with an allergy to honey or bee stings will likely get an allergic reaction if they consume bee pollen, and will not experience the supposed benefits of allergy relief.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7917892/

https://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/bee-pollen-for-allergies

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/bee-pollen-benefits

Answer 3

This claim is false. Bee pollen is known as a natural superfood, helping with immunity, inflammation, and energy. It has even been proven to aid in treating some chronic diseases as well as serve a preventative role in certain illnesses/ disorders like heart complications and obesity. But, it has not been proven to help reduce allergies; it has actually been proven that it does nothing to help reduce them. And if one is allergic to bee pollen, taking it can be dangerous. It is a lot more beneficial (and safer) to just treat seasonal allergies with antihistamines, eyedrops, allergy shots, decongestants, etc. 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8230257/#sec12-nutrients-13-01876 

https://www.webmd.com/balance/bee-pollen-benefits-and-side-effects 

 

Answer 4

There is no solid scientific evidence that bee pollen helps with allergies. Your Healthline article outlines the main theory around using bee pollen to treat allergies: "The thinking goes that since it comes from local plant species you’re allergic to, locally sourced pollen will protect your immune system from reacting to airborne allergen exposure from those same plants, perhaps by desensitizing you to it. This theory remains unproven." The lack of proof around this theory is also highlighted in an article from the Cleveland Clinic. According to a quote from Robert Shapter (MD, MPH) in the article, "'There are no persuasive studies for bee pollen’s effectiveness on any condition that I’m aware of,' Dr. Saper says. 'Although it’s been suggested to help many conditions, there’s inadequate data to say for certain'". Overall, the results around the effectiveness of bee pollen to treat allergies are shaky at best, as there is not enough evidence to fully prove the theory. 

Sources:
Does Bee Pollen Help with Allergies?
Are There Benefits of Bee Pollen?

Answer 5

After reviewing some basic information on bees and pollen and looking at the linked source and a couple of my own, I would have to support the fact that bee pollen does not directly work for helping your allergies. A common misconception behind this is that it would help because it comes from pollen from flowers that cause these allergies. However, most of the pollen does come from the flowers that bee's surface on, but for most, seasonal allergies arise from windborne pollens in trees, bushes, and grasses. Therefore, bee pollen does not help reduce the symptoms coming from pollen allergies. The source you included goes more into depth about the facts and science behind why it does not help. Overall, all signs point to your claim being true that there isn't a relationship between the 2.

https://www.honeybeesuite.com/how-bees-transfer-pollen-between-flowers/

https://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/bee-pollen-for-allergies

Answer 6

I would say that bee pollen does possess several health benefits. It is anti-inflammatory, it can help to strengthen the immune system, and it helps the body heal wounds better. Bee pollen is full of ingredients like protein, carbs, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals that keep the body in good condition and strong. Others also take it with the hope that it will ease allergy symptoms. In 2021, a study showed that bee pollen might be calming allergic reactions by removing inflammation. It suggested that bee pollen could inhibit certain types of responses that cause allergy symptoms. However, while this is encouraging, there is not yet enough strong evidence to definitely state whether bee pollen can treat or prevent allergies. Experts suggest more work is needed to fully understand how it operates and whether it actually assists allergies. Here is a link to a trusted source: 

https://www.webmd.com/balance/bee-pollen-benefits-and-side-effects

Answer 7

This article that bee pollen effectively manages allergies is currently not established. The scientific research on the efficiency is limited and inconclusive. While a number of reports demonstrate that bee pollen may have anti-allergic actions, for example, inhibiting cell activation, these are unsupported by peer-reviewed clinical human investigations. There is some minor study and anecdotal evidence with indications ofadvantages. The Cleveland Clinic reports that there are no studies toconvince us that bee pollen is effective for any condition. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/bee-pollen-benefits

Answer 8

While some animal studies and anecdotal accounts show bee pollen might help allergy symptoms, there is no strong scientific evidence showing it as a reliable allergy treatment for humans. A few small human studies showed minor improvements, but these lacked controls like a placebo group and relied heavily on self-reported data.

Organizations like the Cleveland Clinic emphasize that current studies are limited in size, not all conducted on humans, and suffer from variability in bee pollen type due to differences in geography, plant origin, and season. This makes it hard to generalize findings and limits its reliability as a treatment.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8230257/ 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28732430/
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/bee-pollen-benefits
https://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/bee-pollen-for-allergies 

Answer 9

This claim is misleading. While some people report feeling better after taking bee pollen, there is not enough high-quality scientific evidence to support it as an effective allergy treatment. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), bee pollen has not been proven in clinical trials to prevent or treat allergic reactions and in some cases it may actually trigger serious allergic responses in sensitive individuals. Most studies have been conducted on animals or in very small human trials, which are not enough to prove it works safely or reliably.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health  https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/bee-pollen

Answer 10

The claim that bee pollen can effectively treat allergies is false. While bee pollen is widely praised for its nutritional value and potential health benefits, there is no scientific evidence to support its use as a treatment for allergies. The article written by the National Library of Medicine primarily focuses on bee pollen’s effects on metabolic disorders, blood sugar control, liver health, and reproductive function. Still, it makes no mention of its ability to reduce or prevent allergic reactions. It states that when pollen is digested, “the components of pollen grain walls (pigments, enzymes, and allergens) are diffused in the acid medium of the stomach,” which suggests that bee pollen can introduce allergens into the body rather than treat them.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8230257/