Royal Jelly

Efficacy-safety rating:

ÒÒ...Ethno or other evidence of efficacy.

Safety rating:

●...Little exposure or very minor concerns.

What is Royal Jelly?

Royal jelly is a milky-white secretion produced by the hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of worker honeybees of the species Apis mellifera to induce differentiated growth and the development of the queen bee. Royal jelly is the principal food of the honeybee queen.

What is Royal Jelly used for?

Traditional/Ethnobotanical uses

Because of their specialized nutrition, queen bees differ from workers in several ways. The queens are approximately twice the size, they lay approximately 2,000 eggs a day (female worker bees are infertile), and they live 5 to 8 years (approximately 40 times longer than worker bees).

These differences have led to the marketable assumption that ingestion of this product will do as much for humans as it does for bees; that is, increase size, improve fertility, and enhance longevity. In many countries, royal jelly has been promoted widely as a commercially available medicine, health food, and as a cosmetic (as an emollient, moisturizer, and nourishing substance). It is used in traditional medicine for longevity in Europe and Asia. Royal jelly has been sold as a skin tonic and hair growth stimulant.

Miscellaneous uses

Royal jelly has been studied for its antimicrobial, antitumor, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and immunoregulatory activity. Although evidence does exist for its antimicrobial activity, it does not possess recognizable preventive, therapeutic, or rejuvenatory characteristics. Research reveals no clinical data regarding the use of royal jelly for immunoregulation.

What is the dosage of Royal Jelly?

There is no recent clinical evidence for an appropriate dose of royal jelly.

Is Royal Jelly safe?

Contraindications

Contraindications have not yet been identified.

Pregnancy/nursing

Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.

Interactions

None well documented.

Side Effects

Avoid use if allergic to any of the components in royal jelly. Royal jelly has been linked with acute asthma, anaphylaxis, and death.

Toxicities

Because some individuals have hypersensitivity reactions to other bee products such as bee pollen, keep in mind the potential for cross-reaction with royal jelly. In fact, royal jelly consumption has been linked with acute asthma, anaphylaxis, and death, probably because of the pollen constituents.

References