While there are a number of different “superfoods” that have proven to be highly effective at helping with fertility, Royal Jelly is more than likely the reigning King…or Queen of the bunch. This nutrient-dense substance is a secretion that comes from specific glands in nurse worker bees, and is used to not only create a queen bee for procreation, but it is also fed to honey bee larvae to provide them with optimal health and growth.
Royal Jelly is rich in amino acids (29 to be exact), 10-hydroxydecenoic acid (10-HDA), lipids, sugars, vitamins, and proteins. It contains vitamins A, B complex (including folic acid and inositol), C, D and E, and also has ample levels of iron and calcium, as well as other minerals. Royal Jelly also contains acetylcholine, which is needed to transmit nerve messages from cell to cell. 10-HDA is thought to be its major therapeutic constituent as it has been shown to have antitumor activity. Because Royal Jelly contains a wide variety of nutrients that are essential to proper health and organ function, it is very easy to see how it can help assist fertility.
Royal Jelly
Royal jelly is the main food source for bee larvae in the first three days of their development. One larva that is to be the Queen Bee is fed only Royal Jelly its entire life. This exclusive feeding triggers the full development of her ovaries which are needed to create the millions of eggs she will lay in her lifetime. The Queen matures in 5 days and weighs double that of a worker bee. A worker bee only lives to be 30-45 days old, but the Queen bee lives to be 5 to 6 years old. The queen also lays around 250,000 eggs in one season and in peak season, she may lay up to 2000 eggs a day. This may have something to do with the extremely high nutritional content of the Royal Jelly, which is this Queen’s exclusive diet.
Using Royal Jelly to Support Fertility
Regular consumption of high-quality Royal Jelly has been shown to help balance hormones. This makes it beneficial to those individuals that suffer from a hormonal imbalance, as it helps to provide support to the endocrine system. It may also help with fertility issues that are related to hormonal imbalance.
A study done in Japan and published in 2007 in the journal Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. showed that Royal Jelly has the propensity to mimic human estrogen, similar to that of plant phytoestrogens. Estrogen is essential for healthy bone formation and gene expression, and is vital for a healthy menstrual cycle. This study also showed a potential for increased size of uterine cells in the rats studied. While there may need to be more studies done to show the full potential of Royal Jelly consumption on uterine health, this is an exciting potential for women with weak uterine muscles or thin uterine lining due to long-term hormonal birth control use.
Another study out of Kuyushu University in Japan, aimed to see if Royal Jelly could combat BPA growth-promoting effects on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. BPA (bisphenol A) is a harmful chemical used in plastics that is a known xenoestrogen. The results of the study showed that Royal Jelly inhibits the stimulated growth of BPA on MCF-7 cells. Not only has BPA been linked to breast cancer, it has also been linked to poor egg health.
One additional promising rat study of out of Iran, published in the International Journal of Fertility and Sterility found that Royal Jelly “promotes folliculogensis [the maturing of follicles in an ovary] and increases ovarian hormones…” Thirty two female rats were divided into four groups, three control groups receiving either 100, 200 or 400 mg/ kg of body weight daily for 14 days. Rats in the Royal Jelly consuming control groups had increased levels of estradiol and progesterone, increased uterine and ovarian weights, as well as a significant increase in mature follicles and corpora lutea (more than one corpus luteum). Serum antioxidant levels were increased and nitric oxide levels decreased.
Royal Jelly may be beneficial for the following:
- To increase libido
- Support egg and sperm health
- Promote hormone balance
- Protect liver health
- Diminish and reduce the signs of aging
- To reduce inflammation caused by illness or injury
- To naturally boost the body’s immune system
- Protect against the fertility-damaging effects of chemotherapy
Click here to shop for Royal Jelly
Making Informed Decisions When Choosing Bee Products
Be sure that you are choosing high quality products from a reputable source. This is very important not only to you, but to the health of the bees. As you may well know, the bee population is rapidly declining and much of this is thought to be linked to environmental pollution. Choose to support organic, free-range, biodynamic farming and bee-keeping practices when possible. Your choices make a difference!
Take the time to learn more about bees and how they sustain our food chain; without them we might perish. There are some great documentaries out there on Colony Collapse Disorder, the lives of bees and how they are on the brink of total collapse. Please keep in mind their vital role in our daily lives!
Our Natural Fertility Shop carries a premium choice of Royal Jelly which is pure Royal Jelly freeze-dried to maintain quality. We also carry Active Bee Power which contains a wonderful blend of these 3 bee products as well as some immune boosting herbs. This company has been certified organic since 1995.
How and When To Take Royal Jelly
Royal Jelly comes in either capsules or in a semi-liquid state. Be sure to follow instructions for use on the label of the product you have purchased. For general information on suggested use, see below…
Traditional Suggested Use:
The traditional suggested use of Royal Jelly is 500 – 3000mg of pure royal jelly per day, taken in 2 – 3 separate doses throughout the day.
Royal Jelly is best taken between meals and is fine to take all month long.
Important Caution
It is extremely important to note that if you are allergic to bees or honey you should avoid all bee products. Side effects and reactions can include minor to severe skin irritations, difficulty breathing or even anaphylactic shock. If you begin to develop a reaction to any of these products, discontinue use immediately. Do not feed to infants under 1 year of age. Do not use bee products during pregnancy if either side of your family or the father’s family has a history of bee allergy as this may affect the baby.
- Yance, Donald R., C.N., M.H., R.H.(AHG). (2013) Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism Elite Herbs and Natural Compounds for Mastering Stress, Aging and Chronic Disease; Royal Jelly (and Propolis): pp. 570-75. Healing Arts Press.
- Townsend, G. F., Lucas, C.C. (1940) The Chemical Nature of Royal Jelly. Biochem J. Sep;
34(89): 1155–1162. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1265395/?page=1 - Markus Hellner, Daniel Winter, Richard von Georgi, and Karsten Munstedt. (2008) Apitherapy: Usage And Experience In German Beekeepers. eCAM. 5(4)475–479 doi:10.1093/ecam/nem052 Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2586305/
- Kazu Michi Suzuki, et. al. (2007). Estrogenic Activities of Fatty Acids and a Sterol Isolated from Royal Jelly. eCAM. 5(3)295–302 doi:10.1093/ecam/nem036. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2529378/
- FAO Corporate Document Repository. Royal Jelly. Retrieved from:
http://www.fao.org/docrep/w0076e/w0076e16.htm - Lewis, R. A. (2005). The infertility cure: The ancient Chinese wellness program for getting pregnant and having healthy babies. Boston: Little, Brown and.
- Barton-Schuster, Dalene, C.H. Royal Jelly, Bee Pollen & Bee Propolis for Fertility. Retrieved from: https://natural-fertility-info.com/bee-pollen-fertility.html
- Immunological Factor and Infertility. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://www.sharedjourney.com/articles/asperm.html
- Ghanbari, E., Khazaei, M. R., Khazaei, M., & Nejati, V. (2017). Royal Jelly Promotes Ovarian Follicles Growth and Increases Steroid Hormones in Immature Rats. International journal of fertility & sterility, 11(4), 263-269. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5641457/
- Nakaya, M., Onda, H., Sasaki, K., Yukiyoshi, A., Tachibana, H., & Yamada, K. (2007). Effect of Royal Jelly on Bisphenol A-Induced Proliferation of Human Breast Cancer Cells. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, 71(1), 253-255. doi:10.1271/bbb.60453 Retrieved from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1271/bbb.60453
