Royal jelly is a milky, nutrient-dense substance produced by honey bees. This secretion serves as a primary food source within the bee colony, particularly for developing larvae and the adult queen. Its unique composition distinguishes it from other bee products like honey or pollen. Royal jelly generally appears as a creamy white, sticky substance, sometimes with a slightly gray tint, and has a sour-bitter taste and distinctive odor.
How Bees Create Royal Jelly
Royal jelly is secreted from specialized glands in the heads of young worker bees, often referred to as nurse bees. These nurse bees, typically between 5 and 15 days old, produce royal jelly from their hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands. The raw materials for this secretion are honey and pollen, which the nurse bees consume and transform them into a gelatinous substance rich in nutritional properties.
The production of royal jelly is a continuous process as it is fed directly to larvae and the queen, unlike honey which is stored. Beekeepers can harvest royal jelly by stimulating a colony to produce new queen bees, as it accumulates in large amounts only in queen cells where larvae are fed in excess. A healthy colony can yield up to 500 grams of royal jelly over a six-month period.
Royal Jelly’s Role in the Colony
Royal jelly plays a differentiating role in bee development, particularly for female larvae. All bee larvae receive royal jelly for their first three days of life. However, after this initial period, the diet diverges: larvae destined to become worker bees transition to a diet of bee bread, a mixture of pollen, nectar, and honey. In contrast, larvae selected to become queens continue to be fed exclusively with large amounts of royal jelly throughout their larval development and into adulthood.
This extended and abundant feeding of royal jelly leads to significant differences in queen larvae’s morphology and lifespan compared to worker bees. Genetically identical to worker bees, queen bees fed royal jelly develop active ovaries, laying up to 2,000 eggs daily, grow larger, and can live for several years, a lifespan significantly longer than the typical five to seven weeks of a worker bee. While royal jelly is known to influence gene expression, some research suggests that the absence of certain plant-based chemicals found in bee bread, rather than solely the presence of royal jelly, may contribute to the differentiation of worker bees.
Potential Human Health Benefits
Royal jelly is rich in water, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. It also contains trace minerals, free amino acids, and a range of B vitamins, with pantothenic acid (B5) being particularly abundant. These components contribute to its purported health-promoting properties, which include anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immune-modulating, and antimicrobial effects.
Some studies indicate royal jelly may offer benefits for managing menopausal symptoms. For instance, a study showed it helped reduce menstrual symptoms in women. Additionally, research suggests that consuming royal jelly could improve cholesterol levels in postmenopausal women. Royal jelly has also demonstrated antibacterial properties against various bacteria and antiviral efficacy against certain viruses, such as the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). While some research shows potential for improving blood sugar levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes, more extensive studies are needed to confirm these effects.
Important Considerations for Consumers
Consumers should be aware of potential side effects and interactions when using royal jelly. Allergic reactions are the most common effect, ranging from mild gastrointestinal upset to more severe responses like asthma, throat swelling, skin rashes, and in rare instances, anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening. These reactions can occur within minutes of ingestion.
Certain groups should exercise caution or avoid royal jelly entirely:
Individuals with a history of asthma or allergies, especially to bee products like bee pollen or honey, or to conifer and poplar trees, are at a higher risk of severe allergic reactions.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women are advised to avoid royal jelly due to a lack of sufficient reliable information regarding its safety.
Royal jelly might also lower blood pressure, so individuals with already low blood pressure or those taking medications for high blood pressure should monitor their levels closely.
Furthermore, it may interact with blood-thinning medications like warfarin, potentially increasing the risk of bleeding.
Proper storage, typically in a cool place like a refrigerator or freezer, is also important to maintain its quality and prolong its shelf life.