High Desert* Bee Pollen and Antioxidant Activity

Deep Down, Didn't You Always Know It?


 
 
Beehive products have been used since ancient times as "functional foods" because of their perceived health-promoting effects for the human body. In modern times, this perception - that beehive products promote health due to nutritionally beneficial compounds - has increasingly come under question. The skepticism has been partially due to the lack of scientific studies examining the issue, as well as the scarcity of identifiable and measurable parameters to base health-related studies on. Recently, new laboratory techniques have been developed that make it easier to study the beneficial effects and the nutritional make-up of natural substances. CC Pollen Co. has enthusiastically co-operated in this process of scientific research. And so, we were not surprised to learn that our high Desert Bee Pollen scored the highest ORAC antioxidant score of any of the whole foods yet tested (see below; also please scroll to below the chart to read the rest of this article).


 
 

 
ORAC Tests


 
The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) test** is an emerging standard by which science measures antioxidant activity in foods and dietary supplements. Antioxidants are important to protect the body's cells from damage caused by free radicals (reactive oxygen species). Cell membranes are susceptible to free radicals because they are largely composed of fatty acids (lipid bi-layer). Poly-unsaturated fatty acids are particularly susceptible to free-radical-mediated oxidation because of their unique structure. Cell membrane damage due to oxidation of fatty acid membrane components (lipid peroxidation) can lead to the disruption of the function and structure of entire cells. It is important to maintain normal levels of lipid peroxidation of lipoproteins.

Dietary antioxidants, or free radical-scavengers, may play a preventive role in protecting a person's health. High levels of antioxidant activity, as determined by ORAC, have been found to be present in blueberries and black raspberries. When the ORAC scores of these berries became known annual consumption of those fruits increased dramatically. Berries became reputed to be the foods possessing the most antioxidant activity of all the whole foods. The highest ORAC scores for wild blueberries is listed at 61 ORAC units (umole TE/g). Black raspberries scored higher at 164 ORAC units (see attached ORAC Comparison Chart).

Recently, CC Pollen Co. had its High Desert Bee Pollen tested for ORAC antioxidant activity by an independent lab. The result was 247 ORAC units, the highest score ever recorded for any whole food. As a "functional food", nothing comes close to High Desert Bee Pollen.


 
Polyphenol Quantification Tests


 
Certain laboratories are now also measuring the polyphenol content of foods and supplements. Polyphenols are called aromatic compounds, and they are biochemically characterized by the presence of six-carbon rings with an attached hydroxy (OH) group, called phenols. A molecule that contains more than one phenolic ring is called a polyphenol. Polyphenols, as a class of nutrients, include bioflavonoids, organic acids, and phenolic acids. Most of the antioxidant activity of a food is created by polyphenols. Polyphenols have been extensively studied in terms of their antioxidant activity and health-promoting biological activities. Generally, total polyphenol content is regarded as a measure of the health-promoting qualities of a whole food.

Once again, CC Pollen Co. had its High Desert¨ Bee Pollen tested, this time for total polyphenol content, and the results were the highest polyphenol content of any food yet tested, at 15.05 mg/g. The next highest reading was cranberries at 5.575 mg/g.

CC Pollen is eagerly awaiting the next generation of tests that will further verify what we have always known: If you want quality nutrients in your diet, High Desert Bee Pollen should be your first choice.

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**ORAC comparison charts available on request.


 

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