Bee pollen is a combination of plant pollen and honeybee secretions and nectar. The Bible and ancient Egyptian texts are documented proof of its use in public health. It is considered a gold mine of nutrition due to its active components that have significant health and medicinal properties. Bee pollen contains bioactive compounds including proteins, amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and polyphenols. The vital components of bee pollen enhance different bodily functions and offer protection against many diseases. It is generally marketed as a functional food with affordable and inexpensive prices with promising future industrial potentials. This review highlights the dietary properties of bee pollen and its influence on human health, and its applications in the food industry.
The demands of consumers in the field of food production have shifted dramatically. Food today is used to not only satisfy hunger and provide essential nutrients for humans but also to prevent nutrition-related diseases and increase physical and mental activity among consumers. Functional foods are extremely effective at improving body functions and lowering the risk of certain diseases, such as cholesterol-lowering agents, and curing certain diseases.
Bee pollen is an alternative natural product that is at the forefront of research and can act as a functional food. Bee pollen has a great potential in nutritional and biomedical applications, which has allowed it to be one of the main functional food products. For instance, adding grounded bee pollen (0.5, 1.0, 2.5 and 3.0%, w/v) to yogurts from cow, goat, and sheep milk resulted in a food matrix with a higher antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content in vitro, in addition to improving the taste, smell, appearance, and cohesion of yogurt. It also improved surface and interface material because of the formation of active lipid-linked protein.
