At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.
What are Royal Jelly Supplements?
Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel
Royal jelly supplements are capsules that are filled with a royal jelly, a substance that bees secrete and feed to their larvae. The reason that the jelly-like substance is called "royal" is that extra amounts of the substance are given to the larvae that will go on to become queen bees. Sometimes royal jelly supplements come in the form of royal jelly that has been mixed with honey or creamed honey. However, when it is ingested as a supplement, it is most commonly taken in a capsule. Royal jelly is sometimes referred to as a "superfood" because it is high in vitamins and nutrients.
In particular, royal jelly is high in B vitamins. It is also a source of unsaturated fats, essential amino acids, potassium, iron, sulfur, silicon, and calcium. As the substance has all of these vitamins and nutrients, health-conscious people often add royal jelly supplements to their daily dietary routine. Some people also take royal jelly supplements because they believe that the jelly has certain health benefits such as the ability to boost metabolism, improve sexual function, an offer extra energy. Royal jelly supplements are also believed to help stimulate appetite.
In addition to being used to create general wellness, royal jelly supplements are sometimes used to treat conditions such as depression and fatigue. They are also sometimes used to help people who are recovering from an illness. Although many people believe in the power of supplements, they are still generally considered in the West to be complementary forms of medicine, not the key form of medicine. As such, royal jelly supplements should not be used alone to treat serious illnesses or depression. Those experiencing such problems should work with a licensed medical or mental health professional to begin a journey towards wellness, a journey that may include royal jelly supplements.
There are some people who will have negative reactions to royal jelly supplements, especially people who have allergies to bee products. Before taking this kind of supplement, it is important to make sure that one will not have an allergic reaction to the product. For those people who don't know if they have an allergy to bee products, it is best to avoid royal jelly products altogether. Although royal jelly is believed to have a number of wonderful health benefits, there are also many other natural substances that can be used for similar reasons and with similar results.
Diane Goettel
In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.
Learn more...
Diane Goettel
In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.
Learn more...AS FEATURED ON:
AS FEATURED ON:
-
![A queen bee surrounded by attendants. Royal jelly is produced to feed young queen bees, but may be used to boost energy, immunity, and as an anti-aging treatment.]()
A queen bee surrounded by attendants. Royal jelly is produced to feed young queen bees, but may be used to boost energy, immunity, and as an anti-aging treatment. -
![Royal jelly supplements most commonly come in capsule form.]()
By: aidaricciRoyal jelly supplements most commonly come in capsule form.
Discussion Comments
I think it's important to remember what the article says about royal jelly not being particularly special as a supplement. I think a lot of people get turned around by the advertising, which makes it out to be a miracle cure sometimes.
They have to make it sound really good, since it's difficult to extract, and the bees don't make all that much of it (and they need most of what they do make). If people weren't willing to pay a lot for royal jelly (which, on top of everything else, doesn't last very long like honey will) there would be no point in harvesting it.
But all it is is a collection of vitamins. Royal jelly is healthy but it doesn't provide a miracle cure, any more than a vitamin pill might.
I'm not saying don't take them, just don't get your hopes up overly high.
@indigomoth - Well, milk is secreted from cows, and people never really think twice about that. I don't take royal jelly supplements myself, because they are a bit out of my budget range at the moment, but I wouldn't turn my nose up because they come from the bees.
Honey itself is made from bees regurgitating nectar. They don't just get it out of nowhere.
And royal jelly sounds like it is packed with vitamins. I know that bee pollen supplements are supposed to be good as well.
I think the best place to get them is straight from the honey farm, just because it's a bit cheaper and you can see how it's all made. Although in your case, you might not want to know!
Have you ever seen the photos of the bee larvae sitting in their cells filled with royal jelly? It really makes me think of the Matrix or something. The idea of living in your food, and not just food, but a mixture that is going to turn you into the equivalent of a super being. The jelly is secreted from the heads of the drones. It seems like something out of a movie.
I don't know whether or not royal jelly is actually good for people, but I find it kind of creepy that it was probably siphoned out a cell containing an infant queen like that.
I'd rather just eat the honey that was in a cell by itself and meant for worker bees.
Post your comments