Royal Jelly

Fresh royal jelly is roughly 66% water, 15% carbohydrates, 13% protein, 5% fats, and 1% trace elements. It contains a complete spectrum of amino acids and the fat fraction contains a mixture of fatty acids of which HDA (10-hydroxy-2-decenoic) unsaturated fatty acid is of particular note and is often used as a quality indicator.

Royal Jelly is a balanced nutritious food but is typically consumed in very small quantities of the order of 1 gram per day thus not making it a significant source of the recommended daily amounts of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.  However, it’s the highly active trace compounds that account for its health benefits.

Forms of Royal Jelly

The freshness of Royal Jelly is of great importance and it must be stored properly to ensure its quality.  Once collected, royal jelly must be stored at less than 5 C to retain its beneficial properties.  To extend its shelf life to up to 3 years, it may be frozen, freeze dried, or mixed with honey for internal consumption.

Royal Jelly contains a number of important constituents including:

• Numerous steroids and hormones
• Collagen, the major protein in human connective tissue, found in skin, hair, nails, bone, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and the walls of veins and arteries
• Enzymes, including those with antioxidant functions
• Immune complexes that may confer benefits similar to immune complexes found in human plasma
• Methylparaben, a powerful antioxidant
• The nucleic acids DNA and RNA – the basic genetic building blocks of all organisms

Royal Jelly is normally standardized by its content of the short-chain fatty acid, 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (HDA).  

Antibacterial, Antiviral and Fungicidal Effects – Many studies have shown antimicrobial effects, with much of the antibacterial activity attributed to HDA and various proteins and peptides.

Bio-stimulating and Anti-aging Activity – The role of royal jelly in the bee colony is to stimulate growth of larvae and to provide the nutrients and immune support to extend the longevity from a few weeks for a worker bee to 5+ years for the queen bee.  There is little modern (western) clinical studies to support this, however, there are a number of animal studies that support this.  Recent research has shown that royal jelly contains the enzyme telomerase, which regenerates telomeres, the end cap protector for DNA molecules.  Longer telomeres are associated with longer lifespan in humans.

Immuno-modulating Effects – Royal Jelly has been shown to support the immune system through stimulating neural stem cell production and increasing the production of all types of new blood cells.  Stimulating white blood cell production directly helps the body’s immune response against a number of problems including viruses and cancer cells.

Cardiovascular Effects – A variety of human studies have shown that royal jelly can help lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.  Animal studies have shown royal jelly safely lowered blood pressure and anecdotal evidence indicates the same effects in humans.

Skin Protection – Royal jelly is often used as an ingredient in cosmetics and healing ointments for burns and other wounds. Collagen is the major protein in our skin.  Royal Jelly contains water soluble collagen, antioxidant vitamins A, C & E, and various carotenoids that can be absorbed by the skin. They are synergistic with collagen, acting to protect skin proteins from damage caused by exposure to sun and chemicals. People with higher levels of skin antioxidants have smoother, moister skin with fewer wrinkles and a reduced risk of skin cancer.

Physical Performance and Fitness – Studies from Eastern Europe and Russia have shown positive performance endurance effects of using royal jelly in high performance sports.

See our other Natural Honeybee Products