Pollen is a fine yellow or orange powder transported from plant to plant by the wind, birds, insects, or other animals. It offers a myriad of health benefits, so it’s little surprise it’s been a part of human regimes throughout history.
Overall, pollen can be consumed and even enjoyed in many unique ways – some of which are detailed below. From food and drink to skincare and herb pressing, check out these amazing things you can do with pollen.
Food and Drink
Pollen is widely accepted as a powerful dietary supplement for human nutrition, which explains why it can be found in many forms, such as granules, capsules, tablets, pellets, and powders. It can be consumed in equally as many ways, with many people adding it to foods and enjoying it as part of a healthy diet. Additionally, some people take pollen for allergen exposure in an attempt to build up resistance and reduce hayfever symptoms over time, though this isn’t guaranteed to work.
Whatever the reason for consumption, a lot of people like to mix pollen or sprinkle it into:
- Yoghurt
- Granola
- Oats
- Smoothies
- Raw desserts
- Homemade truffles
- Vinaigrettes
- Acai bowls
- Soups
- Sliced fruit
- Warm drinks
The culinary possibilities with pollen are seemingly endless, and despite its slightly bitter flavour, most people who consume it regularly seem to get used to the taste.
Skincare
Honey, propolis, bee pollen, beeswax, and even bee venom are all-natural products that humans have used in medicine since ancient times. Even today, manufacturers use beeswax in the production of cosmetics and pharmaceutical ointments. Modern studies also indicate that natural bee products are effective in skincare and treating certain skin conditions. The biological properties of these products are linked to the flavonoids they contain.
Bee pollen is a particular favourite in medicine; it’s a potent antifungal, antiviral, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory immunostimulating agent. That’s not all; it’s also known to facilitate the granulation process of burn healing.
Pollen Press
Technically, this one isn’t purely about pollen per se; it’s more associated with the whole plant (pollen included). Still, it’s interesting to mention as it’s a modern way of enjoying plants and herbs at home.
What is a pollen press? It’s a device that compresses plant material into a disk, puck, or pellet using heat and pressure. The machine can be manual or hydronic driven, but what remains the same is that all pollen presses can produce the same product – a pure, compacted, and concentrated plant material that’s solventless (meaning no chemicals).
So, why is it called a ‘pollen press’? Flower and herb pressing comes in different stages, with each yield having a unique name. For example, trichomes are tiny translucent hairs that grow over the leaves and buds of certain plants. When these trichomes are taken from the plant, they’re referred to as ‘pollen.’ This ‘pollen’ is then dried out to make dry herbs and is where some pollen press manufacturers got the inspiration for the name of their machine. The devices also go by other names, such as a Rosin Press machine, a Nectar Pollen Pincher, and numerous others.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, people consume pollen through plenty of mediums – for medicinal purposes, dietary reasons, allergy treatment, dry herb and rosin pressing, and pure enjoyment. For whatever reason and in whichever way you choose to enjoy pollen, it’s clear that this naturally occurring plant substance holds nothing but benefits – given its firm place in human history dating back to primitive times.