What is Royal Jelly - Facts
For Print: royal jelly benefits and facts (pdf, 129 kb)
Royal jelly, (gelee royale or even RJ), is a sticky liquid made by the worker bees for the nourishment of the Queen bee. Without royal jelly, the queen bee wouldn’t differ from the worker bees at all. With Royal Jelly, the queen lives 3 to even 8 years, which is 45-times longer than the ordinary bee’s live. The Queen is hatched from identical egg as the worker bee but is fed by pure royal jelly, while the worker bee mainly gets only honey and pollen. Royal Jelly, the queen’s food, makes the queen into a bigger animal with super-hero powers.
- DAY 1 All female larvae have the same starting point
- DAY 2 Worker and queen both get 100% royal jelly.
- DAY 3 Nurses stop giving larval workers pure royal-jelly.
- DAY 5 Workers and queens differ vastly in ovarioes count.
And that’s why there is a popular belief that royal jelly influences fertility.
The actual chemical make-up of royal jelly remains a secret. The fact is that we can’t make Royal Jelly by a recipe or something!
Royal Jelly is a delicate liquid. As soon as it’s removed from the sterile environment it can get infected.
For preserving Royal Jelly is in use lyophilizing or freezing.
Royal jelly is a pure acetylcholine. It contains:
- 17 amino acids
- aspartic acid: 15%
- carbohydrates: 12-15%
- protein: 12%
- lipids: 5-6%
Royal Jelly is full of vitamins
- Pantothenic Acid: 65.0 to 200.0 mcg
- Biotin: 0.9 to 3.7 mcg
- Inositol: 78.0 to 150.0 mcg
- Folic Acid: 0.16 to 0.50mcg
- Vitamin C: Trace
- Vitamin B1: 1.5 to 7.4 mcg
- Vitamin B2: 5.3 to 10.0 mcg
- Vitamin B6: 2.2 to 10.2 mcg
- Niacin: 91.0 to 149.0 mcg
Still wondering, what is Royal Jelly? Many medical, pharmaceutical and other studies have been conducted. For further studies please read the following:
- Bullock RJ, Rohan A, Straatmans JA. Fatal royal jelly-induced asthma. Med J Aust. 1999;
- Fujii A, Kobayashi S, Kuboyama N. Augmentation of wound healing by royal jelly (RJ) in streptozoticin-diabetic rats. Jpn J Pharmacol. 1990;
- Fujiwara S, Imai J, Fujiwara M, et al. A potent antibacterial protein in royal jelly. Purification and determination of the primary structure of royalisin. J Biol Chem. 1990;
- Gene M, Aslan A. Determination of trans-10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid content in pure royal jelly products by column liquid chromatography. J Chromatogr. 1999;
- Hamerlinck FF. Neopterin: a review. Exp Dermatol. 1999;
- Harwood M, Harding S, Beasley R, Frankish PD. Asthma following royal jelly. N Z Med J. 1996;
- Ishiwata H, Takeda Y, Yamada T, et al. Determination and confirmation of methyl p-hydroxybenzoate in royal jelly and other foods produced by the honey bee. Food Addit Contam, 1999;
- Leung R, Ho A, Chan J, et al. Royal jelly consumption and hypersensitivity in the community. Clin Exp Allergy. 1997;
Orsolic SL, Tadic Z, Njari B, et al. A royal jelly as a new potential immunomodulator in rats and mice. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis. 1996; - Shen X, Lu R, He G. [Effects of lyophilized royal jelly on experimental hyperlipidemia and thrombosis.] [Article in Chinese.] Chung Hua Yu Fang I Hsueh Tsa Chih. 1995;
- Szanto E, Gruber D, Sator M, et al. [Placebo-controlled study of melbrosia in treatment of climacteric symptoms.] [Article in German.] Wien Med Wochenschr. 1994;
Tamura T, Fujii A, Kuboyama N. [Antitumor effects of royal jelly.] [Article in Japanese.] Nippon Yakurigaku Zasshi. 1987;
Thien FC, Leung R, Baldo BA, et al. Asthma and anaphylaxis induced by royal jelly. Clin Exp Allergy. 1996; - Vittek J. Effects of royal jelly on serum lipids in experimental animals and humans with atherosclerosis. Experientia. 1995;
Yonei Y, Shibagaki K, Tsukada N, et al. Case report: hemorrhagic colitis associated with royal jelly intake. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 1997; - American Apitherapy Sociey. The Royal Jelly Difference “Healthy Cell News”
- Justin O. Schmidt. Bee Products: Chemical Composition and Application. Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS
- Blum, M.S., A. F. Novak and S. Taber, III. (1959) 10-Hydroxy-D2decenoic Acid, an Antibiotic Found in Royal Jelly. Science.
- Geyman JP. Anaphylactic reaction after ingestion of bee pollen. Journal of the American Board of Family Practice, 1994.
- Mansfield LE, Goldstein GB. Anaphylactic reaction after ingestion of local bee pollen. Annals of Allergy, 1981.
Lombardi C. Et al. Allergic reactions to honey and royal jelly and their relationship with sensitization to compositae. Allergologia et Immunopathologia 26:288-290, 1998. - Leung R. Et al. Royal jelly consumption and hypersensitivity in the community. Clinical and Experimental Allergy
- Justin O. Schmidt. Bee Products: Chemical Composition and Application.
- Yatsunami, K. and T. Echigo. (1985) Antibacterial Action of Royal Jelly. Bull. fac. Agr. Tamagawa Univ.
- Bullock, R.J., A. Rohan and J-A. Straatmans. (1994) Fatal Royal Jelly-Induced Asthma. Med J. Australia.
- Malcolm T. Sanford. Fact Sheet ENY-118, a series of the Entomology and Nematology Deaprtment, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication date: Revised: February 1995.
- Fleche C. Et al. Contamination of bee products and risk for human health: Situation in France. Revue Scientifique et Technique, 1997.
- Sanford MT. Pollen marketing. Fact Sheet ENY-118. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Feb 1995.
- Thien FC. Et al. Asthma and anaphylaxis induced by royal jelly. Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 1996.
- Shaw D. Et al. Traditional remedies and food supplements. A 5-year toxicological study (1991-1995). Drug Safety, 1997
- Prichard M, Turner KJ. Acute hypersensitivity to ingested processed pollen. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Medicine, 1985.
- Yonei Y. Et al. Case report: Haemorrhagic colitis associated with royal jelly intake. Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 1997