All you need to know about Royal Jelly
Popularly known as Cleopatra's face pack, Royal Jelly that was earlier used a beauty product has multiple uses. It improves health and fight diseases.
Royal Jelly, a milky substance produced by worker bees and fed by queen bee throughout her life is a very scarce product. Its been used for centuries for its remarkable health-giving and rejuvenating properties. Trending for a while, we dig deeper into its elements, benefits and precautions one should be taking.
Why so popular?
Royal Jelly has a complex nutritional profile that includes nucleotides, polyphenols, and unique organic acids which rejuvenates the body. It is said to be a great help in muscle building and skin tone. It has been widely used in commercial medical products, health foods, and cosmetics in many countries. It is also commonly used as a dietary supplement for its potential health benefits. Due to its multiple usage, its priced for Rs.15,000-20,000 per kilo.
The rising demand
Namrata Khanna, Director, India Honey Alliance, said, “In India, over 1.42 lakh metric tome of honey is produced every year. The demand for Royal Jelly is about 1,000 kg in India alone, but the availability of the product is very limited. Countries such as Thailand, China and Vietnam are leading in extraction and distribution of royal jelly. However, the quality of Indian royal jelly is far superior as compared to royal jelly from these countries. India can also become a major producer and exporter of royal jelly in future. To improve production of royal jelly in India, an organised extraction model is needed.”
Government initiatives
Owing to its rising demand, the authorities from Central Bee Research Training Institute of India (CRBTI) are involving tribal women in its harvesting and training them with grafting and extraction procedure. They will be collaborating with the horticulture department of various states. Dr K Lakshmi Rao, who recently retired from CBRTI and is National Resource person for Beekeeping, Ministry of NRLM says, “Royal jelly is known for centuries, but in the last 5-6 years its systematic production is started in India and consumption has increased.”
The expert view
There are several studies that highlights and prove the benefit of Royal Jelly. “It has multiple benefits, however the predominant side effect associated with royal jelly is allergic reactions. These reactions from consuming royal jelly orally can vary from mild, such as mild gastrointestinal discomfort, to more severe responses particularly in individuals highly allergic to bee products. Individuals with allergies to bee pollen, honey, or specific trees like conifer and poplar are advised against oral consumption of royal jelly. Furthermore, topical application of royal jelly can cause skin irritations in certain individuals. So try a patch test before use,” says Dr. Parinita Kaur, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, Aakash Healthcare.
