Common Name:
Royal Jelly (although not an herb, it is used in herbal medicine)
Botanical Name:
The primary food eaten by the queen bee and produced by other bees in her hive. The common honeybee is known as Apis mellifera.
Energy & Taste:
Neutral temperature, sweet and slightly sour
Traditional Uses:
-The dosage is smaller and more infrequent than other adaptogens. It can be taken twice a week long term or for one week each month.
-A supreme tonic, it is used to slow the general aging process. This correlates to Jing in TCM.
-Used for both menopause and andropause, it works systemically on the endocrine system rather than on a specific organ system.
-Nourishes Kidney Yin
-Reproductive tonic
-Improves mental and physical performance
-A deep immune tonic, it has been a part of larger programs in alternative cancer therapy
Quality & Cost:
The best quality is when this product is kept refrigerated and sourced locally. It comes in small jars and is relatively expensive due to the involved gathering process and the relatively small amount contained in the hive.
Method of Preparation:
Keep refrigerated and use ¼ to ½ tsp a day, twice a week or one week a month. It does not need to be processed after purchase. It is not meant for long term or daily use.
Combinations:
Royal jelly can easily be taken by itself on the tip of a spoon. The taste is unusual but not unpleasant. It can be easily used with other adaptogens but does not need to be in tea or tincture form.
Safety Issues:
I have seen no warnings about using Royal Jelly when an allergy to bee stings is present. In spite of this, I recommend use with extreme caution around bee sting allergies which can cause anaphylaxis.
The Plant Profiles are brief materia medica summaries of plants encountered during plant walks or introduced during class on our longer programs. They are presented here to help students organize plant info on an ongoing basis. Although the Profiles are not meant to be comprehensive, they are offered here to the public in the hope that others find these pages useful.