The Bee Whisperer

“Many people tote the health benefits of a honey-inclusive diet, so why not take that idea one degree closer to the source and eat straight-up bee pollen?”  That’s the thoughtful question that Peter Niemi of Niemi’s Apiary put to me.  Apiary is another term for bee yard, and it’s also interesting to note that some farmers provide free apiary sites because the bees pollinate their crops.  I met Niemi at the Lexington Farmers’ Market, where he travels every Tuesday from his twenty-five-hive home base in Athol, MA to sell raw honey, beeswax candles, beeswax hand cream, beeswax soap, honey sesame candy, and bee pollen.  It’s this last item that he can’t stop talking about.

I had never seen such an enormous bottle of bee pollen – one that Niemi was ecstatic to report would last a half-year or more.  A few questions, and this bee whisperer was off and running, telling me all about the health benefits of pollen in a way that I might talk about ice cream.  He loves the stuff.  First of all, it’s the male seed of flowers and required for the fertilization of the plant.  But beyond its primary role, pollen is a superfood – a nutritional marvel that may be the most complete food existing in nature.  In fact, it's the only food that contains the 22 basic elements (i.e. enzymes, hormones, vitamins, amino acids) in the human body.  Pollen is packed with protein (40%,) vitamins, and minerals.  Furthermore, it increases calorie burning, fights acne and wrinkles, increases red blood cells to improve circulation, boosts energy, improves fertility, boosts the immune system, and aids in digestion.  If you eat local honey fertilized by local bees, it can reduce your allergies because you build immunity to that pollen.  Finally, it’s used for weight loss and recovery from athletic stress.  I was starting to think I’d stumbled on the fountain of life…and that that enormous bottle was actually too small.

Then Niemi offered me a tasting.  I got the impression that this was his favorite part of the pitch, which he later confirmed by admitting that he once had thirty-some hits in a single day.  We each took a teaspoon’s-worth, careful to toss the golden granules toward the back of the tongue so they wouldn’t lodge in the front teeth.  Then we waited for them to melt in our mouth as the taste evolution swept from sweet to sour/nutty, and finally bitter.  It wasn’t delicious, but it was intense and intriguing in a way that I would look forward to a single daily dose.  Pollen is always bitter, but it ranges in color and flavor, just as each parent flower is similarly unique.  You can see and taste for yourself at the Lexington Farmers’ Market, which runs through the end of October.  For more photos, click here.  -sy

Comments

[Jane Kim]

whoa...I have never even heard of eating the actual bee pollen. Sounds like a good idea, though. I may have to get a jar. =P -Jane

[TIna M. Mulvey]

I have a life threating allergy to 3 kinds of bees, honey bee, wasp & yellow jackets. I carry 2 epi-pens at all times. Would consuming the bee pollen help reduce my allergy to bees? if so, is there a guideline?

[Jessica]

Fascinating stuff. Niemi looks like an amazing character too. It is always wonderful to find someone so passionate about their vocation.

[Glenn]

How are you. It is impossible to walk rapidly and be unhappy.
I am from Ukraine and bad know English, tell me whether I wrote the following sentence: "Think you doing yourself a favor by going with a ealthy restaurant entree or a iet snack? Think again."

;) Thanks in advance. Glenn.

[Bill]

Regards bee allergies and bee pollen:
I too had allergy to bee-sting that would always land me in hospital for multiple shots. I did a full tissue detox body cleanse (Jensen's) and followed the 7 week mostly raw diet afterwards, have since maintained mostly raw organic diet, I started on bee pollen with one grain/day then two, then 3 then on up to an eighth tea-spoon and gradually up to about a tablespoon/day now with impunity for two years now. The gradual increase took about 3 months but paid off, got stung by a bee about a 14 months later and only had local swelling and itching, took some homeopathic APIS-MELL, no trip to hospital (i've otherwise been allergic to bees since 1993). Bee-pollen can cure bee allergy but you must also cleanse your system thoroughly and stop poisoning yourself so your immune system can cure you.