3 unsuspected benefits of our fresh pollen, interview with Franck Duprat

Former director of Pollenergie for 10 years, Franck Duprat is a specialist in fresh pollen and propolis. He is currently general director of APICIA and provides us with valuable information on the benefits of fresh bee pollen, which are often unknown.

As part of our research, we met Roch Domerego, a beekeeper, naturopath and professor who worked in a hospital environment. We approached 2 areas of work:

1- the beneficial effects of fresh pollen in the context of antibiotic therapy;

2- dietary rebalancing;

Professor Domerego has also published a book on this last subject: The Vegetarian Protein Diet. What we remember: fresh pollen belongs to the category of foods classified in category A: it is today the richest food, in terms of micronutrients, that exists on the world market. It is a food balancer and a superfood!

For example, studies carried out by Pollenergie under the supervision of Doctor Cardinault have shown that elderly people suffering from malnutrition in hospitals face a problem with protein fixation. To overcome this problem, medical staff provide them with more protein in their diet, but this does not solve anything. However, fresh pollen has a major advantage: it helps fix proteins in the metabolism when this process is faulty.

The doctor's various works demonstrate that any person taking a fresh pollen cure will see their weight increase or decrease, depending on their needs. Underweight people will gain weight, because they will regain their appetite and better assimilate protein. Conversely, overweight people will lose weight, because the pollen will give them a very rapid satiety effect.

In reality, pollen should be consumed by everyone: overweight people, underweight people, vegetarians, those with special diets, etc. Pollen, a source of protein, meets everyone's needs individually... Except that we don't know it enough!

How does fresh pollen improve our skin health? A priori, the best fresh pollen for the skin is fresh cherry pollen. It is the one that acts directly on our skin balance. However, it is sold very little at Apicia. Do you know why ?

Professor Domerego's studies have shown that we must first resolve our intestinal transit problems and then improve the health of our skin.

Pollens such as rockrose pollen or royal palm pollen contain more than 10 million lactic ferments. Another remarkable fact: their bacteria are bioavailable , meaning that our body perfectly assimilates these active ingredients.

We conducted a study between different probiotics available on the market and fresh cistus pollen. The best-selling probiotic in pharmacies in France contains 3 billion lactic ferments. Fresh rockrose pollen only contains 10 million. However, our cistus pollen better supports the proper functioning of our intestinal flora, because its nutrients are better used and preserved by our metabolism than those of the probiotic in question, largely found in the consumer's stools.

Fresh pollen is a probiotic, Professor Roch Domerego even describes it as “ suprabiotic” because its effects are complete.

The effect of fresh rockrose or royal palm pollen on our intestinal flora is therefore much more effective in solving our skin problems than fresh cherry pollen. Our fresh FLORICIA pollen is full of the best live lactic ferments (probiotics) and boosts the health of our intestinal filters. It is composed mainly of fresh cistus pollen. Beyond its lactic ferments, it contains an essential range of vitamins, trace elements, minerals, antioxidants and complete vegetable proteins.

In addition, rockrose pollen turns out to be an excellent ally for the health of our hair. Our FLORICIA pollen, very rich in lactic ferments, regulates the intestinal flora and improves the overall health of the hair. The carotenoid, which it contains in abundance, makes our hair thicker and shinier. Finally, the excellent synthesis of B vitamins present in this pollen has a beneficial impact on our hair and scalp.

Our second fresh pollen, DERMICIA , strengthens the overall health of the body and the skin . It is a mixture of fresh flower pollen which could be classified as “thousand flower pollen”. It provides the body with everything it needs with a multitude of vitamins, trace elements, minerals, live lactic ferments, antioxidants and complete vegetable proteins.

To fight against the harmful effects of free radicals which accelerate aging and cause chronic diseases, we know that our diet must provide us with as many antioxidant foods as possible . However, faced with the abundance of possible food choices (red fruits, goji berries, green vegetables, drinks such as green tea, etc.) which food to favor? And how can we know the antioxidant “degree” of this or that food?

The ORAC index is the most recognized test to date on the subject: it defines the antioxidant capacity of a given food. ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, or the ability to absorb free radicals. In this regard, fresh pollen is not part of the family of food supplements, but is considered a complete food as such.

For example :

• a fruit such as an apple eaten with its skin has an ORAC value of 3049. Without the skin, the value drops to 2573;
• a goji berry contains 3290;
• a blueberry reaches 4669 ORAC value;
• fresh chestnut pollen, 30,200;
• Japanese acacia pollen… 91,000!

For your information, poplar propolis has a staggering ORAC value of 729,000, but it is not a food.

When we compare the fame of the goji berry or blueberry for their antioxidant effect and the incredible antioxidant capacities of fresh Japanese acacia pollen, we are surprised that the virtues of a fresh pollen cure are so little known! It's a fact: to benefit from the same antioxidant effect as that obtained with 10 grams of fresh pollen, you would almost have to ingest 300 grams of goji berries!

Our DERMICIA is a mixture of different pollens intended to optimize the desired effect.

For 4000 years, beekeepers, located mainly in southern countries, got into the habit of drying their fresh pollen on the sand, before preserving it. However, fresh pollen very quickly loses all its active ingredients in the open air: after 4 hours, the collected pollen only has 50% left. Beekeepers cannot market it, because “it would not even reach the market place”. After a few days, its fermentation level makes it unusable. 80% of its lactic ferments, fibers, vitamins and trace elements have disappeared. Only proteins resist the drying process, but their quantity varies depending on the botanical origin of the pollen. However, dry pollen is never marketed with a specified botanical origin.

So what was the advantage of dry pollen in this case? It could be easily transported and marketed. Today, consumers perceive the virtues of dry pollen in a very positive way, due to the promotion made by beekeepers. Yet it is a food of which, in reality, only the “skeleton” remains.

For 4000 years, only dry pollen was marketed. Then in 1993, a revolution in the field of beekeeping took place: Patrice Percie du Sert, agricultural engineer and professional beekeeper, created a system which allowed the pollen to be kept fresh .

→ Learn more about our fresh pollen freezing process here.

Source of millions of lactic ferments, proteins, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants... fresh pollen, an exceptional product of the hive, would finally be able to offer its abundance of benefits to the human body ! From the moment Patrice Percie du Sert works on the preservation of fresh pollen, he reveals to us that they have very different characteristics depending on the type of pollen chosen and the ailments to be treated. He is carrying out enormous work on the differentiation of fresh pollens and their specific contributions.

For example, fresh heather pollen will improve acid-base balance and microcirculation (benefit for the skin). Hawthorn pollen is extremely rich in protein: it contains 26%, as much as a beef steak! Recommended for vegetarians lacking protein. Fresh chestnut pollen restores hormonal and emotional balance, due to its tryptophan content.

Fortifying, flower pollen activates our immune defenses and fights against fatigue. Full of polyphenols and antioxidants, it slows down the process of premature aging of the body and all the risks associated with it. Rich in lactic ferments, it relieves problems of dysregulated intestinal flora and brilliantly complements our nutritional intake.

The strength of APICIA: demanding beekeeping for optimal raw materials

We understood that the quality of our fresh pollen, one of the hive products with exceptional benefits, mainly depended on the professionalism of the beekeeping practiced .

We have therefore designed extremely rigorous specifications and we follow the process of supplying our raw materials very carefully. Most of the work is done upstream with our beekeepers: this is one of the secrets of pollen if we want to obtain perfect quality. And that’s what we aim for a little more every day at APICIA.

→ Want to discover our different fresh pollens

→ Read our article on the wonderful benefits of fresh bee pollen