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Royal jelly is a milky substance secreted by honey bees and fed to developing offspring. Like honey, it can be harvested by beekeepers from honey bee colonies grown in unique queen-making beehives.
Immune Boosting
Royal jelly can affect the immune system by balancing levels and improving responses of specific immune cells [Th1/Th2]. In mice, supplementation shifted the immune response to an allergen from Th2 to Th1 dominance, reduced allergen levels in the blood, and improved skin allergy response [1, 2].
In another study with mice, those given a royal jelly supplement had higher antibody levels and faster immune system cell growth [3].
Royalisin is thought to be the compound within the royal jelly responsible for these immune benefits [4].
Asthma and Respiratory Allergies
As opposed to propolis, which improved asthma symptoms in mice, both royal jelly and honey worsened them. This may be due to their immuno-stimulatory and vasodilatory effects [5]. However, its protein MRJP3 did reduce allergic responses in asthmatic mice [6].
In fact, royal jelly has been reported to cause allergic reactions with asthma, respiratory distress, and anaphylaxis in sensitized people [7, 8, 9, 10].
Anti Infection Potential
In a cell-based study, royal jelly inhibited the virus that causes oral herpes (HSV-1) [11].
