No, bee pollen is not vegan-friendly as insects produce it. Some vegans still eat it because it’s a waste product that bees don’t have any use for. Bee pollen also has many nutritional benefits essential for vegans because they have a restrictive diet.
This article will explore these nutritional benefits and other reasons why vegans eat bee pollen despite being an animal product. So keep reading.
Why Some Vegans Consume Bee Pollen
Vegans consume bee pollen despite being a direct product of bees for two main reasons:
Bees don’t have any use for pollen
It has nutritional benefits that vegans lack in their diets
Bees Don’t Have Any Use For Pollen
Veganism is a way of living that separates itself from all forms of cruelty to the animal kingdom. It also involves a deep respect for and adoration of life. This means vegans only consume products of the plant kingdom.
No products or by-products of the animal kingdom are consumed, and alternatives to these products, especially artificial ones, are promoted.
An important point to note is that the premise of swearing off such products is the immorality of animal abuse and exploitation. The argument behind not eating chicken is that chickens are mass-bred in poultry farms for the sole purpose of being consumed by humans.
This is blatantly disrespectful to life as an entity, and it exploits the chickens for humans’ benefit.
Vegans who eat bee pollen argue that the same logic does not apply here. They use the method through which pollen is acquired as a proxy to determine whether or not consuming bee pollen is vegan-friendly.
This is a more nuanced view of veganism that does not involve a blatant refusal to consume products and by-products derived from animals. Instead, it looks at how a particular product was acquired and whether life and the animal kingdom were exploited or disregarded in the process.
Bee pollen may be considered vegan under this recharacterization of what veganism is.
How Bee Pollen is Acquired
Bee pollen is a ball of pollen made by bees when they land on a flower. It is a combination of honey, nectar, saliva, and pollen. These balls are carried back to the beehive and fermented into bee bread, basically bee food.
Beekeepers collect this pollen by using a thick comb. It is kept at the hive entrance, so the ball falls off and goes into a basket placed below whenever bees pass through it. Since bees need to collect bee food, they fertilize more plants to collect pollen.
Bees are primarily kept on farms to fertilize fruit orchards. So it can be said that this process and its by-products are not vegan.
However, the same can not be said about bee pollen. Humans are not making bees re-collect the pollen because they want the pollen. They simply need the bees to fertilize their plants. The pollen is merely a by-product of certain conditions.
It Has Nutritional Benefits That Vegans Lack in Their Diets
Vegans can’t consume a lot of different food items. This deprives them of several essential nutrients. Bee pollen falls in a gray area for several vegans as to whether it is vegan-friendly. However, they all agree that it has several nutritional benefits.
These incentivize them to accept bee pollen as a vegan-friendly food item. Bee pollen does not have a lot of calories. It has many natural enzymes, minerals, and vitamins that a typical vegan’s diet is often missing.
Calories: 16
Amount
Fat
0.24 grams
Protein
1.2 grams
Carbohydrates
2.18 grams
There are 250 types of vitamins and flavonoids in bee pollen. You can add it to foods like oatmeal and yogurt or drinks like smoothies. You can also ground them into a powder to put into capsules to consume directly.
There are a couple of health benefits beyond this nutrition:
Antioxidant properties
Relieving inflammation
Improving liver health
Boosting the immune system
Antioxidant Properties
Bee pollen has antioxidant properties, which means they counteract oxidants. Cigarette smoke and air pollution produce substances harmful to humans, and consuming bee pollen can keep you safe from them.
Relieving Inflammation
Another benefit of eating bee pollen is that they prevent blood clots and lower fever. This makes it great for sick people.
Improving Liver Health
Eating bee pollen can increase the speed at which your liver heals after any form of damage. So bee pollen is great for people with weak or infected livers. Moreover, bee pollen has nutrients that maintain the overall health of this organ.
Therefore, even if you aren’t suffering from any liver condition, eating bee pollen is suggested. This is because it will ensure, to a certain degree, that you don’t ever have to deal with it.
Boosting the Immune System
One more incredible benefit of eating bee pollen is its antiviral, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties. This means it fights against viruses, bacteria, and fungi. So it improves your overall immune system by increasing the tools it has to fight off potential illnesses.
You’re less likely to catch viral infections like the common flu in addition to sicknesses like food poisoning.
Final Thoughts
While bee pollen is not considered vegan under the traditional definition of veganism, it is an acceptable snack for several fringe groups within this community. Several vegans believe that they should avoid food whose production involves the exploitation of animals.
This is based on a very particular principle explored in the article. This group contests the idea that you have to avoid all food that has anything to do with the animal kingdom. Given that the production and collection of bee pollen does not involve abuse of the bees, they find it acceptable to eat the pollen.
Hi, my name is Brett White, and I have a passion for cooking, and following a raw diet. Eating raw has completely changed how I view food, and has led me down a much healthier and happier path in life over the last three years.
Through Addicted To Veggies, I want to share with you my favorite raw recipes. From brownie recipes, to recipes containing pumpkin, my site is full of delicious and wonderful options to consider.
