Bee pollen is a ball of pollen made by young bees when they land on a flower. It’s a mixture of pollen, saliva, and nectar or honey. Bees carry these balls back to the hive in sacs on their legs and store them in the hive’s honeycomb. The pollen then ferments into “bee bread,” which feeds a bee colony.

We collect pollen from bees by keeping a thick comb in the entrance of their hives. When bees pass through it, it knocks the pollen off their legs into a collection bin below. The bees then must go out to collect more pollen.

Bee pollen in its natural form comes as small, crunchy pellets. One tablespoon of bee pollen contains:

• 16 calories
• 0.24 grams of fat
• 1.2 grams of protein
• 2.18 grams of carbohydrates
• 250 types of nutrients, including vitamins and flavonoids

You can add it to foods like yogurt, oatmeal, or smoothies. It can be ground down as a supplement powder or into a capsule.