Royal jelly benefits men in many ways. It may not seem like a very manly substance, but this strange natural edible is incredibly healthy and has some benefits that any man should see the value in.
In the short post I'll be going over 10 of the manly ways in which it can be of benefit to you. And by the way, I'll be referring to it occasionally as RJ throughout this post… So just know that I'm talking about Royal jelly here.
But anyways, before I get into the incredible benefits that RJ beholds for even the manliest of men, we first need to discuss what the heck this stuff is in the first place.
It is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world as a "superfood", but a lot of people don't really know what it is and where it comes from.
What The Heck Is Royal Jelly?
Royal jelly is actually a secretion that comes from honey bees… Specifically from the worker bees that are out there busting their humps all day and night to keep the hive together and things rolling smoothly.
You may have never seen it before because supplements of RJ are often sold in capsule form, but it is a very viscous white liquid.
It's composition will vary depending on the bees and many other factors, such as the particular environment that the bees are living in, but generally speaking according to WebMD you can expect royal jelly to be about…
- 60-70% water
- 12-15% protein
- 10-16% sugar
- 3-6% fats
- 2-3% vitamins, salts and amino acids
This incredibly nutritious secretion is more than just a food that humans eat. I mean just think about it… Why would these bees be making food for humans?
The truth of the matter is that this substance is a very important source of nutrition for the queen bees and is actually the reason the queen bees become so large, healthy, and live so long.
Fun Fact: The larvas of Queen bees and other worker bees are actually no different. It is the consumption of this royal jelly that separates the queen bee from the rest.
RJ it's fed to baby larvae for the first several days and is comparable to colostrum that human babies get from their mothers after birth, which is also jammed packed with nutrients.
Now you may still be thinking that this doesn't sound very manly… After all, it is a queen bee that this food is intended for. What can it do for you... A man?
The truth is a lot. There are plenty of scientific studies on this stuff and it is really increasing in popularity in the Western world, although it has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries.
But anyways, enough about what it is… Here are the 10 very manly benefits that royal jelly has for you…
10 Manly Benefits
#1 - A Natural Testosterone Booster
When you think of the most manly thing possible, you probably think of testosterone. Both men and women have this hormone, but men have significantly higher levels... About 20 times more production than women.
You may have also heard of it when it comes to steroids… Because testosterone is a anabolic steroid. However, we are talking about injecting steroids here… We are talking about increasing testosterone naturally.
It isn't much of a wonder that it helps increase testosterone. After all, it has been found to aid in the development of the Queen bee's gonads.
As far as actually increasing testosterone goes, it has been shown to increase serum levels in male rabbits as well as in hamster testis.
The reason is thought to increase testosterone is because research suggests that it gives sex hormones, such as DHEA-S, a boost… And thus your testosterone levels get a boost.
#2 - Helps Fractured Bones Heal
Helping heal fractured bones is also a big deal.
After a long day of splitting wood, swinging sledgehammers, dodging battle axes and doing whatever it is that you do… There might be times where you have had hairline fractures or even full-blown broken bones. And I don't think anyone wants these.
Well… The good news is that the short and long term effects that RJ has on bone formation (healing) our positive, according to this test done on rats.
In this particular study it was shown that new bone formation was higher for those who ingested RJ compared to the control group which did not.
And in addition to aiding in the bone healing process, it is also good for healing wounds in general. Researchers have decided that much of the wound healing ability that RJ possesses comes from a protein it contains called defensin-1. This protein has been found to be extremely effective at speeding up the healing process.
It might be nothing more than a minor flesh wound, but having no wound at all is always better.
#3 - Good For Sleep
Everyone needs sleep, including men. Sleep is necessary for every single aspect of overall health. Whether you are looking to gain muscle, run faster, grew thicker hair, have more energy, etc.… Sleep is a key ingredient and without enough of it you will only be running on 4 cylinders when you could be running on 8.
Supplementing RJ can actually help to improve your sleep, or lack of.
In its contents you will find a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, which is found in your body's nervous system. Having a lack of this compound can result in memory problems, lack of sleep, and other problems dealing with the brain.
It it is also said to help relieve mental stress and anxiety, which are very common causes of not getting enough sleep.
#4 - Helps Keep Your Liver Healthy
Your liver is very important… Especially if you fancy alcoholic beverages. Having an unhealthy liver is no condition you want to be in when going to a tailgating party before Sunday's big game.
The liver filters all the bad stuff that you eat or drink, and with all of the newfound pollutants increasing on a global scale, liver health is something you need to look out for.
Signed tests that tested the liver helping abilities of RJ on mice found that after just seven days of feeding RJ to them, they showed improvement in liver protection. In the study the mice had their livers damaged by administration of a toxin before being fed the RJ.
#5 - Is Good for Your Sperm
Sperm health is something that every man is going to think about one day. If you are still young, then you probably have not thought about it yet… But you will get there.
Unhealthy sperm is something that no man wants and royal jelly can actually help with this, as well as helping with fertility in women.
It it is no surprise because it is filled with many good nutrients that support a healthy hormonal balance, which can greatly impact your sperm health.
I was able to find multiple studies showing that royal jelly is effective for such health, both performed on animals and on humans.
The first study worth mentioning involved mice getting a oral dose of RJ for 30 days, which proved to increase sperm count, sperm motility, as well as mature and undamaged sperm. This is likely due to the antioxidant nature of this substance since it is well known that oxidative stress can have a big impact on sperm.
In a human study mentioned on examine.com, royal jelly was shown to produce no significant benefits when it comes to sperm count… HOWEVER, it did prove to increase sperm motility.
So while there may be some conflict thing results as far as what exactly RJ can do for your sperm health, both studies agree that it can help in one way or another.
#6 - Boosts Metabolism
Royal jelly can also help boost your metabolism, which is all around good for everything. A better and more efficient metabolism helps to get more things done. So that maybe, just maybe you will have the newfound energy to build that new tool shed or lay that new patio that you have been putting off for months or maybe even years.
RJ has all eight essential amino acids. This is important because the "essential" amino acids are amino acids that your body cannot synthesize on its own, meaning that they need to be obtained through diet. Having enough of these amino acids can help you build more muscle, lose more weight, and just keep your body running more smoothly.
Protein supplements are being marketed more commonly than ever towards people with the goal of losing excess pounds. This is because of the amino acids that they contain and how they are proven to assist in the weight loss process.
A boost in the metabolism helps to increase your body's natural fat burning capabilities. And hopefully this can give you a better and more sustained flow of energy and in turn will help you lose excess fat, if you have any.
Royal jelly has actually been a traditional Chinese medicine taken for various things, including weight loss, for years (as mentioned in the beginning) but it is just now starting to really catch on more in the Western world.
#7 - Good Against Inflammation
Inflammation can be a good thing but it can also be a bad thing. Information is your body's natural response to stress, but too much of it is when it gets bad.
There are in increasing number of studies suggesting that inflammation plays a bigger role than most people once thought when it comes to all sorts of diseases, ailments, and conditions.
It is present everywhere… In everything from cancer, to arthritis, to asthma, to your common flu and its unwanted presence can help prolong negative health and works. It has been shown that getting rid of excessive inflammation can slow cancer cell development, help wounds heal faster, and more.
Royal jelly happens to have many enzymes, vitamins and flavonoids that can help with the problem of inflammation.
According to this scientific study, it is thought that the anti-inflammatory effects of royal jelly come from its anti-radical and antioxidant effects, although there could be many reasons for these inflammation fighting properties.
Flavonoids are something that are well known for fighting off inflammation. What are they? They are natural pigments that are part of what make fruits and veggies so good for you and they suppress certain pro-inflammatory mediators by blocking their synthesis.
One source I came across suggested that you should apply royal jelly topically because too much heat will destroy some of the vitamins and active enzymes that are potent anti-inflammatories, but I don't know how big of a difference it would actually make. I'm guessing that ingesting RJ, as you would with most supplements, will do the trick to some extent.
#8 - Weight Loss
Weight loss is another benefit to be had. I already mentioned that it can speed up the metabolism which can in turn help you lose weight, but what I didn't talk about is how it contains relatively high amounts of lecithin, as does other bee products like Manuka honey.
Why is this important? Well… Because lecithin helps your body break down into get rid of fat, or at least that is the theory. It is known to help break down fat and water but there is a lack of evidence that actually breaks down fat in your body. That said, a lot of people swear that it does help having taken supplements with it for themselves.
Lecithin is something you may or may not have heard of before, and maybe have even heard of it being used for completely different reasons, such as for treating arthritis, memory problems and so on. It is an essential nutrient that our bodies don't make enough of in that you need to get by the foods you eat.
And the side effects are pretty much all good. It is also shown to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL). What it does is keeps cholesterol from building up along the artery walls.
Something else that I found quite interesting is that it has been shown in studies to reduce white adipose tissue in mice while not reducing the amount of brown adipose tissue. In other words, it reduces the amount of what is commonly called "bad fat" while leaving the amount of what is commonly called "good fat" alone.
#9 - A Natural Anti-Viral
As a man or any living being for that matter, the last thing you want is a viral infection, which can seriously weaken your immune system and overall health and occasionally lead to unwanted breakouts depending on what type of infection you have.
One interesting study I came across that tested royal jelly's antiviral ability against herpes simplex type 1 virus (HSV-1) compared to the popular drug acyclovir, showed that RJ is a good and healthy alternative to the antiviral medication acyclovir.
The findings of the study showed that RJ decreased the viral load from 70,795 to 30 and acyclovir went the whole way to 0. So while acyclovir was found to be more effective, RJ definitely showed some promising results in the fact that it is natural makes it a potential good alternative, especially for people who react badly to the acyclovir medication.
The potent antioxidant profile that royal jelly has is likely responsible for much of the antiviral component that it brings to the table. Antioxidants obtained from food help to strengthen the immune system. One of the reasons that malnourished individuals are more susceptible to viruses and other infections is because of a lack of antioxidant intake.
#10 - Makes You Smarter
And last but definitely not least, coming in at number 10, is that royal jelly can potentially make you smarter, as can a personal favorite of mine.. Turmeric Curcumin.
You don't have to be smart to swing an axe or through hamburgers on the grill, but you do have to be smart to crunch numbers and run a successful business… Which is equally as manly.
I mentioned that RJ contains the neurotransmitter acetylcholine which is known to promote brain health and other things, which is one of the reasons why supplementing this stuff can help improve focus, memory, and more.
In one double-blind placebo study, a large group of healthy people took royal jelly for a total of six months. The result at the end… Tons of benefits… One of which being improved mental health.
In another study it was shown that taking RJ orally can significantly increase the number of a certain type of cell that functions in the cognitive processes. These cells can be damaged or die for a number of reasons in the result is an impaired mind. Increased regeneration of the cells = a smarter you.
Should This Be Part of Your Feast?
Royal jelly without a doubt has tons of health benefits that are good for everyone, including man. These health benefits are becoming more and more widely known thanks to the increasing research being done by scientists… Which is slowly proving that many of the benefits said to be had by this secretion in Chinese medicine are actually true.
But should this be a part of your daily diet? Well… That is all up to you. Do you want to…
- Have higher testosterone levels?
- Have bones that heal ultrafast?
- Sleep better?
- Better your liver health and function?
- Increase sperm health?
- Boost your metabolism?
- Flight information?
- Lose excess weight?
- Get smarter?
Well if you answered yes then maybe it is worth buying.
But it's far from being a "cure all". Sure, it will help with all of these things, but don't expect this to be some magical substance that is all of a sudden going to make you a superhero.
Anyways… I hope you enjoyed this short post and found it informative. Please leave any questions or comments down below and I will get back to you as soon as I can 🙂
