Royal Jelly for Autoimmunity
There have been some studies showing bee products such as royal jelly's effect on balancing immunity. What royal jelly is showing in animal studies is an ability to 'modulate' the immune system. So it helps to either slow down an overactive immune system or ramp up an under-active one. There has also been a study on rheumatoid arthritis and royal jelly. The reason I mention this is because rheumatism is an autoimmune disease, like food allergies. So taking royal jelly may help but I'd recommend you use extreme caution if and when trying. Even better, consult with a Naturopathic Doctor while trying. Immunity Study:The group of scientists that have recently shown that royal jelly has potent anti-allergic properties in mice decided to do further research to determine just what it is in RJ that has this effect.The scientists first took a special protein out of royal jelly called a glycoprotein and exposed it to mice spleen cells. They found that this protein suppressed what are called IL-2 and IL-4 cells. These are a key component of immune signaling and are required for the activation, proliferation, and survival of T cells. T cells are a type of white blood cell involved in rejecting foreign tissue, regulating immunity, and controlling the production of antibodies to fight infection. So what does this all mean? Well, it means that one of the major royal jelly health benefits is it's ability to modulate or regulate your immune system. Essentially, Royal Jelly acts like the conductor of your immune system. This is important because either an underactive or overactive immune system is not desirable. An underactive immune system leads to increased chances of getting diseases such as cancer or even just getting the cold or flu more often. An overactive immune system can lead to auto-immune issues such as lupus or rheumetoid arthritis, among others. Essentially, your immune system is confused and attacks itself. So, as you can see, the importance of a healthy, balanced immune system can not be overstated. Take three 500 mg capsules per day or one quarter teaspoon of fresh RJ to help ensure a healthy immune system. Rheumatoid Arthritis Study:Arthritis sufferers are going to be very excited about this. Recently a group of really smart guys got together to develop a potential medicine for rheumatoid arthritis. They choose to study a compound in royal jelly called 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid. We'll just call it 10H2DA for short though since I can barely pronounce it, let alone spell it.I won't bore you with the scientific details, but what the researchers found was that the 10H2DA blocked two pro-inflammatory signaling pathways in their study. What does this mean? Well, it means that these scientists concluded that 10H2DA (the royal jelly compound) may be of potential therapeutic value in inhibiting joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis. If you'd like to read the entire study, it can be found in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Feb 3, 2010.
|
