Produced by worker bees, Royal Jelly is a nutritious jelly also known as a superfood due to the protein, carbohydrates, fatty acids, free amino acids, sugars, minerals, and vitamins (1, 2).
Royal Jelly Benefits
- Promotes glucose tolerance (ref)*
- Mood support (ref)*
- Promotes red blood cell production (ref)*
- Supports male sexual health (ref)*
Royal Jelly is emerging as a subject of interest in the medical community, but thus far, there have not been many studies conducted with humans.
The following are examples of dynamics associated with Royal Jelly through the animal model and may not be representative of the effects in the human body:
- Supports cognitive function (in mice) (ref)*
Royal Jelly Mode of Action
Royal Jelly is a secretion from the salivary glands (hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands) of the worker honey bees which is used as the queen bee’s food (2). Queen bees ingest royal jelly for the duration of their lives, unlike the other adult bees. Royal jelly is often fed to the queen larvae and young larvae of the other bees (1).
Royal Jelly consists of several nutrients which include lipids (80-85% of the total content is fatty acids), dietary fatty acids (such as 10-HDA which is unique to royal jelly and consists of 32% of content), peptides, 57-kDa protein (unique to queen bees), carbohydrates (at 10-16% volume by weight), mineral salts, acetylcholine, Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), and testosterone (1).
A lyophilized (freeze-dried) concentrate increases the bioavailability of royal jelly for humans. Due to the varying composition of royal jelly due to season and cultivation, the macronutrient composition of royal jelly varies (1).
The areas in which Royal Jelly has been studied in humans have the greatest promise is in glucose metabolism, both in humans and in vitro (3, 4). The information on Royal Jelly supplementation in humans is scarce. Several animal studies have shown some promise in the areas of longevity but the studies were conducted on nematodes (worms) which may not be representative as to the effects in the human body (5).
Royal Jelly Dosage
Pure Nootropics’ Royal Jelly provides 500 mg of 6-10% HDA freeze-dried concentrate which is equivalent to 1500 mg of fresh Royal Jelly per 1 capsule. Suggested use for adults is 1 capsule daily, or as directed by your healthcare practitioner.
Royal Jelly Side Effects and Toxicity
If you are taking any medications, always consult with you Healthcare Practitioner before beginning any new supplement.
Toxicology studies in rats at doses equivalent to human doses of 86-89 mg/kg did not produce any toxicity (1).
For further information, please see our References Tab above.
The references below are not meant to imply that any of our products treat, cure, or diagnose any disease or human condition. References to clinical studies and pre-clinical studies may use varying dosages and may not represent the dosages or subsequent results of products we sell; however, the references provided are pertinent to the subject supplement itself. References provided are intended for research and informational purposes only and do not represent the entire body of knowledge available on the subject(s) referenced; nor do they represent all possible outcomes associated with the subject(s) referenced including, but not limited to, adverse effects, precautions, or chemical interactions within the human body. The Content provided on this website is not intended to be a replacement for professional medical advice, treatment or diagnosis. Never ignore the advice of a medical professional or delay in attaining professional advice because of information or impressions you gather on this website. Choosing to rely on any information provided by the Content of this website is solely at your own risk. We encourage our audience to do their own research beyond the resources we have provided so your decision is as educated as possible.
• Promotes Healthy Brain Function*
Alarcos Cieza, Petra Maier, Ernst Pöppel. “Effects of Ginkgo biloba on mental functioning in healthy volunteers.” Archives of Medical Research, Volume 34, Issue 5, 2003. Pages 373-381,
ISSN 0188-4409, doi.org/10.1016/j.arcmed.2003.05.001.
• Supports Memory*
Kaschel, R. “Specific Memory Effects of Ginkgo Biloba Extract EGb 761 in Middle-Aged Healthy Volunteers.” Phytomedicine, vol. 18, no. 14, 15 Nov. 2011, doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2011.06.021.
Baurle, P, et al. “Safety and Effectiveness of a Traditional Ginkgo Fresh Plant Extract – Results from a Clinical Trial.” Forsch Komplementmed, vol. 16, no. 3, June 2009, pp. 156-61., doi: 10.1159/000213167.
• Can Support Antioxidant Balance*
Wang, A, et al. “Ginkgo Biloba L. Extract…and Oxidative Stress.” Med Sci Monit, vol. 24, 14 May 2018, pp. 3159–3167., doi:10.12659/MSM.910718.
• Supports Focus and Attention*
Kennedy, DO, et al. “The Dose-Dependent Cognitive Effects of Acute Administration of Ginkgo Biloba to Healthy Young Volunteers.” Pyschopharmacology (Berl), vol. 151, no. 4, Sept. 2000, pp. 416–23., www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11026748.
• Promotes General wellbeing*
Cieza, A, et al. “Effects of Ginkgo Biloba on Mental Functioning in Healthy Volunteers.” Arch Med Res., vol. 34, no. 5, 2003, pp. 373–81., www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14602503.
• Supports a healthy cardiovascular system*
Mesquita, TRR, et al. “…Ginkgo Biloba Extract against Sustained β-Adrenergic Stimulation Occurs via Activation of M2/NO Pathway.” Front Pharmacol, vol. 8, no. 220, 2017, doi:10.3389/fphar.2017.00220.
1. Dziwenka, Margitta, and Robert W. Coppock. Nutraceuticals Efficacy, Safety, and Toxicity. Elsevier, 2016, pages 681-691. Chapter 49 Ginkgo Biloba. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128021477000498.
2. “Analysis of Flavonoids in Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract.” Shimadzu Global Analytical and Measuring Instruments, www.shimadzu.com/an/hplc/support/lc/ap/n9j25k00000bfu20.html.
3. Li, Yao et al. “Quercetin…” Nutrients vol. 8,3 167. 15 Mar. 2016, doi:10.3390/nu8030167.
4. Lakhanpal P, Rai DK. Quercetin: A versatile flavonoid. Int J Med Update. 2007; 2:22–37.
5. Huang, Liqing, et al. “Protective Effects of Isorhamnetin…” Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, vol. 67, no. 6, June 2016, pp. 526–537., doi: 10.1097/FJC.0000000000000376.
6. Lee, J, and AE Mitchell. “Quercetin and Isorhamnetin Glycosides in Onion (Allium Cepa L.): Varietal Comparison, Physical Distribution, Coproduct Evaluation, and Long-Term Storage Stability.” J Agric Food Chem, vol. 59, no. 3, 18 Jan. 2011, pp. 857–63., doi:10.1021/jf1033587.
7. Chen, Allen Y and Yi Charlie Chen. “A review of the dietary flavonoid, kaempferol on human health…” Food chemistry vol. 138,4 (2012): 2099-107.
8. Zhang, M, et al. “Ginkgolide B…” BMC Complement Altern Med, vol. 18, no. 1, 20 July 2018, p. 220., doi:10.1186/s12906-018-2284-8.
9. Zhang, R, et al. “Ginkgolide C…” Front Pharmacol, vol. 9, no. 109, 21 Feb. 2018, doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.00109.
10. Chandrasekaran, K, et al. “…Effects of Bilobalide, a Component of Ginkgo Biloba Extract (EGb 761)…” Pharmacopsychiatry, vol. 36, no. 1, June 2003, doi:10.1055/s-2003-40447.
11. Goldie, M, and S Dolan. “Bilobalide, a Unique Constituent of Ginkgo Biloba…” Behav Pharmacol, vol. 24, no. 4, Aug. 2013, pp. 298–306., doi:10.1097/FBP.0b013e32836360ab.
12. “Ginkgo biloba,” Examine.com, published on 23 February 2014, last updated on 18 January 2019, https://examine.com/supplements/ginkgo-biloba/.
13. Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed). “Ginkgo”. Web. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); 2006-. Updated 2018 Dec 3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501809/, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30000868.
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