Royal jelly is a nutrient-rich secretion produced by young worker honey bees to feed developing larvae and the queen bee. It is a natural bee product known for its unique composition of proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, and other naturally occurring compounds.
What is it?
Royal jelly is a creamy, white to pale yellow substance made by nurse bees from glands in their heads. While all bee larvae are fed royal jelly for the first few days of life, the larva selected to become a queen continues to receive it throughout its development and adulthood.
This exclusive diet enables the queen bee to grow larger, live significantly longer than worker bees, and develop the ability to lay eggs.
Origin
Royal jelly is produced naturally inside honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera) around the world. Beekeepers collect it from specially prepared queen cells while carefully managing the health and welfare of the colony.
How is it produced?
Young worker bees, known as nurse bees, consume honey and pollen before producing royal jelly in their hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands.
The fresh royal jelly is deposited into queen cells, where it serves as the sole food source for developing queen larvae. Beekeepers harvest it by gently removing the jelly from these cells before it is consumed.
Fresh royal jelly is highly perishable and is usually refrigerated or frozen soon after harvest to help preserve its quality.
History & Traditional Uses
Royal jelly has been collected and consumed for centuries in various cultures, particularly in parts of Asia and Europe. Traditionally, it has been valued as a nutritious bee product and has been incorporated into a variety of foods and traditional practices.
Naturally Occurring Compounds
- Water
- Proteins, including major royal jelly proteins (MRJPs)
- Amino acids
- Natural sugars
- Fatty acids, including 10-HDA (10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid)
- B vitamins
- Minerals
- Enzymes
- Phenolic compounds
The composition of royal jelly varies depending on the season, colony health, and environmental conditions.
Interesting Facts
- Queen bees are fed royal jelly throughout their entire lives.
- Royal jelly is produced only by young nurse bees.
- Fresh royal jelly has a creamy texture and a slightly acidic flavour.
- Because it is highly perishable, fresh royal jelly is commonly stored under refrigeration or frozen after harvest.
How We Use It at EirHolt
At EirHolt, we use fresh royal jelly as one of the bee-derived ingredients in our Essence of Beyla honey blend, alongside raw Leatherwood honey, bee bread, bee pollen, and propolis.
Related Reading
Products Containing This Ingredient
Information on this page is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Historical and traditional uses do not necessarily reflect current scientific evidence.
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