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Pine Pollen Health Benefits

Androgens, Adaptogens, and the Phyto-Androgens of Pine Pollen

Much of the focus on Pine Pollen has been on its potent bioavailable androgenic Phyto-Sterols (plant hormones). Unlike bio-identical hormones and synthetic hormones (as with pharmaceutical prescription steroids), these Phyto-Sterols are safe and do not appear to interfere with the body's normal negative feedback mechanism governing hormone production.

Pine Pollen, as previously stated, contains a class of compounds known as Phyto-Sterols. These are plant hormones that are nearly identical to male sex androgenic hormones (Androstenedione, Testosterone, Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and Androsterone).

Pine Pollen's androgenic constituents explain its potent effects in building and maintaining healthy bone and muscle mass, maintaining a healthy and high metabolism, promoting strong immune function, skin health and elasticity, libido (a sign of a healthy endocrine system), breast health in both men and women, and testicular and prostate health in men.

Part of the proposed beneficial action for breast, testicular, and prostate health stems from Pine Pollen's ability to directly promote detoxification of environmental pollutants (such as xeno-estrogens (harmful estrogen-like hormones from the environment, such as plastics, industrial pollutants, and pollutants from industrial agriculture) and by increasing the rate of GTS (more on this later).

Even with these powerful effects from a single component, it is important to note that Pine Pollen is a synergistic collection of over 200+ active components, and the beneficial effects far outweigh the androgenic hormones.

Today, Stephan Buhner's books—including The Natural Testosterone Plan , Vital Man: Natural Health Care for Men at Midlife , andNatural Remedies for Low Testosterone: How to Enhance Male Sexual Health and Energy—have helped to popularize Pine Pollen in the United States. The widespread pattern of declining androgen levels in men and women, as well as the corresponding increase in certain diseases, has undoubtedly drawn attention to his work. Buhner, for example, points out that there has been a directly correlated rate of prostate cancer over the last 50 years to the use of certain estrogen-containing agricultural chemicals.

Since our inception in 2010, RAW Forest Foods has been a driving force in raising awareness and fostering dialogue about these issues, as we were the first company in the United States to offer Pine Pollen.

Analysis has shown pine pollen to contain the following Pro-Androgenic Phyto-Sterols:

:
  • Androstenedione;
  • Androsterone;
  • DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone);
  • Testosterone.

Additionally, Pine Pollen contains the following adaptogenic compounds — which may have a beneficial regulatory effect on the endocrine system:

  • Gibberellins;
  • Brassinosteroids.

To learn more, visit our page, The Adaptogenic and Androgenic Effects of Pine Pollen.

Key Potential Benefits of Pine Pollen

  • Pine Pollen may help to restore healthy androgen (testosterone) levels;
  • Possibility of increased libido;
  • It may help to restore healthy androgen (testosterone) levels;
  • Possibility of increased male fertility;
  • It has been demonstrated to be anti-fatigue and to promote cardiovascular health by lowering LDL and vLDL cholesterol;
  • It may help to restore healthy androgen (testosterone) levels;
  • Contains compounds known to promote skin elasticity and overall skin health;
  • Could benefit immune system health and modulate immune function;
  • Anti-inflammatory properties that may be beneficial for chronic pain (such as arthritis);
  • It contains superoxide dismutase (SOD), which has been linked to better heart, blood, liver, and brain health;
  • It may help to improve cognitive functions;
  • Pine Pollen contains the amino acid glutathione, which is known to aid in detoxification and the health of the liver and gallbladder;
  • Promoting prostate health;
  • Antioxidant properties;
  • Possible weight loss and muscle building benefits. *

Low Testosterone, Estrogen Dominance, and High Estrogen Levels

The pine tree is the first to reawaken in the forest, and as it does so, it begins to fruit its catkins and spread its pollen. The forest is still largely dormant at this time, but the presence of pollen on the plants and forest floor heralds the arrival of Spring. The power of that first pollinating tree, the pine tree, is responsible for the entire rebirth of the forest.

And, while RAW Pine Pollen contains over 200 active and identifiable healing constituents, it also contains a transformative power that we have all experienced in nature, but very few of us have ever experienced on a personal health level. By supplementing our diet with Pine Pollen, we can reawaken our own Spring—physically, mentally, and spiritually (Read more about the Nutritional Content of Pine Pollen).

Four phyto-hormones stand out among the 200+ active constituents in Pine Pollen for their potential regenerative capabilities. Androstenedione, Testosterone, Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and Androsterone are the four. If you're familiar with human anatomy, you'll recognize these four hormones as androgenic—or male sex—hormones. Pine Pollen has the ability to potentiate, or jump-start, Spring because it coats the forest with a thick layer of nutrients, and these specific hormones may help awaken and regenerate, providing a much-needed boost to everything that comes into contact with it.

The levels of these sex hormones—in both men and women—are markers in determining biological age in human physiology. A lower physiological (biological) age is associated with higher levels of androgen hormones. Unfortunately, levels of male sex hormones in women and men are at historical lows, possibly due to poor diet and environmental pollution.

Possible biological markers and indicators (symptoms) of low testosterone and low androgen hormone levels:

  • Elevated LDL and vLDL ("bad") cholesterol levels;
  • Accelerated aging/premature aging;
  • Diabetes and blood sugar fluctuations;
  • Catabolism and osteoporosis (low bone density and muscle loss);
  • Aerobic energy capacity loss, difficulty getting and staying in shape;
  • Men and women gain weight, and estrogen levels rise in men, potentially leading to prostate problems;
  • In women, it may be associated with a loss of bone mass and vitality;
  • In both biological sexes: sexual dysfunction and infertility.

Interestingly, many of the symptoms of low testosterone levels in men and women are commonly dismissed as inevitable signs of aging. This is intriguing for a number of reasons. One, testosterone levels in men have been declining for the past 100 years, while life expectancy has also declined. Men used to live longer lives than women, but now they live a decade less. Two, it implies that many old-age complaints may be avoidable (or at least postponed), and we see a causative factor—the levels of these hormones—as to why some people age without these complaints while others are burdened with all of them. Third, it is intriguing because the symptoms of low androgen are also the same conditions that Pine Pollen has been traditionally prescribed for in China for literally thousands of years.*

Pine Pollen has been used to help or aid the following symptoms and conditions in Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM) and in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM):

  • Low testosterone levels in men;
  • Male fertility (sperm count);
  • Prostate health;
  • Metabolism;
  • Bone density and muscle tone;
  • Sexual dysfunction resulting from low testosterone;
  • Weight control and/or weight loss;
  • Health of the immune system;
  • Acne;
  • Cardiovascular disease. *

Pine Pollen For Migraine And Stress/Cluster Headache Treatment

Some of the benefits of Pine Pollen are still a mystery, but as the use of Pine Pollen in the United States expands, more information is becoming available. Individual instances of using Pine Pollen as a treatment for aiding comfort from migraine and stress-induced headaches are worth mentioning separately from the others.*

For some with migraines, using just a pinch of the Pollen directly on the tongue helps relieve the most debilitating headaches (as reported by our customers).

More Information: Medical And Scientific Research

The vast majority of scientific and clinical research on Pine Pollen has been conducted in languages other than English, making it largely inaccessible to English speakers. Recognizing the challenge that these inaccessible resources pose, we have hired native Chinese speakers to translate these articles for our use and the use of our customers.

RAW Forest Foods takes pride in providing our customers with high-quality, original information. We are the original source of much of the information about Pine Pollen that is currently available on the Internet. In keeping with and reinforcing that tradition, we have been collaborating with a native Chinese speaker and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) expert to translate historical and ancient citations of Pine Pollen, as well as select medical and scientific research papers.

Pine Pollen's popularity in English-speaking countries is still in its early stages, and it is widely regarded as a fringe, alternative medicine—that is, there is little to no scientific research on it that is available in English. However, this does not imply that there is no scientific literature. It does. Scientific research into its efficacy as a medicinal herb began in the 1980s, with a focus on three species: Pinus massoniana, Pinus tabulaeformis, and Pinus yunnanensis.

We collaborated with a Chinese colleague to translate a few selected texts into English to highlight the promising scientific research into Pine Pollen.

These studies were originally published in Chinese, and their English translations are available here: