Royal jelly is the secretion of the head glands of young nurse bees. All larvae receive it in their first days; only a larva destined to become a queen continues to receive it throughout development.

The queen argument

The commonest claim made for royal jelly runs: it turns a larva into a queen, therefore it must have powerful effects in humans.

This reasoning does not hold. What royal jelly does in a bee larva is switch on a developmental pathway specific to bees. That mechanism has no equivalent in humans.

Being clear about this is the starting point for honest discussion of the product.

Composition

Water, protein, sugars, fats, minerals and vitamins. It contains distinctive proteins and a fatty acid specific to royal jelly, which is used as a freshness marker.

Where the evidence stands

• Various biological activities have been demonstrated in laboratory and animal studies
• Human studies are limited in number and often small
• Results are inconsistent

The honest position: research continues and the findings do not yet support the claims commonly made.

Safety

• Allergy: Royal jelly can cause serious allergic reactions, including in people with asthma or existing allergies. Severe reaction is documented
• Anyone starting it should begin with a very small amount
• Pregnancy, chronic illness and regular medication: Consult a doctor

This is the bee product with the clearest allergy risk and it should be treated accordingly.

The cold chain

Royal jelly is sensitive to heat, light and air. It must be kept cold from the moment it is collected.

When the cold chain is broken the product looks the same but its markers decline. The buyer cannot detect this, which makes it a matter of the producer's honesty.

• Dark, airtight glass containers
• Refrigerator for the short term, freezer for the long term
• Avoid prolonged contact with metal
• Record the harvest date

Quality

Freshness is assessed by laboratory analysis. In the field, recording the harvest date and storage conditions is the most that can be done — and it is what a serious buyer will ask for.

What the producer may say

In most countries it is prohibited to claim that a food treats disease. Given the allergy risk, an honest warning matters more here than a claim.