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What is pine pollen and why should I consume it?

Pine pollen is a fine yellow powder that is producedby the male cones of pine trees. The cones containthe sperm cells that are required for pine reproduc-tion. The common representation of a pine cone isactually its female cone, as male cones are thinner,longer, and of a lighter color than female cones.Male cones also go by the name of catkins, and are much softer than female cones.

Unlike female cones thatgrow anywhere on thebranch, male cones are tobe found mostly at the endof branches, where they aremore exposed and theirseeds can easily be dis-persed by the wind. As itspurpose is to be carried overto and pollinate a femalecone, the tiny pollen grainscan settle on almost any

surface, including clean, vertical windows. Interestingly, although too small to be seen in detailby the naked eye, magnifi-cation of a pine pollen grainreveals that they are shapedlike Mickey Mouse's head.

Pine pollen is viewed bymany nutritionists and nat-ural health experts as oneof the most potent nutrient-

dense wholefood sources in the world. Loaded withover 20 amino acids, including all of the essentialones, rich in vitamins A, D, E, vitamins of the Bcomplex, abundant in a wide range of minerals, in-cluding copper, iron, calcium, manganese, magne-sium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, selenium,ormus and zinc, as well as a natural source ofTESTOSTERONE! - pine pollen is a natural miracleunto itself.

Pine pollen has somany health bene-fits that it is prob-ably impossible torecount them all inthis guide. It ispart of a very spe-cial class of herbaltonics called adap-

togens, which have the ability to identify and targetvery specific health and fitness problems that affecteach individual. Moreover, it is completely nontoxicand safe to consume on a regular basis and for pro-longed periods of time. Similar to ginseng in itsscope, very few other plant products are known topossess such universal applicability. Adaptogens areable to rejuvenate the entire body, relieve stress,

anxiety, speed up trauma recovery, fight depres-sion, regulate metabolism, and help with diseasemanagement. Pine pollen is also a wonderfulplant source of androgens, stimulating male en-docrine activity and working as a natural aphro-disiac.

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Scientific claims

Scientists have also turned their gaze toward this natural remedy, and have so far been able to determine the following benefits of pine pollen:

• can increase the levels of a class of enzymes known as superoxide dismutase, which work as powerful antioxidants within all cells of the body.

• inhibits lipid peroxidation (the degenration of fatsinto free-radicals).

• increases glutathione transferases (proteins thatworks as catalysts in metabolic processes) and removes pollutants.

• helps reduce lipofuscin deposits, which cause theappearance of age spots on internal organs.

• can provide bio-available testosterone, as well asother natural steroids that promote the health of the reproductive system in both males and females,as well as encouraging muscle health

• promotes the production of collagen and elastin - the two main constituents of the skin that ensureits youthful appearance

When do I harvest pine pollen?

Male pine cones begin releasing pollen during thespring, when the cycle of life begins once again. Asthe pollen drops from the cones, it usually forms a

fine, yellow layer on the ground and other nearby sur-faces. To collect pine pollen, different individuals mayuse different methods.

What tools do I need to collect pine pollen?

The collection of pine pollen does not require the useof any fancy equipment. However, and especially if youare prone to developing allergies, you will need the fol-lowing tools:• plastic bag• disposable gloves• a thin scarf or dust mask, to wear around the mouth and nose

• a ladder, to reach the higher branches of the pine tree.

• baking sheets, to dry out the pollen• an air-tight container, in which to store the dry pollen

Where do I find pine pollen and how do I collect it?

First and foremost, you should look for pine trees inyour area. People who are not experienced with naturemight have trouble spotting pine trees among otherconiferous trees. While there are about 115 knownspecies of trees in the pinus genus, most individualswill be able to identify pines by their long, clusteredneedles. Some species of pine trees are tall and trian-gular, while others are shorter and more spread out.They are widely distributed across the globe and canbe found in most of the Northern hemisphere. Theyare found in Eurasia, ranging across the Iberian Penin-sula and Scotland, Russia, Northern parts of Africa, toSoutheast Asia, as well as spreading across to the

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equator. In North America, different pine tree speciescan be found from Canada to Nicaragua. The mostcommon varieties to be found in Canada are the JackPine and Red Pine.

Jack Pine Red Pine

To harvest the pollen,look for the light-col-ored catkins on the tipsof branches. You will beable to easily tell themapart from femalecones, since femalecones are a lot thickerand darker colored thantheir male counterparts.

The fastest way to harvestpine pollen without dam-aging the catkins is to in-sert the catkin into aplastic bag, then pinch itslightly to check forpollen. Due to its naturalresins, the catkin may be-

come sticky, especiallywhen squeezed toomuch. If pollen is pres-ent, you can shake thecone very gently, to en-

courage it to release its seed. The pollen should easilycollect inside the bag. Repeat this process with multi-ple catkins until a decent amount of pollen is col-lected. At this point, the pollen can be consumed inits pure form, or dried out for later consumption.

Note: Some individuals prefer to leave a bag or bucketunder the catkins and wait for time to work its magic,however the amount of pollen you collect this way is alot harder to control. Others who want to obtain verylarge amounts of pollen can simply crush the entirecatkin inside the bag; however, the resulting powderwill then have to be sifted, to separate the pollen fromthe crushed catkin bits.

• If you decide to dry the collected pollen, spread itinto a fine layer on a baking sheet and let it dry outin the hot sun. While sun drying foods provides manyhealth benefits, you can also use a dehydrator to dryout the pollen.

• After the pollen is dried, store it an air-tight container and place it in the refrigerator.

That's all it takes to collect pine pollen!