Royal Jelly

Bee royal jelly

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Menopausal symptoms^{1, 2} Mildly raised cholesterol^{3, 4} Oral mucositis^{5, 6} Diabetes metabolic markers⁷ Inflammation in overweight adults⁴	Allergy to bee products⁸ History of asthma or allergies⁹ Estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer⁸

Royal jelly is the secretion worker bees produce to feed queen bees and larvae⁸. It acts partly through weak estrogen-like activity⁸. Supplementation is used for menopausal symptoms, for mildly raised cholesterol or early metabolic risk in overweight adults³, for glycemic control in diabetes, and for oral mucositis during cancer treatment.

Meta-analyses found no significant overall effect on glycemic markers. A 2025 protocol for a double-blind crossover trial in endurance athletes will test royal jelly for oxidative stress and exercise performance¹⁰. Sampled products were mostly softgel capsules and capsules; see Form comparison.

Allergy is the most consequential caution: major royal jelly protein 3 is the main allergen behind reported anaphylaxis, with cross-reactivity to honeycomb⁸. Health Canada labels ask for a health care practitioner's advice before use in pregnancy or breastfeeding⁹.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

51 sources, 37 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources