Pollen helps in mental and muscular development of children – Dr. Huda
KUWAIT CITY, March 12: Dr. Huda Ahmed, a nutrition consultant at Mujezat Al-Shifa Honey Company, said the prevalence of autism in children of all types and degrees has increased as a result of the increased consumption of foods preserved with harmful preservatives that cross the membranes of the brain vessels and accumulate inside them, causing disturbances in neurodevelopment and neurotransmitters, which affects the communication between brain cells.
Many studies have shown, according to Dr Huda, that pollen has effective effects in relieving physical, mental, and muscular fatigue, as it improves blood supply to the tissues of the whole body, including the nervous system, which weakens due to stress or excessive work, and enhances mental ability, thanks to its nutritional richness.
It is rich in proteins, minerals and vitamins, especially vitamin B groups and omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for the growth and health of the brain and nerves. They contribute, along with the antioxidants and inflammations contained in pollen, in reducing oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and poor communication as causative mechanisms for autism disorders.
She referred to a study conducted to prove the benefits of pollen in preventing autism and alleviating its exacerbation, in cooperation between nutrition scientists at King Faisal University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and scientists at the University of Missouri Kansas College of Medicine in America in 2022, during which thirty experimental mice were divided so that they are a group that is laboratory-infected with autism. By giving 250 mg of propionic acid/kg of body weight/day orally for 3 days, knowing that this substance is used to preserve preserved foods.
Dr Huda explained that the second group receives treatment with bee pollen first, as mice were treated with 250 mg/kg of bee pollen for 4 weeks before autism was induced as described for the previous group.
She concluded by saying the markers related to oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, and toxicity causing disruption of neurotransmitters were measured in brain tissue, which were clear in the infected group and negative in the group that ate pollen, whose blood levels of antioxidants increased, especially in the brain, which reduced neuroinflammation and oxidative damage, which confirms the benefits of feeding children pollen to aid in the normal development of the brain and the whole body.