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Chestnut Pollen
Pollen is the only protein source for adult bees and is essential for the development of larvae. In fact, like all other living beings, bees also need the basic elementary principles of nutrition, namely proteins, lipids, vitamins and mineral elements. On average, a beehive produces from 10 to 26 kg of pollen per year, which is deposited inside the cells around the brood.
For collecting pollen, the beekeeper uses traps that he places at the entrance to the hive: the bee that comes in is loaded with pollen, passes through a grid with holes of calculated size that allow the passage of the insect, but not of the pollen that overflows from his body.
The composition of the pollen varies according to the type of plant, the botanical species, the type of crop (monofloral or multifloral), the conservation mode and the climate. The main components of the pollen are:
- water: the content is generally less than 20%
- nitrogenous substances: proteins, enzymes, coenzymes, amino acids. Almost all pollens contain all the essential amino acids for humans
- lipids: fats, fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, pigments, sterols and saturated hydrocarbons
- carbohydrates: the simple sugars present come from the mixture that bees make with nectar or honey to make corbiculettes
Pollen is so a complete food. It contains the 8 essential amino acids that are normally present in meat, eggs and fish. The proteins of this extraordinary product, unlike those of animal origin, are free of fat.
Pollen is rich in water, fiber, mineral salts and trace elements and is a source of B vitamins and vitamin C.
The main functions are as follows:
- metabolic stimulant, as it strengthens the immune system and protects the cardiovascular system
- antioxidant
- support for intestinal functioning
The problem of pollen conservation is given by the high quantity of water contained in it, which would lead to fermentation, compromising its use. The pollen found on the market is normally dried at high temperatures and, therefore, is ruined, as it loses its nutritional principles.
Our pollen, on the other hand, is cold dehumidified. In the cold dehumidification process, a maximum temperature of 35 ° C is reached, the same temperature as the hive, so it does not alter the product through heat. The procedure requires that only the water is eliminated, which means that the properties of the product are preserved without being affected.
This sticker, affixed to the jars of our pollen, indicates that it has undergone the cold dehumidification process. The conferment of this certificate to the pollen takes place after careful checks by the designated associations, which monitor the actual processing of the product in the structures qualified for this type of procedure.
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