Pollen as Medicine
By Colin Blais, Contributing BCAGlobal Blog Writer
Introduction
As of 2023, the CDC reports that more than a quarter of U.S. Adults have some sort of allergy, with Black adults being the most likely demographic to suffer from allergy symptoms (CDC, 2023). Seasonal allergies, also known as “rhinitis” or “hay fever” are often accompanied by annoying symptoms such as sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, difficulty breathing, and headaches. For some, these symptoms are a minor annoyance treated by avoidance or medication, but for others, such as those with asthma, allergies can be crippling, even forcing some individuals to stay inside for days at a time. Indigenous and Black adults have disproportionately high rates of asthma compared to White Americans in the U.S., which further compounds the issue in communities of color (CDC, 2024).
Seasonal allergies are a growing problem, with scientists reporting that rising temperatures caused by climate change are causing larger and more severe bouts of seasonal allergic reactions across the globe (MacPhail, 2023). In Georgia alone, pollen levels have shattered previous state records in 2025 (Van Buren, 2025).
Though the issue is worsening and having adverse impacts on many communities across the United States, some scholars have pointed to Indigenous cooking and healing methods as a possible form of relief from allergies and other ailments. Studies of Indigenous communities dating back to 1400 BCE have shown that a number of these groups regularly consumed pollen in several ways. Some communities used it as flour for baking bread, while others used it while cooking corn mush, or as a thickening agent for soup. There are even records in Navajo communities of healers carrying the substance as a remedy for different illnesses (Raitt, 1987). There is little to no record of Europeans or European settlers using the substance as food throughout their history, but a renewed interest in combining pollen as a food and medicine has brought the so-called “pesky” substance back into the scientific limelight (Linskens & Jorde, 1997).
Indigenous Usage of Pollen
There is widespread evidence of different Native American communities using pollen in cooking and medicine. If there is interest in incorporating pollen into contemporary American diets to combat seasonal allergies and other ailments, it is necessary to look at the existing knowledge held by Indigenous communities.
Analyses that occurred in the late 1800s of human fecal matter in caves known to have been populated by human or ancient human communities throughout the United States demonstrated a high volume of pollen. The concentration was high enough that scientists began to theorize that this was no coincidence of the environment, but an intentional intake of pollen by these Native communities dating back as far as 1400 BCE. Scientists also noted that the dominant types of pollen found: cabbage, mustard, willow, and maize, were also often found in the absence of the other parts of the plant such as leaves or stems. This further reinforced the theory that some of these communities were knowingly and intentionally ingesting the substance on their own.
This may sound absurd to a person living in the 21st century, where decades of development, sheltering, and environmental change have led to the widespread development of allergies among American communities, especially communities of color. However, researchers continued to unearth fascinating information in their analyses.
Researchers in the 1970s observing Navajo communities in the United States discovered that members of families would collect maize pollen from the tassels of the plants on warm summer mornings. The pollen was then sifted and kneaded into a dough for baking. Other communities were observed to have gathered pollen from the cattail plant. The pollen of this particular plant is high in protein and is used to supplement other ingredients used in baking such as flour for added nutritional value (Linskens & Jorde, 1997).
Researchers who observed Apache communities in the late 1800s and late 1970s also found Apache men carrying pouches of cattail pollen to be used as a remedy for fatigue, eating small pinches of the substance to stave off exhaustion (Linskens & Jorde, 1997).
There is also widespread evidence in the form of archaeological research and anthropological observation that Navajo tribes use corn pollen in various rituals and ceremonies. The substance holds a holy or sacred status among certain parts of these communities (Raitt, 1987).
Pollen Today
To say that the Native communities of centuries ago in the United States were “on to something” with the intentional ingestion of pollen is an understatement. Contemporary researchers have begun hailing the health benefits of different types and forms of pollen. Some have pointed out that there is merit in using bee pollen as an antifungal, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, anticancer immunostimulant, and local analgesic (Komosinska-Vassev et al., 2015). An ACS Biomaterial Science and Engineering publication reported a new method of medicine and vaccine delivery achieved by hollowing out the inside of pollen husks to fill them with life-saving medicines. These husks are non-allergenic and biodegradable, making them sustainable, useful, and less strenuous on the human body (Britannica, 2025). Other researchers have studied the possibility that pollen may indeed be used as a treatment for the very allergic reaction that it often causes in adults and children across the U.S. (Jannesar et al., 2017).
Beyond medical research, bee pollen has begun to gain popularity as a food item. Occasionally it can be found on the expensive menus of smoothie shops throughout the United States as a sweet and crunchy topping. Companies who produce the ingredient often hail it as a cure-all with many health benefits.
Outside of the restaurant industry, many popular publications on health and wellness have also begun to positively assess the merits of pollen as a “natural supplement” that can provide several benefits to its users (Gamillo, 2024).
Practicality of Pollen Use in the 21st Century
Pollen as both a medicinal and a food item could have a number of practical uses in our modern food system. It has already begun to reach mainstream incorporation via restaurants, and researchers have shown a renewed interest in understanding ways in which we can utilize it. Though commonly thought of as a pesky by-product of plants with several negative connotations associated with illness, pollen has a demonstrated value to humankind that has been emphasized by Native populations for centuries.
The caveat, of course, that comes with advocating for the usage of a plant with such a rich cultural history is that it automatically puts the plant at risk of being over-commodified. The rise of a pollen-driven “health craze” risks empowering large agricultural companies to engage in exploitative harvesting practices, which would further degrade our food system. If this plant product is to be utilized as food, medicine, or both, it should be done in a way that centers its history as a sacred product used and trusted by Indigenous peoples for centuries.
Pollen is inherently a sustainable substance to produce. Plants naturally produce it as part of their reproductive process, and it could certainly be harvested in a regenerative fashion to avoid damage or overuse.
Beyond simply advocating for pollen-based food and medicinals, researchers should also focus on the need to utilize this plant product in a sustainable and culturally sensitive fashion.
References
Britannica. (n.d.). How Pollen Can Be Used to Deliver Medicine | Britannica. Retrieved April 7, 2025, from https://www.britannica.com/video/Pollen-grains-carry-medicines-vaccines-into-human-body/-246855
CDC. (2023, January 27). More Than a Quarter of U.S. Adults and Children Have at Least One Allergy. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/20220126.htm
CDC. (2024, June 17). Most Recent National Asthma Data | CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/most_recent_national_asthma_data.htm
Chronicle, E. V. B., Augusta. (1744012864). Allergists point to climate change as cause for record-breaking pollen levels in Georgia. https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/meteorology/allergists-point-to-climate-change-as-cause-for-record-breaking-pollen-levels-in-georgia/ar-AA1CqQku
Gamillo, E. (n.d.). Bee Pollen as a Natural Supplement Could be the Next Superfood. Discover Magazine. Retrieved April 8, 2025, from https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/bee-pollen-as-a-natural-supplement-could-it-be-the-next-superfood
Jannesar, M., Shoushtari, M. S., Majd, A., & Pourpak, Z. (2017). Bee Pollen Flavonoids as a Therapeutic Agent in Allergic and Immunological Disorders. Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, 171–182.
Komosinska-Vassev, K., Olczyk, P., Kaźmierczak, J., Mencner, L., & Olczyk, K. (2015). Bee Pollen: Chemical Composition and Therapeutic Application. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM, 2015, 297425. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/297425
Linskens, H. F., & Jorde, W. (1997). Pollen as Food and Medicine: A Review. Economic Botany, 51(1), 78–86.
MacPhail, T. (2023). Are Your Seasonal Allergies Getting Worse? Blame Climate Change; Medical anthropologist Theresa MacPhail explains why there’s an uptick in all allergic conditions–food allergies, asthma, eczema, environmental allergies and more–and what we can do about it in her new book. In this excerpt, she focuses on why climate change is a leading cause of increased hay fever symptoms. Newsweek, 180(16), NA-NA.
Raitt, T. M. (1987). The Ritual Meaning of Corn Pollen among the Navajo Indians. Religious Studies, 23(4), 523–530.