androgenic growth spurt and libido burst to the plants and animals that it comes in contact with.

Here’s the problem: There are literally hundreds of pine species. More than 30 just in North America. Not all pine species provide all of the benefits listed here. Unfortunately, there is no source of information that specifies which species does what. The only thing I am sure of is that Scotts Pine pollen does not have enough testosterone or other constituents to improve testosterone levels, and that is because I actually found a study testing just the Scotts Pine pollen for testosterone enhancement. I have never used any variety of pine pollen in my practice, so I have no personal knowledge of its benefits.

The second problem: Because it has a reputation for increasing testosterone, pine pollen is expensive. If you live in an area where you can access clean, pollution-free pine trees, it might be fun to try to harvest your own next spring. You simply put a container under the male pine cone and shake it.

All of the varieties of pine pollen abound in various amounts of good-health nutrients:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamins B1, B2 and B6 
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D2 and D3
• Vitamin E
• Folic Acid
• Potassium
• Sodium
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Phosphorus
• Iron
• Manganese
• Copper
• Zinc
• Selenium
• Ormus

Pine pollen contains over 200 bioactive, natural nutrients, minerals and vitamins. It is probably the only food besides garlic that has at least some of everything we need. In certain Asian countries it is sold as a powder in boxes. People eat it as a food.

Pine pollen’s anti-aging benefits are primarily in its androgenic properties, but all those nutrients and minerals work together to provide an almost unending list of benefits:

• Androgenic and aphrodisiac
• Protects against breast cancer
• Regulates the prostate gland
• Beautifies the skin
• Helps rid the body of free radicals
• Helps maintain healthy organs, including the liver and heart
• Strong antimicrobial and cancer fighter 
• Boosts the immune system

Androgen

Pine pollen is mostly known for its almost magical ability to stimulate anabolic endocrine activity. It contains a wide array of bio-available hormones including androstenedione, testosterone, DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone), and androsterone. Since these compounds are natural, they are much safer than the synthesized versions. They help your body stay young and healthy in many ways:

• Keep the skin smooth, tight and moist
• Optimize breast health in women
• Optimize prostate and testicular health in men
• Optimize tissue regeneration
• Help maintain muscle mass
• Help rid you of excess estrogens
• Speed up the metabolism
• Help burn fat

Aphrodisiac

While pine pollen’s reputation as a testosterone booster and muscle enhancer has made it popular among men looking to beef-up and enhance sexual performance, it may be even more helpful for women. Women, too, tend to have less testosterone as they age. Also, they may end up with too much estrogen. Pine pollen’s ability to enhance testosterone levels and rid the body of excess estrogen provides protection against breast cancer. Finally, can you imagine an easier, healthier, more natural way to maintain a healthy body weight than to eat a natural metabolism booster?

And, oh, testosterone is not the hormone that causes body hair growth. Women do not have to be concerned that taking pine pollen will give them a beard!

The whole idea here for both men and women is that for both sexes, balanced hormones help us maintain good health. Because pine pollen is an adaptogen, it pokes around here and there and adjusts our hormone levels, adding a little testosterone, eliminating a little estrogen, increasing our DHEA, and creating that optimal balance that allows us to be at our hormonal healthy best. That it also contains sterols that stop cancer in its tracks is just an added bonus.

Prostate Health

Pine pollen does not just shrink a swollen prostate. It also has the effect of growing and maintaining a shrinking prostate. It helps prevent prostate gland atrophy, a problem that doesn’t happen as often as a swollen prostate, but is still a common problem.

Skin Health

Androgens are also anti-aging medicines for the skin. They include collagen and elastin, which are the tissues that bind the skin cells together and maintain the flexibility and strength. Pine pollen also contains arginine, which promotes protein production. Along with plenty of good, clean water, these compounds help prevent dry, wrinkled skin.

Pine pollen makes a great cream to apply directly on skin damaged by eczema, acne, impetigo and diaper rash.

Antioxidant

Pine pollen increases blood levels of superoxide dismutase. Superoxide dismutase is the body’s own natural anti-oxidant. Pine pollen stimulates the production of this powerful anti-aging compound. In addition, Pine pollen increases the production of glutathione, which is manufactured in the cells and chemically bonds to toxins such as dead invaders and heavy metals, as well as metabolites of oxidative stress.

Researchers at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, Korea showed that pine pollen down regulated the JNK and MMP genes, which are involved in the oxidation and inflammation responses.
It also inhibits lipid peroxidation and reduces lipofuscin deposits in the heart, brain and liver, which are responsible for age and liver spots on the skin.

Organ health

This wonder food’s ability to increase levels of superoxide dismutase helps protect the heart, liver and brain from free radicals. Superoxide dismutase also helps increase HDL cholesterol levels, which promotes healthy organs and has been shown to aid the brain in clearing away the plaque associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Also, its detoxifying powers help regulate liver function and assist the liver in ridding the body of toxins.

DHEA has been shown to reduce death from heart disease, enhance cognition, and help protect the pancreas by improving insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance.

Protects the Liver from Fibrosis

Fibroids in the liver are a self-healing response to liver damage caused by oxidation, a build-up of extra cellular matrix (the matrix which hold the cells), and the activation of genes that participate in the build-up of fibrosis. Liver fibroids inevitably lead to liver disease. However, if you eliminate the fibroids before they cause liver disease you restore the liver to health.

A study by Tao Cong, et. el. at several institutions in China tracked the liver protecting anti-fibroid action of pine pollen. They discovered that pine pollen inhibits the oxidation that initiates the growth of liver fibroids, reverses the build-up of the extra cellular matrix, and inhibits the proteins that up-regulate the genes involved in fibrosis.

Anti-inflammatory

The gibberlins in pine pollen help control inflammation by interfering with the transcription pathway. In one study done in Korea researchers reported that pine pollen extract partially attenuated arthritis-induced edema with no dosedependence and normalized spleen weight. In fact, it completely normalized swelling and clinical scores of collagen induced arthritis in mice in just 49 days.

Antimicrobial

Pine pollen contains the plant sterols, castasterone, and brassinolide, which are strong antivirals. They cure diseases such as measles, herpes types I and II, arena viruses, and vesicular stomatitis virus. They have been found to be 10 to 18 times stronger than the pharmaceutical antiviral, ribavirun.

Protects Against Cancer

Pine pollen kills cancer cells. In a study of the effect of the pine pollen constituent sulfated polysaccharide on lung cancer cells by scientists at the College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University in Jinan, China the results confirmed the apoptotic action of pine pollen. The polysaccharide inhibited proteins required for cell division and promoted the protein p53, which is a tumor suppressive protein that modulates and controls the senescence process.
In addition, pine pollen provides anti-cancer benefits by reducing inflammation and protecting against oxidation.

Provides Anti-aging Protection

As we age, our mitochondrial DNA comes under attack from oxidants. Our mitochondria contain its own DNA, separate from the DNA that is contained in our chromosomes. Each cell contains one mitochondria, but inside the mitochondria are several copies of its DNA. When a certain number of mitochondrial DNA are destroyed, the mitochondria can no longer produce energy and it signals that the cell is in senescence and needs to die. This is a big part of the aging process.

Scientists at the Department of Gerontology, 305 Hospital of People’s Liberation Army, in Beijing, China. discovered that pine pollen protects the mitochondrial DNA from oxidative damage and stops excessive cell senescence.

Further anti-aging studies in mice have shown that pine pollen protects against aging through many pathways. In a joint study scientists at the Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Geriatrics, Zhejiang Hospital, in Hangzhou, China and the Zhejiang Forestry Academy in Hangzhou, China explored the mechanisms pine pollen uses to forestall aging.

They found that it provides the following protections:

1. Delays cell senescence and death
2. Inhibits advanced glycation end products, which are proteins that become glycated as a result of exposure to sugars and may result in many of the diseases of aging, such as diabetes, atherosclerosis and kidney disease.
3. Reverses the impact aging has on memory and learning
4. Inhibits inflammation
5. Protects against cellular oxidation

Immune system

The polysaccharides in pine pollen (and some herbs) are special sugars that feed the immune system. In fact, they are used by big pharma to create drugs that enhance the immune system.

Dosage

Pine pollen is a very powerful natural medicine. If you haven’t taken it before, it might be best to start with a smaller dose than recommended on the container. To start, take one-eighth teaspoon and increase a little daily until you reach the recommended dosage of two teaspoons morning and night.

Some of the compounds in pine pollen do not absorb well if taken in powder form. To get the most benefits, try taking a tincture. Because tincture strength varies from one brand to another, follow the directions on the container.

Pine pollen spores have thick, strong walls. If you purchase pine pollen as a supplement, make sure the spores have been cracked so your body can absorb the nutrients inside them.

Warnings and Side Effects

Pine pollen is an adaptogen, and therefore is safe for most people. However, adolescent men, or men who have ED, should use it carefully.

While it will provide relief for men with ED, those who are not producing enough testosterone on their own should enhance their body’s production as much as possible using other herbs and foods before taking pine pollen on a regular basis. Taking compounds that contain testosterone may cause the body to stop making it for themselves.

This is also a concern for young men whose bodies are in the process of becoming adult. Using pine pollen may cause their bodies to be dependent on testosterone supplementation for their entire lives.

Pine pollen may cause an allergic reaction in some people.