There has not been much scientific work on pine pollen in the west. However, studies are beginning to show that the uses of it in Traditional Chinese Medicine for radiant vitality and slowing or reversing aging are not misleading. Stephan Harrod Buhner, a leading investigator on plant androgens, tells us that, “pine pollen is extremely high in androgens and the amino acids that support healthy endocrine function.” This is a simple list of ingredients for pine pollen which l shall partially be expanded on below.
According to the research, the nutritious components are categorized into five groups:
(1) 20 kinds of amino acid, 8 of which are essential to the body.
(2) 14 kinds of vitamins.
(3) 30 kinds of mineral elements.
(4) About a hundred kinds of enzymes and active substances.
(5) Nucleic acids, fibrins, unsaturated fatty acids, flavonoids, choline, etc.
This will automatically make one come to the conclusion that more is better, hence mega dosing:
“Oral dosing in China runs from 5 to 10 grams per day, which, barring the problems of testosterone going through the GI tract, would give a comparatively high dose of testosterone every day.”
– Stephen Harrod Buhner
The massive doses recommended by Chinese Medicine makes sense when one sees the amount of nutrients involved. As for the testosterone making it through the GI tract, this is a problem best remedied by tinctures. However, tinctures cannot impart the totality of the dense food source that pollen is, so a combination of the two is highly advantageous for men that have started andropause (around 40) and up. As for women and children, taking the powder is the only way that this should be ingested.
A further note before looking at some nutrients, I commonly will throw the whole tablespoon in my mouth and slowly saturate it with saliva, this ensures some digestion off the bat and possible absorption of androgens into the bloodstream under the tongue. I then gulp it down with a mouthful of water and hopefully, the fact that pollen gets everywhere and sticks to everything, one can safely assume that it will do this in the esophagus. Androgens such as testosterone and DHEA can ONLY be absorbed into the bloodstream under the tongue or in the esophagus. They will not survive in the stomach.
One tablespoon approximates to 3 grams of pine pollen. To get 10 grams of pine pollen in an easy manner to remember, I will normally take one slightly heaping tablespoon first thing when I wake up, again around noon or after I work out, and then lastly before going to bed. This has worked well for me but there is nothing saying you can’t more precisely attempt to time it with the peaks of testosterone throughout the day.
Amino Acids
Here are the amounts of amino acids as measured in Pinus montana, similar to Pinus massonia used in our pine pollen supplement:
- Arginine – 99.8 mg
- Histidine – 18.9 mg
- Isoleucine – 53.9 mg
- Leucine – 84.6 mg
- Lysine – 80.2 mg
- Phenylalanine – 57.2 mg
- Threonine – 49.2 mg
- Tryptophan – 14.9 mg
- Valine – 64.6 mg
Thus, while pine pollen will not give you the full dose of acids needed from day today, large doses of it will significantly supplement your normal intake of amino acids. This can only help to ensure your cells have all the building blocks needed during times of stress such as lack of sleep, physical training, or for proper hormonal control. As this list shows, of the essential amino acids, only one is missing methionine. This makes pine pollen a potent source with the ability of someone surviving entirely alone on it coming very close to being a possibility. On the flip side, certain studies have shown that restricting methionine consumption can increase lifespans in some animals (Miller).
As an aside, I wanted to mention arginine for the gentlemen reading this article. Arginine is a known human growth stimulator in sufficient doses. Supplementation with mega doses of pine pollen can help you regularly hit and stay at higher levels of arginine use by the system to enhance growth. Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide, an important erection stimulant and strength building factor. You can’t go wrong with having a wholesome source of arginine in a bioavailable form with all the needed cofactors in comparison to the chemical industries practice of isolating the acid.
The nonessential amino acids pine pollen contains are:
- Asparagic acid – 109.8 mg
- Serine – 52.2 mg
- Amino Glutaric acid – 157.9 mg
- Aminoacetic acid – 69.8 mg
- Alanine – 56.4 mg
- Tyrosine – 36.5 mg
- Cysteine – 11.2 mg
- Merionin – 16.6 mg
- Proline – 88.4 mg
Vitamins:
- Vitamin B1 – 607 mg
- Vitamin B2 – 48.6 mg
- Vitamin B6 – 130 mg
- E – 324 mg
- C – 56.2 mg
- D3 – 2.28 mg
- A – 43.2 mg
- Nicotinamide (niacin) – 2400 mg
- Folic Acid – 93 mg
- Beta Carotin – 2.62 mg
A note on the Vitamin D content of pine pollen. Not only does pine have D2 and D3 in amounts between 0.1 and 3 micrograms but also possesses hydroxylated metabolites of D3. This is between 40 and 120 IU’s for those counting. Not a lot but every bit helps.
“(D3) plays an essential role in the regulation of intestinal calcium and phosphorus absorption, calcium mobilization from bones, and reabsorption of calcium and phosphorus in the kidneys.” Everyone knows how important vitamin D is to health, so having some extra in the diet is never really a bad thing because most everyone is deficit in these essential compounds (but please don’t depend on your diet to get sufficient quantities as it is rather difficult to do contrary to popular opinion the sun is the best and healthiest way to ingest it).
Other Constitutes
There are an immense number of other constitutes. Many different minerals, for example, though I did not list them as I could not reliably make the conversions to milligrams with the information provided. A couple that are common to plants but are not largely studied between human interactions are:
Gibberellins – Structurally very similar to testosterone. These are basically plant steroids that jumpstart the first stages of germination. Spray them on growing buds and they will grow exponentially. They are found most in the buds and pollens of plants. They have been found to actually connect with testosterone receptors in the human body. Basically, they can mimic testosterone in the body and, as Stephan tells us, “because of their adrenal and pituitary actions, they stimulate androgen production in the body; energy levels increase.” They act as prostate regulators, up-regulating when the prostate is too small (one study had castrated rats keep their prostates from shrinking) and down regulate when the prostate is too big and inflamed. They are also anticancerous and anti-inflammatory in the rest of the body.
Brassinosteroids – Another essential element to plants, brassinosteroids are being used by plant growers as a “high efficient, broad-spectrum, safely and multipurpose plant growth regulator…” Pine pollen contains many of the over 30 different kinds already identified. Two of the brassinosteroids in pine pollen are the mechanism through which the liver safely removes xenobiotic substances, such as xenoestrogens, from the body system. They have strong antiviral actions and are, “considered to be highly novel steroidal compounds with unique anticancer actions while possessing very low toxicity.”
Megadose
If you have already experienced some of the benefits of pine pollen at much smaller doses, just imagine how incredible you will feel when you start ingesting much higher amounts. All of us have been megadosing pine pollen as of late and we are blessedly fortunate to have the ability to do so. None of us can imagine not consuming pine pollen on the regular for the rest of our, what seems more and more, very long-lasting natural lives. So megadose, because its natures supplement, a gift freely given by the pine trees to sustain us in exceedingly happy, healthy lives.
We also now have available a 250 gram container. This was created for mega-dosing with pine pollen as described on this page. In China, pine pollen is usually taken at doses of 5-10 grams per day for all the nutrition and healthful benefits it provides. At a dose of 10 grams a day (approximately 3 tablespoons) this supply will last 25 days. At five grams a day it would last 50 days. Of course, you can also order it as a stockpile with regular dosing, as its like buying four 50 gram bags and getting one free.
There are approximately 83 tablespoons per 250 gram container.
Sources:
1) Buhner, Stephen H. Pine Pollen: Ancient Medicine for a Modern World. Springvale: SurThrival, 2011. Print.
2) Buhner, Stephen H. The Natural Testosterone Plan: For Sexual Health and Energy. Rochester: Healing Arts Press. 2007. Print.
3) Miller, Richard A.; Buehner, Gretchen; Chang, Yayi; Harper, James M.; Sigler, Robert; SmithWheelock, Michael (2005). “Methioninedeficient diet extends mouse lifespan, slows immune and lens aging, alters glucose, T4, IGFI and insulin levels, and increases hepatocyte MIF levels and stress resistance”. Aging cell 4 (3): 119–125.
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Winston Drakes says
I recently started to take pine pollen tincture but I started with half dropper full.. I’m yet to feel any effects. I also take sublingually and in my hot cup of herb tea in the morning.
Is this ok and when will I see or feel something. I am early 60’s.
Logan Christopher says
No way I can say for sure as every body works differently. Some feel it right away, some it’ll take a few weeks. Also try increasing the dosage and/or taking it multiple times a day.
Bling says
I’m very interested in trying out pine pollen, I’ve read enough on it to want to try it out for myself.
I have one concern and query though: I have already tested with high estradiol, 59 (whatever units) -this was sometime late last year; and I had tested at 46 the year prior. I’m a 33 year-old male, usually work out in the gym. I figure it’s partly due to being a little fatter than I should be. I figure I have high aromatase, leading to high estradiol. So my concern is that if I already have high aromatase, I wonder if boosting testosterone by taking pine pollen would be counter-productive? I’m thinking that such a high boost -even if within physiological range- would just encourage my aromatization and more estradiol, and therefore cause more problems? (weight gain, water bloating, libido issues?). Should I maybe wait til I decrease my estradiol before trying pine pollen, e.g. after losing some weight? (Although my desire would be to take the pine pollen to HELP losing weight in the first place).
Thoughts?
Logan Christopher says
Bling, actually pine pollen seems to not only help with testosterone but estrogen as well, modulating both. One customer cut his estrogen in half while doubling testosterone. He did this by taking pine pollen in both powder and tinctured form. That being said we’re also going to be releasing nettle root soon which helps with aromatization.
Bling says
Great! That’s great to hear, didn’t realize pine pollen could help with estrogen as well; thought it was purely a “direct” test booster. I think there are many “natural” test boosters on the market that work well to boost Test, but because they work so well they don’t help “balance” against a concomitant rise in estrogen…..D-Aspartic acid readily comes to mind, which has indeed been proven to raise testosterone, but has also been found to increase estradiol as well over time…
Is there the possibility of any kind of “rebound” effect with pine pollen’s estrogen-balancing properties? i.e. a rebound increase in estrogen after a while of using pine pollen, OR after stopping its use for a while? How could we guard against that happening (other than to keep taking the pine pollen)??
Logan says
I suppose it is possible. We don’t have enough data or research one way or another to say for sure. That being said because its a natural substance it works intelligently with your body rather than just increasing and decreasing things. Secondly, with anything hormonal it is usually best to cycle on and off to some degree.
Bling says
Thanks again, you actually answered another question before I asked, i.e. about whether to cycle or not. My hope is that this is something that would “up-regulate” my “baseline” and make a NEW natural baseline, all done naturally and healthfully of course.
Looking forward to reading about your nettle root product. I know nettle root is said to free up Test bound to SHBG, but wasn’t quite sure about the anti-aromatase effect? Can you shed more light on this?
Logan Christopher says
I’ll have more details on the nettle root page when it goes up, but here was one study I came across: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17238068
Alan says
Is a cycle of 10 days on and 5 days off suitable with the 10 gm per day dosage ?
Logan Christopher says
Yeah that would work fine. Please let us know how it goes for you.
Jerry says
I am trying to compare using pine pollen to using the “little blue pill” for ED. Does anyone have any insight on this?
Logan Christopher says
We’ve heard some positive things from some clients about it but we can’t make any claims surrounding that issue. But the whole “morning wood” thing seems to be fair game and certainly has crossover. It’s really going to depend on a person by person individual basis. Try it for yourself and see…
tom says
That PINE POLLEN MEGA DOSE is excellent! I am so glad I followed up on a ‘hunch’ I had that somehow PINE product would help me. I have been on it for about six weeks (I cook with it in omlet, pancakes etc) and I no longer have to get up in the middle of the night, and I sleep much better, longer!
It is one of the best things I have ever done for myself!
I highly recomend this product. Without running afoul of FDA guidelines, some people might say this could help with an ‘enlarged prostate’. FWIW IF I had to make the choice for a remediy, before I submitted to mutilating surgery and or doses of different kinds of poisons, I would dose up bigtime on this stuff!
Gregg willett says
How do you make a tincture?
admin says
Hey Gregg,
check out this page to learn how to make a tincture.
bobby chan says
what is a tincture?? and how to make a tincture ??
admin says
Check out this page: https://lostempireherbs.com/how-to-make-pine-pollen-tincture/
charles palmer says
can you take it in your coffee or ice tea in the morning?
Logan Christopher says
Yes. Just make sure the hot coffee isn’t too hot as it could damage some of the more delicate parts of the pine pollen.
Mike LaPre says
Bob – you can also make your own tincture – they have a great video at Lost Empire Herbs on exactly how to do it. I just completed my first batch and I am very excited. It’s amazingly simple and cost effective vs. buying premade tinctures of lesser strength. When you take the tincture sublingually you will feel an incredible energy boost immediately! I also drop a tablespoon full in my morning shake daily.
Bob Sowell says
How are you suppose to take the pine pollen? I have been putting it in my shake each morning, will this work? There are no directions on the label that I received.
Thanks.
admin says
Yes Bob, shakes work. You can also take it straight, mix it in water, and some people even sprinkle it on their food.
BOGDAN BILYK says
Ooooh. Nice! Thank you for the info. N I C E ! !
Jack says
Can we take Pine Pillen with Shilajit & Ashwagandha ?
Mikayla Gibson says
Certainly.
Derek Marshall says
Taking Pine Pollen Powder with Shilajit and Ashwagandha will have potentially amazing effects. Pine pollen with all the right nutrients for augmenting testosterone (not to mention 4 phyto-androgents) Shilajit will detox the body and replace inorganic minerals with organic minerals. Ashwagandha, regulate and naturalise hormone levels and give a nice vitality as well as helping with blood pressure issues.
I recommend highly this combination for my readers at CureMyErectileDysfunction.com.