Royal jelly is a creamy substance excreted from worker bees. It is fed to queen bees, conferring them high physical fitness, fertility, and long lifespan. It contains many active compounds and has been studied in preclinical studies for its purported antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anti-tumor, and anti-microbial effects. Although one clinical trial testing a combination therapy that included royal jelly claimedimproved performance on onetest of cognitive function in people with mild cognitive impairment, no adequately designed clinical trials have tested whether royal jelly has benefits for cognitive functions. While generally safe, royal jelly has drug interactions with blood pressure medicationsand can cause allergic reactions including anaphylaxis.
