Healthy view of pine pollen

Last weekend was a rare, warm and sunny Memorial Day holiday and if you were like many of us, you spent time in or on one of our many lakes in the area. I am sure you also noticed the thick yellow coating of pollen on top of the water.

With so much pollen in both the air and in the water, it begs the question: just how healthy is all this yellow stuff, along with a few other questions.

First, the bulk of our pollen is coming down in clouds from our local pine forests that surround our beautiful area. In fact, there is so much of it that when the wind hits the trees, whole hillsides explode in a dusty yellow shower of the stuff.

Actual pine pollen allergies are not that common and do not affect most people, but pine pollen in these large amounts can have an effect on all of us to some degree. With pine pollen counts so high, it does seem to have adverse effects on many of us. The good news is over the next two- to four-week window, the pine pollen will lessen considerably. For those of you who are very active and have allergies or asthma, it can be an unbearable time. For people training for Ironman and other competitions, the heavy yellow pollen can make for a snotty nose and a throat full of misery.

We have all felt the effects of pollen with irritation of our sinus and respiratory tracts. Other symptoms include swollen or watery eyes, runny nose, sore throat, coughing and even severe headaches. A number of people have asked if it is safe to swim in water covered in pine pollen? The answer to this is yes and no. If you have a true pine pollen allergy or sensitivity to grass pollens, you could see a reaction on your skin, with bumps or hives. Also if you are allergic to pine pollen, then immersion of your face in the water can provoke an allergic reaction making you extremely uncomfortable.

Keep in mind that pine pollen affects most of us as an airborne irritant, so it is somewhat harmless for most of us when it is stuck to the water’s surface. Pollen does not cause swimmer’s itch and is not a toxic algae or cause other nefarious symptoms in water, so keep your swimming regimen on track.

Pine pollen can make us sneeze, cough and feel slimy in water, plus we all hate it all over our cars and trucks. With all this said, pine pollen seems to have redeeming health values that most people are not very familiar with. Pine pollen has been considered a herbal medicine across many ancient cultures and is today considered to be a nutrient-dense food to some. Like bee pollen, pine pollen does seem to have beneficial properties full of bioactive nutrients and minerals.

Now if you are like me, it is pretty hard to imagine pine pollen as more than a super pain in the butt, let alone a super food. Research has found that our ancestors were onto something regarding pine pollen as medicinal. Pine pollen does seem to have benefits for our immune and endocrine systems. Pine pollen has a fair amount of phyto-androgens in it, which includes androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone and androsterone.

Since the endocrine system manages our hormonal balance, some people believe supplementing with raw pine pollen can help with maintaining or assisting with these balances. If nothing else, pine pollen is a nutrient-dense substance full of a wide range of vitamins and minerals including copper, iron, manganese, magnesium and phosphorous.

Let’s keep in mind that running out into the yard and collecting pine pollen for consumption is not what I am saying here. There are a number of companies that process the stuff and sell it at your local health food store. My point here is that even though this time of year is tough with regard to pine pollen, it is actually pretty safe and perhaps even healthy for us.

There are many types of pine trees in our area and around the world, but they all have similar effects, both good and bad. The small pollen grains coming from the male cones are designed to make new trees and are certainly rich in reproductive nutrients. Many people who consume pine pollen on a daily basis say it is energizing and improves endurance, so for you athletes out there, you may want to add pine pollen to your protein shakes.

For now, we just need to wait a few weeks for the yellow stuff to stop falling and perhaps take a different view of pine pollen as an overall good thing.

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Judd Jones is a director for The Hagadone Corporation in Coeur d’Alene.