Royal Jelly Supplementation Improves Menopausal Symptoms Such as Backache, Low Back Pain, and Anxiety in Postmenopausal Japanese Women

Abstract

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Royal Jelly (RJ) at a dose of 800 mg/day on menopausal symptoms in healthy Japanese postmenopausal women with placebo-controlled design. Material and Methods A total of 42 healthy Japanese postmenopausal women have been recruited for this study. The subjects were randomized to oral treatment with either 800 mg of protease-digested lyophilized powder of RJ (enzyme-treated RJ) or placebo (800 mg of dextrin) daily for 12 weeks. The level of menopausal symptoms has been evaluated every 4 weeks, using menopausal symptoms questionnaire of Japanese women. Independent t-test was used to evaluate statistical significance of the treatment effects between the two groups. Results and Conclusion All of the 42 women have completed the trial. There were significant differences related to the anxiety score (P = 0.046) and backache and low back pain score (P = 0.040) between 800 mg/day enzyme-treated RJ and placebo-treated groups after 12 weeks of administration, and no significant differences were found between the two groups in 4 weeks after intervention. No side effects were observed in either group. This study demonstrates that enzyme-treated RJ supplementation with doses of 800 mg/day is effective in relieving menopausal symptoms such as anxiety, backache, and low back pain in Japanese postmenopausal women.

Metabolism and pharmacokinetics of medium chain fatty acids after oral administration of royal jelly to healthy subjects

“…It is the specic food for the queen honey bee throughout her life period and it is involved in the fertility and longevity of the queen. 1 A multitude of pharmacological activities have been reported in experimental animals [2][3][4][5][6] and in clinical trials, [7][8][9][10] including antitumor, 2 anti-oxidant, 3 anti-inammatory, 4 antibacterial, 5 and anti-aging, 6 improvement of chills, 7 neck muscle strain, 8 tinnitus, 9 female menopausal symptoms, 10 age associated muscle strength decline, 11 and lipoprotein metabolism by lowering serum total cholesterol and leading to low-density lipoprotein levels, as well. 12 The chemical composition of RJ consists of: water (60-70%), proteins (9-18%), sugars (7.5-23%), lipids (3-8%), and other trace compounds.…”

Royal Jelly and Its Components Promote Healthy Aging and Longevity: From Animal Models to Humans

“…Therefore, menopausal women may receive hormone therapy to alleviate discomfort and lower their risk for various serious diseases such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular disorders. However, hormone therapy is associated with increased risk of cancer [92,93]. Several natural alternatives (including RJ) have been under investigation as safer alternatives.…”

“…Cell culture models revealed that the role of RJ in bone formation is due to upregulation of procollagen I α1 gene expression [96,97], enhancement of intestinal calcium absorption, and increased bone calcium content [95]. Human studies lend further support to this evidence; pRJ at a dose of 800 mg/day significantly decreased lower back pain in healthy menopausal women [93]. Likewise, daily consumption of 150 mg of RJ for three months exerted cardioprotective effects by improving lipid profile of postmenopausal women [92].…”

“…The healthspan-inducing effects of RJ in humans are not only limited to enhancement of physical health but also include improvement of general mental health [74], reduction of anxiety symptoms [93], improvement of mood, and mild cognitive impairment in the elderly (>60 years old) [98,99]. The psychological and neurological effects of RJ reflect improvement of biomarkers of physical health such as cholesterol [98].…”

Royal Jelly—A Traditional and Natural Remedy for Postmenopausal Symptoms and Aging-Related Pathologies

“…During menopause, sudden estrogen level withdrawal affects the autonomic nervous system, leading to the development of neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer disease), mood disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression) or headache, low back pain or backache. 42 postmenopausal women accusing anxiety, backache and low back pain were recruited and randomly received either 800 mg of dextrin or 800 mg of enzyme-treated royal jelly, for 3 months [ 52 ]. After this period, both anxiety score and backache score in royal jelly group were significantly decreased compared to placebo group.…”