Royal Jelly’s Benefits are *Literally* Ancient. Here’s How this Brain Fuel Earned its Queen Bee Status

Ever wonder what gives the leader of any hive “queen bee” status? Well, for starters, she bathes in royal jelly—a protein-packed liquid excreted by the glands of worker bees. And after this luxurious soak, she gorges herself on the stuff for the rest of her royal life (#goals). So it comes as no surprise that cultures dating back thousands of years have followed in the Q.B.’s footsteps to reap the benefits of this secret sauce—including the Chinese. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) at large is having a bit of a cultural renaissance atm, thanks to the rise of holistic health that advocates consulting natural remedies before hitting the doctor’s office. And royal jelly is just one, *ahem*, buzzy ingredient that people are adding to their arsenal of biohacking remedies. Why you ask? According to Andy Williams, PhD, TCM regards the consumption of royal jelly as a means of achieving “spleen chi,” or “grounding” in your day-to-day life that promotes a healthy spleen. Since TCM touts this organ as the V.I.P. for a thriving energy body, royal jelly was in high demand for the ancients. And guess what—it’s still all the rage in China today. But hey, even if you’re not vibing with the “energy body” terminology, the modern science of this miracle substance will convince you that TCM remains pretty much on point. Here are just a few of the bod-boosting benefits of taking your daily dose of royal jelly (100% Queen Bee-approved).

It acts as a natural form of insulin

R.J. contains peptides and other compounds that lower blood pressure levels. In diabetes patients resistant to insulin, an injection of royal jelly was found to decrease the blood sugar levels to 33% in three hours.

It provides a natural source of brain fuel

Have you heard of nootropics? AKA: supplements designed to banish the midday fog that rolls into your brain around 3pm (or anytime, really)? Because R.J. contains large quantities of a neurotransmitter known as “acetylcholine”— an essential building block for learning and memory—it should definitely be a must ingredient in your search for a game-changing nootropic.

It has anti-inflammatory superpowers

Watch out collagen supplement—you’re about to get a little competition from the bees. In a series of controlled studies, this golden ingredient was found to promote collagen production of skin—making it the reigning ingredient to slather on scraped knees or stir into your favorite moisturizer. What's buzzworthy: This is why honey can help you catch a sweet night of zzzs and these easy banana chocolate chip pancakes will make your weekend.