Royal jelly isn’t what you may initially think it is. In its purest, rawest form, royal jelly is a protein-packed substance that’s excreted from the glands of worker bees (in other words, it’s bees’ version of mother’s milk).
All bee larvae are fed royal jelly for the first few days of their life. But it’s the larvae that’s selected to go on to become queen bees that are bathed in royal jelly to create more substantial, queen-shaped cells, which then go on to become to rule future bee colonies. Queen bees eat royal jelly throughout their entire life.1
Royal jelly typically contains about 60% to 70% water, 12% to 15% proteins, 10% to 16% sugar, 3% to 6% fats, and 2% to 3% vitamins, salts, and amino acids. Its make-up also varies, depending on where it’s originated from and the climate and conditions there.2
Don’t get mixed up with bee pollen, beeswax, bee venom or propolis, while these may all also be produced by bees, they aren’t the same thing as royal jelly.