Bee Pollen Supplementation to Aged Horses Influences Several Blood Parameters

This study looked at whether giving bee pollen to older horses could help support their health during the autumn season, a time when immune function and overall condition can naturally decline in aging animals. Researchers worked with a group of warmblood horses aged roughly 15 to 26 years. Half of the horses were given a daily supplement of bee pollen (60 g mixed with water) for 30 days, while the other half did not receive the supplement.

Blood samples were taken before and after the 30-day period to measure things like red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and other markers of blood health and oxidative stress. In the horses that did not receive bee pollen, researchers observed declines in some important parameters such as red blood cells and hemoglobin, along with increases in other blood measures that can signal stress on the body.

In contrast, the group of horses that received bee pollen maintained more stable blood values, with fewer of these age-related changes occurring over the same period. This suggests that bee pollen helped prevent some of the negative changes in blood health that can happen in older horses during autumn.