TEXAS, USA — Young women across the nation are wondering if bee pollen will boost their cup size because of TikTok influencers who say the supplement works in just a couple of weeks.
THE QUESTION
Can bee pollen increase a woman's chest size?
OUR SOURCES
Dr. Tim Martindale, owner of a family practice physician in Waco and Dr. Dustin Fowler, an allergist at Allery and Asthma Care.
THE ANSWER
No, there is no scientific evidence increases the size, but there are other benefits.
WHAT WE FOUND
Martindale says it's possible bee pollen could increase your cup size since hormones can be made from plants.
"If you get a plant-based estrogen and as a result, it increases your natural, your estrogen levels, maybe progesterone in your body, then whatever the estrogen stimulates might grow," Martindale said. "So theoretically, if your breasts have sensitivity to estrogen, they might grow slightly with the use of plant-based estrogen."
Until health experts actually get data that is carefully controlled, they cannot confirm that it is true.
"Currently, we do not have solid medical research that indicates and proves that by applying, increases the size of a woman's breast, we can see theoretically how that might happen, and we don't think there's major dangers to using it, but we can't say it's going to work." Martindale said.
"Given the fact that it's simply a vitamin, the chance that it would offer some standard improvements or whatever desire is sought after from women taking the supplement, I don't think it can be replicated, so I don't think a lot of physicians would advocate their patients to take that for that desired effect," Fowler said.
Bee pollen still has other confirmed health benefits, according to Martindale.
"Bee pollen has been something that we've used for years," Martindale added. "All kinds of ways we use it for the thought about it helping with your allergies, thought about helping with your immune system, feeling that it even can help with your same-sex hormones for men or women might have an effect on fertility."
On the flip side, there are also some health risks. Bee pollen carries where bees have been, so if you're exposing yourself to the supplement, you will get whatever the bee has been exposed to.
This could case an allergic reaction, but Dr. Fowler says the risk is exceptionally low.
Our experts told us to always talk to your primary physician before anything.
"Having the most informed decision is prudent, and sometimes things catch on fire in social media that might not always be accurate, and so having that that personal trust in position is really crucial, especially in today's today's medical environment," Fowler said.
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