Pine pollen is a term used to refer to supplements derived from the pollen of pine trees. Pine trees in general refer to the genera of pinus, and the pollen that is commonly used as a dietary supplement is the Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) due to some studies having detected a testosterone content in this pollen.
In regards to the above, the testosterone content of Scots pine pollen appears to be too low to cause appreciable effects in the human body due to testosterone ingestion despite it being a higher concentration than the testosterone found in Royal Jelly. No studies have been conducted in humans on any parameter related to testosterone such as aphrodisia, muscle growth, or general male vitality.
Pine pollen appears to have a traditional usage in Chinese medicine as well, although the species used have been those available in the region and these are not the Scots pine. These studies are preliminary but suggest a possible antiinflammatory effect that could benefit arthritis, but due to a lack of compositional studies on the pine pollen (ie. what is actually in the pollen that could be mediating the antiinflammatory effects) it is not known if these properties extend to Scots Pine.
Overall, this supplement is heavily underresearched and at this moment in time it cannot be recommended for any particular usage in humans until more studies are conducted.
