biostudies-literatureOdemer RFachagentur Nachwachsende RohstoffeMinistry of Agriculturee73107https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12910244biostudies-literatureUnknown16(2)Bumble bees face increasing pressure from interacting stressors, including pathogens, nutritional limitations, and agricultural intensification. Among natural dietary factors that modulate disease, Asteraceae pollen-particularly sunflower (<i>Helianthus annuus</i>)-has repeatedly been shown to reduce infection by the trypanosomatid <i>Crithidia bombi</i> in bumble bees under laboratory conditions. Yet the mechanisms, generality, and ecological relevance of these effects remain incompletely resolved, and field-based evidence from European systems, particularly for <i>Bombus terrestris,</i> is scarce. Here, I synthesise current knowledge on how Asteraceae pollen traits influence <i>bumble bee</i> health, focusing on the interplay between pollen morphology, phenolamide chemistry, nutrient comEcology and evolutionSunflower Pollen and Bumble Bee Health: Mechanisms, Modifiers and Trade-Offs.PMC1291024422012118Odemer RfalseSunflower Pollen and Bumble Bee Health: Mechanisms, Modifiers and Trade-Offs.Bumble bees face increasing pressure from interacting stressors, including pathogens, nutritional limitations, and agricultural intensification. Among natural dietary factors that modulate disease, Asteraceae pollen-particularly sunflower (<i>Helianthus annuus</i>)-has repeatedly been shown to reduce infection by the trypanosomatid <i>Crithidia bombi</i> in bumble bees under laboratory conditions. Yet the mechanisms, generality, and ecological relevance of these effects remain incompletely resolved, and field-based evidence from European systems, particularly for <i>Bombus terrestris,</i> is scarce. Here, I synthesise current knowledge on how Asteraceae pollen traits influence <i>bumble bee</i> health, focusing on the interplay between pollen morphology, phenolamide chemistry, nutrient com2026-01-01T00:00:00Z2026 Feb2026-07-16T11:55:45.228Z2026-07-09T10:52:14.978ZS-EPMC129102444171051810.1002/ece3.73107