I've seen more than a few mentions of bee pollen, so I took a quick look:
http://www.webmd.com/balance/bee-pollen-benefits-and-side-effects

Why is it used in glider food?

Well, just because it may not be extremely safe for humans doesn't mean that it isn't safe for gliders. They obviously are very different from us.

Because gliders in their natural habitat eat flowers, therefore bee pollen and adding it to their captive diet adds nutrients like vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, lipids, and protein.

I used to keep bees. when I had access to pollen granules, I used to eat it. Don't know for sure it ever helped me with anything, but it never killed me either. Web MD has to mention even stuff that only happens once in a billion uses. Pollen has all kinds of good for you traces of whatnot in it. As well as random bee parts and assorted dirt. Seems as though it would be a very natural glider food

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Originally posted by tsugie

Well, just because it may not be extremely safe for humans doesn't mean that it isn't safe for gliders. They obviously are very different from us.

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Obviously so. Everything has its plusses and minuses for each species.

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Originally posted by Minnesota Zoo

Because gliders in their natural habitat eat flowers, therefore bee pollen and adding it to their captive diet adds nutrients like vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, lipids, and protein.

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Thank you, exactly what I was looking for. It does seem as if bee pollen has a lot of benefits, and so far as I can see, no reports of any major problems so far. I wonder how they calculate how much to use.

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Originally posted by sleighr

I traces of whatnot i

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Originally posted by tsugie

Well, just because it may not be extremely safe for humans doesn't mean that it isn't safe for gliders. They obviously are very different from us.

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You absolutely can't generalize, right? Why, if you could take info and perhaps apply the information to a different species, people might actually use rats in experiments to try to solve disease and other problems in people.

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Originally posted by Minnesota Zoo

Because gliders in their natural habitat eat flowers, therefore bee pollen and adding it to their captive diet adds nutrients like vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, lipids, and protein.

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That's about right. They don't actually eat the flower but lick the pollen off of the stamen. For enrichment edible/safe flowers can be given to yours gliders, it is a real blast to see them enjoy the flowers.

Since bee pollen is much easier to obtain in commercial quantities it is used rather than straight pollen off the plant this is also true for honey rather than using straight nectar from flowers. Bee's make it easy for us to feed our gliders

Diet curators use observation from naturalists and biologist to guesstimate the amount to use in a diet. Here is a graph Luckyglider referenced estimating consumption amounts of the main food groups (euc flowers being pollen) for a wild glider:

On a side note bee pollen has worked for both my mother and my boyfriends seasonal allergies as well as many people I know not in my immediate circle. The article is from my experience making something out of nothing, if you are lethally allergic or with child of course you would want to take caution.

My gliders love them some pistils and stamens from hibiscus flowers...they tear into them and go crazy, they especially love the little pollen balls!

@ VE...That is a great chart I have not seen before. That goes back to the "seasonal eating" we pm'd about!