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HOO’s HEALTHY
& BENEFITS
RISKSSticky
Honey is a natural sweetener often used in place of white sugar
and is sometimes used as medicine. Honeybees produce honey
from flower nectar. Raw honey is strained to remove large
foreign objects and then is bottled. Commercially produced
honey is pasteurized and processed before bottling to remove
debris, harmful pathogens and allergens.
• No honey (processed or raw) should be consumed by infants
under the age of 1 or by pregnant women. Honey may contain
spores of the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. These spores,
when ingested by Infants under the age of one or pregnant
women, can multiply in the stomach and cause botulism
poisoning, a condition that may lead to life-threatening
paralysis. Honey-filled pacifiers should never be given to
infants.
The stomachs of healthy adults should effectively prevent the
C. botulinum spores from growing but if you do experience
symptoms of botulism poisioning, such as vomiting and
diarrhea, after eating honey, notify your doctor without delay.
• Honey made from the flowers of plants in the Ericaceae
family, which includes rhododendrons, may contain a toxin
called grayanotoxin. This toxin affects the nervous system and
ingesting raw honey that contains it may lead to a rare condition
called honey intoxication. Grayanotoxins are destroyed in the
pasteurization process used to produce commercial honey.
• Allergens such as pollen and bee parts are removed from
processed honey but may be present in raw honey. If raw honey
is consumed by someone allergic to pollen or to bee venom, a
serious, life-threatening allergic reaction can result.
Researchers have found several health benefits of honey. Honey
is full of anti-oxidants which may contribute to heart health. A
dose of honey taken at bedtime may help quiet a nighttime
cough. Studies have also shown that honey has antibacterial
properties, which explains why it is a home remedy for minor
cuts and burns. The pasteurization process may destroy some
of the beneficial compounds in honey, but ask your doctor to
see if buying raw honey is right for you.
of honey
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