Pure honey vs Pure honey

[silkiechicken]

Thanks for all the info. I thought the honey allergy thing only worked with unfiltered raw honey because you need to have the pollen, enzymes and so on still in it?

No idea if it really works though.

I need to look into that bee keeping thing. Hmmm..

 

[lady chicken whisperer]

I work at a local farm produce stand thing and we have our own hives. I feel bad when people ask me what kind of honey it is and I always give them the same answer "whatever the bees were pollinating off of."

One year we actually had mint honey, it was different but good.

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
That is what I have always been told. When we moved to Va the first thing I did was search out local raw honey for my kids to eat.

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

hey silkie I found this site. I am looking forward to beekeeping in the future. Just hope my chickens dont think they are treats from me to them lol
http://www.outdoorplace.org/beekeeping/citybees.htm

 

[ZuniBee]

If you are looking for beekeeping info the best place to go is BeeMaster.com .

I have seven hives and will expand to 14 this year. The honey is not even comparable to store bought blended. Local honey is great!

And yes, the honey allergy thing only works with unfiltered raw honey because you need to have the pollen, enzymes and so on from your local area still in it. I have customers that eat my honey every day due to allergies and they swear by it.

 

[cybercat]

Seems I am in the good then. I only buy from the local farmers market that sells what their bees made. I am about out so have to buy new bottle which is good snice we moved to another county this past fall.

My last jar was from Knoxville and it never got sugar crystals. When I bought it the owner told me it would not soilify like the store bought. Was this because it was raw unprocessed honey? It was clear nothing in it, so maybe it was strained.

 

[dlhunicorn]

;kj
Quote:
I heard that on the news a few days ago. My dd is allergic to every weed tree and grass,and gets allergy shots. She has been eating honey since she was 2, can't say as to whether eating honey works, but it sure is good.
BTW: the honey sellers at the local farm stands will usually tell you which honey is from which season, ie: clover, spring or summer flowers or fall, clover and spring honey will usually be the lightest and mildest. We like them all, and the comb is definetly the best

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/weeklyquestion/a/04_infant_honey.htm

http://www.drgreene.com/21_825.html
"Taking the initiative with preventive measures to insure her health and comfort is a very loving act. Getting information regarding the safety and efficacy of these preventive measures is very wise indeed, and may save your daughter's life.

Like you, I have heard claims that wild honey might reduce allergy symptoms. In fact, today in a local supermarket I saw a jar labeled "100% Natural Raw Honey, Unfiltered Unblended." This product went on to promise great health benefits.

And indeed, careful scientific study has recognized great medicinal value in honey. Honey has significant, known antibiotic properties (Journal of Pharmacology, Nov 1996). Honey is also a traditional remedy for upset stomach. It has now been proven to prevent the growth of Helicobacter pylori in the stomach -- the organism responsible for many ulcers and much abdominal discomfort (J R Soc Med, Jan 1994). Honey also reduces the gastritis caused by drinking too much alcohol (Scandinavian Journal of Gastoenterology, Mar 1991).

Honey has been proven to decrease the cancer-producing effects of many carcinogens, and to be effective in eradicating yeast (Cytologic Genetics, Nov-Dec 1996). Topical honey is known to be useful in treating gangrene, preventing both death and amputation (Surgery, Feb 1993). Burns heal faster when treated with honey than when treated with OpSite burn dressings (British Journal of Plastic Surgery, Jun 1993). There is also less pain, less scarring, and fewer contractures when burns are treated with honey rather than with Silvadene dressings (British Journal of Surgery, Apr 1991). In Russia, honey was even proven to effectively preserve vision when cataracts begin to form in the elderly (Vestn Oftalmol, Nov-Dec 1990). Honey is an amazing substance -- but ...

As it turns out, NOT giving your daughter honey while she is an infant is an important preventive health measure. It may save her life.

The concern is with infant botulism.

Botulinum spores are found widely in soil, dust, and honey. Adults who swallow botulinum spores are almost never affected. When infants swallow the spores, however, the spores can germinate in their immature gastrointestinal tracts and begin producing botulinum toxin. This has occurred even when the honey was only used to sweeten a pacifier (European Journal of Epidemiology, Nov 1993).

Botulinum toxin is the most poisonous natural substance known to man. The lethal dose is only 1/10,000,000 mg per kg of body weight -- an amount that would be invisible to the naked eye. This tiny amount in the blood stream can cause death within minutes through paralysis of the muscles used in breathing.

Infant botulism has been found on every continent except Africa. In the United States it is most common in the states of California, Utah, and Pennsylvania. While infant botulism can occur from taking in soil or dust (especially vacuum cleaner-bag dust), eating honey is the number one preventable cause. Corn syrups are not sterilized and may also be a source of contamination (The AAP Red Book, 2000).

Infant botulism can occur any time in the first year of life, but like SIDS it is most common in the first six months. In fact it has been suggested as the cause of death in up to 10% of SIDS cases (Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics; Saunders 1992).

Thankfully, in most instances of infant botulism, the amount of toxin is so incredibly minuscule that the case remains mild. For this reason it is often misdiagnosed.

The first symptom of infant botulism is constipation (which is also a common benign finding in many infants). This can appear 3 to 30 days following ingesting spore-containing honey (The AAP Red Book, 2000). Typically, the parents then observe increasing listlessness, decreased appetite, and weakened cry over the next several days. Nursing mothers often report new engorgement. Sometimes this is the full extent of the disease. If the disease progresses, however, the child moves less and less and might begin to drool from the mouth. Gagging and sucking reflexes diminish. Loss of previous head control is also an important sign. Complete respiratory arrest can occur either suddenly or gradually.

If an otherwise healthy baby develops constipation, followed by weakness and difficulty in sucking, crying, or breathing, then infant botulism should be considered the most likely diagnosis until proven otherwise.

When infant botulism is diagnosed, the average Intensive Care Unit stay for the baby is about one month, typically including mechanical ventilation and continuous tube feedings. This is followed by another 2 weeks on the hospital ward, with a total hospital cost often exceeding $100,000 (Pediatrics; Feb 1991). Thankfully if the botulism is correctly diagnosed and the baby receives appropriate supportive care, almost all will recover fully and completely. The fatality rate for babies who have been hospitalized with botulism is less than 1%. Recently, an antitoxin for infant botulism has been developed and shown to reduce hospital days, mechanical ventilation, and tube feedings (The AAP Red Book, 2000).

The single most effective way to prevent infant botulism is for infants to avoid honey. Breast feeding also appears to lessen the severity of botulism cases.

Despite other health benefits, honey is an unsafe food for any infant. HONEY SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN TO CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 12 MONTHS.

Alan Greene MD FAAP