raw honey dangers

What Is Raw Honey ?

Raw honey is the natural form of honey that is obtained directly from the beehive. It is also considered as the purest form of honey as it does not undergo any chemical procedure. Honey is widely used all over the world for medicinal and culinary purposes. It contains different forms of sugars like fructose, glucose and sucrose, and also has anti-bacterial properties.

General Benefits of Raw Honey

This incredibly healthy substance seems to be solely able of doing us good. It is excellent for our stomach and intestinal health in general, as it fights off numerous infections caused by viral or bacterial actions. Moreover, honey usage does not stop at eating it. Rather, whenever suffering from an external wound, swelling or inflammation, applying raw honey topically is a very good, natural cure. This is why many creams, lotions and other skin care products contain honey extracts as on of their main ingredients. Nevertheless, believe it or not, no matter how healthy it is, raw honey may still be able to harm us, under certain circumstances.

Bad sides of raw honey
Even though extremely healthy, this powerful flower nectar contains many things which may be potentially harmful for us as well. Firstly, this raw variant of honey has not been filtered or refined in any possible way. Thereby, it may have bee wings as well as different natural debris inside of it. Also, taking into consideration the fact that this honey may be made from some flowers which have been exposed to chemicals of sorts, or, are poisonous by nature, it is possible that these same chemicals and harmful substances are present in the nectar too. Finally, as mentioned above, honey contains specific toxins which may cause nerve damage to infants and eventually lead to death. If your baby starts being constipated, feeling weak or without appetite after eating honey, seek medical attention immediately. For these reasons, make sure your baby does not consume raw honey until he or she is more than 3 years old.

Other than these known bad sides, honey is more than good for your health and you are highly advised to consume it, taking into consideration and avoiding all of the possible problems mentioned here.


Dangers of Raw Honey

Firstly, you should remember, as raw honey does not undergo pasteurization or heating, there are particles or flecks made of bee pollen, honeycomb bits, broken bee wing fragments and propolis found in it. Therefore, consuming honey with these constituents can cause food poisoning in some people.
Apart from that, as the raw honey is actually the nectar that is directly gotten from the flowers, there are high chances of it containing chemicals to which the flowers have been subjected. Hence, allergy is another side effect that can occur on consuming honey in its raw form.
Specifically, raw honey contains Clostridium botulinum spores which can cause botulism. Botulism is an illness caused due to consumption of the toxin, botulinum. This toxic also has an effect on the central nervous system and can even be fatal if not treated promptly and effectively. However, this illness is found only in case of babies and infants. Older children and adults are rarely found to be affected by it. Symptoms of botulism include weakness, constipation, loss of appetite, irritability, etc. In severe cases, respiratory arrest can occur. You should note that death caused due to this condition is very rare; but, cannot be ignored.

In case of adults, hardly any side effects of raw honey are observed. On the contrary, many people specifically prefer it over the processed one as sometimes, during the processing, essential enzymes from the honey get killed. It is believed to be more effective than processed honey. However, you should not give raw honey to babies or infants under 3 years of age. Secondly, it is essential to be careful about the source of honey. Sometimes, bees take honey from flowers like mountain laurels and azalea which can be toxic to human beings. All these factors need to be taken into consideration while buying and consuming raw honey.

As a concluding note, it can be said that as honey contains many medicinal properties, it is wise to consume it regularly. But, you should consult the doctor before consuming raw honey on a daily basis. Take care!

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