Most people have been convinced by the medical "authorities" that honey is dangerous for infants to consume.  Indeed, most honey on the market in groceries stores today is unhealthy for ANYONE to eat, let alone infants.  However, there is more to the story about honey than meets the eye.

Most honey sold in grocery stores is not raw.  It has been filtered, and in some cases, heated to kill any bacteria that might be contained therein.  Heating the honey is what renders it unhealthy for adults, and dangerous for infants.  In the heating process, all the live enzymes in the honey are destroyed.  It is the live enzymes and their precursors, contained in the honey, that make it such a healthy food for both adults and infants.

Why are the live enzymes in honey important? According to Dr. John McKenna, "We know that honey is antibacterial - it kills bacterial cells by drawing water out of them.  In addition, the enzyme inhibine, which is found in honey, converts glucose and oxygen into hydrogen peroxide, a well-known disinfectant" (1).  In fact, "honey helps replace missing enzymes for nearly all purposes throughout the entire body" (2).  This is only true, however, of honey that has never been heated over about 96 degrees Fahrenheit during processing and packaging. Since enzymes power all immune system functions, unheated honey is be a powerful way to boost the immune system.

Some of you may remember studying in school about a scientific experiment that was done on raw meat versus cooked meat.  They took a piece of raw meat and a piece of cooked meat, and put them outside where they could have contact with flies.  Of course, flies lay eggs which in turn hatch and become maggots.  Guess which piece of meat grew maggots, and which didn't?  You guessed it.....the cooked meat began to decay and produced hordes of maggots.  The raw meat was untouched.  Of course, the flies laid eggs in both pieces of meat.  Why did only the eggs in the cooked meat survive?  For two reasons.  First, the live enzymes kill bacteria which makes the meat decay, and it also kills the maggot eggs.  The purpose of enzymes is to break whole substances down into digestively appropriate substances.

All the cases of botulism in infants involved heated honey.  Of course, these cases cannot be used to prove that unheated honey would cause the same result.  Even if the label of the honey says it is raw, it can still be heated above 96 degrees during processing.  Before any honey is consumed, one should call the company who packages it to find out about the temperature during processing.  It is preferable to get honey from a local provider, and to visit their establishment and observe their packaging techniques, as well as the safeguards which assure that it is not heated during processing.

When one is sure one has obtained unheated honey, feel free to feed it to everyone in your family, including your infants.  Unheated honey will not support the growth of unhealthy bacteria, so there is no danger.  Also, if unhealthy organisms were to get into the body, the fact that some of the honey is converted to small amounts of hydrogen peroxide makes it perfect for disinfecting the body.  I would not suggest that you go and drink a bottle of hydrogen peroxide.  However, the small amounts which this natural process produces are just the right amount to produce good health.

There is a comparison which I find amusing.  Very few parents would allow their infants to consume honey, even though it is a very healthy, natural substance.  But many of these same parents allow their children to be injected with vaccinations which contain known carcinogenic substances, heavy metals, and have dangerous, predictable side effects.  The number of cases of injury and death due to vaccination side effects is extremely large in comparison to the number of reported cases of botulism in infants.  In fact, the first number dwarfs the second by comparison.  Yet, parents continue to allow their children to be vaccinated, risking their lives in the process, all for the sake of preventing diseases which are no longer lethal in our country.  I find it funny and yet sad that these parents would refuse to give their children a substance which is much safer by comparison.

Honey is an excellent antibiotic.  If applied to wounds or burns, it accelerates wound healing and prevents infection.  If honey produced locally is consumed, the pollens in the honey help those with allergies to local plants to control their allergic response.  And in addition to all this, the immune system depends upon the enzymes in the honey, as well as those produced by the combination of the enzyme precursors in the honey, and other substances in the body.

For more articles on natural health and healing, see  Removing Obstacles to a Healthy Body and Mind

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Copyright 2001-8   Judie C. Rall and The Center for Unhindered Living

References:

(1)  McKenna, John.  (1998).  Natural Alternatives to Antibiotics:  Using Nature's Pharmacy to Help Fight Infections. Garden City Park, NY:  Avery Publishing Group, p. 10.

(2)  Vonderplanitz, Aajonus.  (1997).  We Want To Live:  Out of the Grips of Disease & Death.  Santa Monica, CA:  Carnelian Bay Castle Press, p. 149.