Honey allergy warning: double risks of botulinum toxin and pollen

Infants and young children under 1 year old are absolutely prohibited from eating any form of honey. People with a history of pollen allergies and immune deficiencies must do a small-dose tolerance test before eating honey. The safety risks of honey are really not "all natural and harmless" as advertised by the merchants. The two core risk points are botulinum spore contamination, unfiltered pollen residue, sensitization rate and risk of severe illness. I have been working in the allergology department for 8 years, and I receive at least a dozen cases of honey-related adverse reactions every year.

A 6-month-old patient was admitted last month. My grandma heard people in the community say that honey can moisturize the stool, so she fed the baby half a spoonful of local honey from her hometown. That afternoon, the baby became limp and weak. He choked repeatedly after drinking milk. She was sent here and diagnosed with infant botulism. He stayed in the ICU for a full week before he was out of danger. Many elders always feel that "my baby ate honey when he was a child and nothing happened." Some studies even believe that infants and young children over 10 months old, with complete complementary foods and stable intestinal flora have a very low risk of being exposed to small amounts of botulinum spores. However, it must be clear that botulinum toxin spores are extremely tolerant and cannot be completely inactivated by boiling water at 100°C. The intestinal flora of infants and young children under 1 year old have not yet established a stable barrier. Even if only a few spores enter the intestinal tract, they may reproduce and release botulinum toxin. In severe cases, it may cause paralysis of respiratory muscles or even death. This is the core reason why WHO has clearly stated that "no honey for children under 1 year old". My personal suggestion is, don’t take chances. Even if it’s processed snacks with honey or even paper towels dipped in honey, don’t pass them to your baby’s mouth. There’s absolutely no need to take this risk.

Compared with botulinum toxin, which is more threatening to infants and young children, acute allergies caused by pollen residues are more common among adults. Many people have swollen lips and wheals on their bodies after drinking honey. They think they are allergic to the "sugar in honey". In fact, most people are allergic to the pollen particles mixed in it. Last fall, a 28-year-old female patient came to see a doctor. She suffers from birch pollen every spring. She drank two sips of northeastern wild honey sent by relatives that day. Within two minutes of swallowing it, her lips swelled into sausages, her chest felt tight and she couldn't breathe. When it was delivered, her whole body was covered in hives. After testing for allergens, she found that it was a Type I hypersensitivity reaction induced by the birch pollen remaining in the honey. Fortunately, it was delivered in time, otherwise she would have gone into shock if it were more serious.

In the past two years, there have been rumors on the Internet that people with pollen allergies can desensitize themselves by drinking pollen-containing honey. This statement is actually not completely unfounded - some clinical studies have indeed shown that continuous low-dose exposure to homologous pollen can induce immune tolerance. Many European allergy departments will also use low-dose pollen honey as an auxiliary method for desensitization treatment. But this is definitely not suitable for you to try blindly at home. In the past two years, I have treated three patients who went to the emergency room for "desensitization" by drinking honey at home. After all, the pollen content in different honeys varies greatly. You have no idea how many allergens are in the sip you take. If the dose exceeds the standard, it can easily induce severe allergic reactions.

The advice I usually give to patients is also very simple. If you are prone to allergic rhinitis or urticaria in spring, or have been allergic to pollen before, when buying honey, try to choose refined products from regular brands. This type of honey will filter out most pollen particles during the production process, and is much less allergenic. When you drink it for the first time, don't just drink a big glass. First, put a little on the inside of your lips. Wait for 15 minutes until there is no redness, swelling or itching. Then drink half a spoonful and observe for half a day. If you feel no discomfort, then eat normally. If you come across that kind of "farm-raised soil honey" or "freshly shaken raw honey" of unknown origin, it's best not to taste it casually. If you really want to try it, test your tolerance first according to the method just mentioned.

By the way, adults don’t need to be afraid of honey. Our intestinal flora has matured and botulinum spores will not reproduce even if we eat it. There is no need to worry about botulism poisoning. As long as there are no pollen allergies, it is okay to eat regular honey. In fact, to put it bluntly, honey is just a sweetener with a special flavor. There is no need to promote it as a health-preserving magic medicine that can cure all diseases, and there is no need to beat it to death just because it is risky. Understand your physical condition, avoid risk groups, and be careful before eating. If you really feel itchy, breathless, flustered, or your child feels weird after eating, don't force yourself to go to the hospital quickly. It's better than anything else. I usually like to make some honey lemonade and drink it. As long as I avoid the minefield, there is really nothing to be nervous about.