‘Mad honey’ that can stop your heart is now being sold online worldwide

Key Points:

• Wild honey from the Himalayan cliff bee, known as "mad honey," contains grayanotoxin from rhododendron nectar, which can cause dangerous heart rate and blood pressure drops in humans if consumed in large amounts.
• The indigenous Gurung people of Nepal have safely harvested this honey for centuries, but increased international online sales are spreading the risk to unaware consumers worldwide, leading to poisoning cases in countries like South Korea, France, and Qatar.
• Most poisoning cases involve middle-aged men who consume the honey deliberately as a traditional remedy for high blood pressure or sexual function, but the narrow margin between safe and toxic doses makes consumption risky.
• Poisonings peak in spring and autumn, coinciding with rhododendron bloom and honey harvest seasons, and symptoms typically appear within 30 to 60 minutes, requiring prompt medical treatment with intravenous fluids and atropine.
• Researchers aim to study the chemical ecology of grayanotoxin in honey and flowers, understand how bees tolerate the toxin, and address conservation concerns as the cliff bee population declines due to overharvesting and environmental changes.