A young bear has been treated by vets after a “mad honey” trip in Turkey. The scandalous honey made from rhododendron nectar contains a neurotoxic substance called grayanotoxin that causes lightheadedness, sweating, numbness and pins-and-needles, unsteady gait and even hallucinations. Animals are more sensitive to grayanotoxin effects than humans and too much mad honey in some species can even cause death!
Poor little bear!
“Mad honey” is deliberately cultivated in Nepal and in regions surrounding the Turkish Black Sea. As little as one teaspoonful can get you off your head. The honey’s grayanotoxins take up to 3½ hours to take effect!
The honey is most often collected by giant Himalayan honeybees Apis laboriosa which, along with bumblebees, are immune to rhododendron nectar’s intoxicating effects.
The neurotoxic honey has been known about since classical antiquity. Pliny the Elder is said to have gone on a mad honey trip in the AD 60s while King Mithridates the Great of Asia (today’s Turkey) is said to have hoodwinked an invading Roman army into getting high on the local rhododendron honey. The Romans started feeling sick and queasy, at which point Mithridates’ army attacked.
By the 18th century, this mad rhododendron honey had spread to England where it was added to wine to make it more intoxicating.
“Mad honey” is illegal in several countries Australia, Canada, South Korea, India, Mexico and Brazil but (presumably) legal everywhere else. And yes, of course you can buy it online. But I wouldn’t recommend it!
MAD HONEY: NOT RECOMMENDED!
LEGAL NOTICE: MAD HONEY CONTAINS HARMFUL NEUROTOXINS. DO NOT EAT IT. DO NOT GO ANYWHERE NEAR IT!
Video report: Reuters (1 min)
Video: the mad honey-hunters (26½ mins)
IMAGE from MSN news
EXTERNAL LINKS: BBC, Daily Mail, Independent, Guardian, Sanat.io
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Zaden Zane 