|
Why experts are wrong about this POISON HONEY risk
31st October 2008
* Is honey really 'lethal' to babies?
* Good news for diabetics
* Revealed a fast, natural way to cure
sores and leg ulcers
* Protect your brain from dementia with
these vegetarian sources of omega 3 fatty
acids.
I like to think that each of my Good Life Letters
can be put to use in some way or another.
Mind you, I think that about every bit of
information I come across.
That's why my office is piled with books,
newspapers and reports... shelves groan with
boxes of paper...
My wife hates my hoarding so much she wants to
relocate my writing operation to a shed at the
bottom of the garden.
But I have to say, today's is a REALLY important
letter for you to read, especially if...
* You're a parent, grandparent or even
GREAT grandparent worried by stories in
the media that warn you should NEVER
give honey to babies... (I'll give you the
controversial view of one of my favourite
food writers).
* You're a diabetic and want to try out
honey as an alternative medicine...
(follow this strategy and you can't go
wrong)
* You're vegetarian and want to know to get
the health benefits of omega 3s without
eating fish or fish oils... (I've got some
alternatives to help keep you mentally
alert, fit and healthy)
Today I'm going to approach these worries with a
bit of common sense.
Okay, so first up today...
|
A food critic who knows the truth about honey
If you get time, you should check out a book
called Swindled: From Poison Sweets to
Counterfeit Coffee - the Dark History of the Food
Cheats (John Murray, 2008).
It reveals how profiteering corporations adulterate,
mislabel, and fake the foods we eat. It offers
good advice for protecting yourself from modern
food swindles.
(NOTE TO SELF: I should definitely write a future
letter on this subject!)
Swindled is by one of my favourite nutrition
writers, Bee Wilson. She was a food critic for the
New Statesmen, and is now a columnist for the
Sunday Telegraph.
This woman knows her honey. Like me she's a bit
of an evangelist about it.
Her first book was called The Hive: The Story of
the Honey Bee and Us (John Murray, 2004.)
Strange that someone called Bee should write a
book about bees. But then again, it also makes
sense.
If I was called Woody, perhaps I would write a
book about trees.
Anyway, back to the point...
What I like most about Bee is that she's not afraid
to go against the crowd and speak her mind.
For instance, when it comes to the question, 'Can
you give honey to babies?' she's a shining
beacon of common sense. |
Why Wilson believes honey is NOT baby
poison
A few years back, officials from the European
Commission officials issued formal warnings
about feeding honey to children under 1 year old.
This was after they discovered that honey was
'implicated' in nearly 40 cases of infant botulism -
a potentially lethal bacterial infection. Babies are
vulnerable to this because they've not yet
developed their own bacterial defences.
So here we have something that's IMPLICATED,
not proven. What's more, these 40 cases have
occurred throughout the last 25 years!
That's less than 2 cases a year.
In 2005, Bee Wilson was so incensed by this that
she wrote a piece in The Guardian. She said that
these warnings about feeding honey to babies
were 'ludicrous'.
'In the UK, there have only ever been six cases of
infant botulism,' she wrote. 'None of which
implicated British honey. In the most recent case,
in 2001, contaminated formula milk was to blame.'
Even in the hugely, ridiculously unlikely event that
a baby contracts botulism, it's not the end of the
world. Infant botulism isn't anywhere near as
severe as adult botulism.
What happens is that the baby becomes
constipated and listless.
Wilson claims that when taken to the hospital, the
baby's chances of recovering are just under 99%. |
Three examples from history
Throughout history babies have been fed honey.
In her article, Wilson points out three examples.
* In ancient Friesland in Germany they
smeared honey on a child's lips as a
spiritual ritual.
* In the 1930s doctors in Finland and the US
published studies showing the benefits of
honey to babies. Why? Because it's more
easily digested than refined sugar.
* During the US Depression, public health
officials would use honey to restore the
health of undernourished infants.
Hopefully this will tip the balance back in favour
of molten gold and kick some of the
scaremongering stories into touch. At least for us
Good Lifers.
There's another common worry regarding honey.
And well worth addressing.
'Can diabetics use honey as an alternative
medicine?'
The short answer is, 'Yes'.
Honey and fructose are both 'nutritive' sweeteners
(as opposed to non-nutritive stuff like saccharin).
They have carbohydrates and calories in them. So
they CAN be eaten by people with diabetes.
But be aware that they CAN also raise your sugar
levels.
Even diabetics react differently, and the only way
to find out is to experiment safely. So here's the
safety strategy you need to follow.
* IMPORTANT! Talk to your doctor first
before you begin to include honey into
your diet.
* Next, start with very small amounts.
Again, check with a doctor. Observe what
happens after you eat the honey. Keep a
food diary to track any changes that may
occur.
* Test your blood sugar levels before you
eat and two hours after you eat.
You should quickly learn how well your body
copes with honey. |
Another benefit for diabetics
Interestingly, I read a story on New Medical.net
about a diabetic who suffered leg sores and
infection after an accident.
When 8 months of conventional antibiotic
treatment failed, she used honey as a topical
medicine. Within a few months the sores had
healed completely.
Persistent sores and ulcers are a common
problem for diabetics. So honey could be a
powerful alternative medicine for sufferers.
And finally today...
Three alternatives to fish oils
Last weekend I wrote about the benefits of fish
oils as protection against dementia and other age-
related diseases.
A few vegetarians have asked me about
alternatives to fish oil that also provide doses of
omega 3 fatty acids.
Here are 3 I've found for you:
* Eat plenty of nuts. Walnuts are especially
high omega 3 fatty acids.
* Green leafy vegetables also contain
essential fatty acids. Include green veg
with a meal every day, and make sure it's
lightly steamed and not boiled to death.
* Linseed (or flaxseed) and rapeseed oil
(canola) are another good source.
I'll be back on Sunday with some bad news AND
good news for sufferers of asthma, chronic
coughs and bronchitis... |
|
|
|
