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

the gist

Mad honey is made by the Himalayan cliff bee, the world's largest honeybee, which forages on rhododendron flowers that produce grayanotoxin, a natural toxin. The bees tolerate it, but people do not: a tablespoon or more can slow the heart dangerously and drop blood pressure within 30 to 60 minutes. Doctors treat poisoning with intravenous fluids and atropine, and most patients recover within a day or two. Many poisonings occur because people eat the honey deliberately as a remedy for high blood pressure or to improve sexual function, and the dose that helps is very close to the dose that harms. Toxin levels peak in spring, when the main harvest happens, and the honey is now sold internationally online, often without warnings.

how it works

Rhododendron flowers make grayanotoxin, which likely deters insects that steal nectar without pollinating. The toxin passes into the honey, where it concentrates. In humans it disrupts the electrical signals that control heartbeat, so the heart slows and blood pressure falls.

so what

A traditional remedy with real pharmacological effects has become a global product, and buyers who have never encountered it can end up in intensive care. Dangerous plant chemistry reaching far from its origin is a growing public health issue.

more on this

background

Mad honey is honey that contains grayanotoxins. The dark, reddish honey is produced from the nectar and pollen of genus Rhododendron and has both toxic and narcotic effects.

Mad honey is produced principally in Nepal and Turkey, where it is used both as a traditional medicine and a recreational drug. In the Himalayan range, it is produced by Himalayan giant honey bees (Apis laboriosa). The Gurung people of Nepal have practiced wild honey hunting as a sacred ancient tradition for generations. The honey can also be found rarely in the eastern United States.

Historical accounts of mad honey are found in Ancient Greek texts. The Greek military leader Xenophon wrote in his Anabasis about the effects of mad honey on soldiers in 401 BCE. In 65 BCE, during the Third Mithridatic War, King Mithridates used mad honey in a mass poisoning campaign against Pompey's soldiers. During the 18th century, mad honey was imported to Europe where it was added to alcoholic beverages.

From Wikipedia: Mad honey (CC BY-SA 4.0) ↗

see

The Drug Users Bible, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Aerackkkkk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Deodar16, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Illustrative photo · The Drug Users Bible, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

source: The Conversation ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗