The idea of getting high on honey is foreign to many people. Surely, there’s no way something so pure and sweet can cause any form of madness. However, if you take a trip up the Himalayan foothills, you’ll stumble upon a curious tribe known as the “honey hunters” who make a living selling mad honey. People from around the world can’t seem to get enough of this red and bitter stuff and would travel across oceans and pay a premium price for a small amount of it.
If you are curious about what Himalayan mad honey is, here’s all you need to know about it.
Where Does It Come From?
Mad honey originates from the Black Sea region in Turkey where beekeepers harvest and collect the nectar of the pink rhododendron flowers. These flowers contain a neurotoxin known as grayanotoxin which is responsible for its psychoactive effects. As bees suck nectar from it, the toxins are passed onto the honey which causes a hallucinogenic and neurotoxic effect when ingested.
What Happens When You Eat Himalayan Mad Honey?
And now to the multi-million dollar question: what will happen to you if you eat this famous honey? Well, we have mentioned that Himalayan mad money is derived from the nectar of multiple rhododendron flowers. The toxins from these flowers have been known to affect certain areas of the human brain and hence cause nausea, dizziness, loss of consciousness, heart blockages and even heart stoppage. However, for this to happen, you’d have to ingest more than two tablespoons of the honey.
In fact, there’s a millennia-old tale that the Persian armies under King Mithridates defeated their Roman foes by spreading honeycombs on the road where invading troops were passing in. Once the troops devoured the honey, they were easily defeated under the intoxicating its effects.
What Then Is The Fuss Over Himalayan Honey?
With all these risks of the acclaimed mad honey, one would easily wonder what the hype around it is all about. Apparently, this honey also has exceptional therapeutic and medicinal effects that cannot be rivaled. Many people claim that a few doses of the Himalayan honey enhances sexual performance, gives relief from arthritis, improves immunity, lowers risk of diabetes, and treats hypertension.
Generally, mad honey is nothing like your average honey. It is red in color, bitter, and has psychoactive effects if ingested in large quantities. However, there are several claims that it has healing properties for the body if taken in small quantities. And this is why people would pay anything to get it.
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