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

Prayan Pokharel explains that “mad honey” – wild honey from the Himalayan cliff bee that contains the toxin grayanotoxin – can drop a person’s heart rate to dangerous levels after just a teaspoon. While the Gurung hunters of Nepal have long known safe doses, the honey is now being sold on major online platforms without clear warnings, and poisonings are showing up in South Korea, France and Qatar. The toxin interferes with the heart’s electrical signals, causing dizziness, low blood pressure and, without treatment, potentially life‑threatening cardiac slowdown. According to The Conversation, most reported cases involve middle‑aged men using the honey as a home remedy, and doctors unfamiliar with it may miss the diagnosis, delaying treatment.

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