Why Honey Deserves a Place in Infant Care: Debunking the Honey Myth

For millennia, honey has been treasured across cultures as a symbol of nourishment and healing, particularly for infants. Yet in 1978, Western medicine abruptly deemed it unsafe for babies under one year old due to concerns about botulism. But was this ban truly justified, or did precaution overshadow ancient wisdom and emerging scientific insights?

While infant botulism is an extremely rare condition, modern research reveals that most cases stem from environmental spores, not honey consumption. Meanwhile, traditions spanning Egypt, Africa, and Ayurveda have safely incorporated honey into infant care for thousands of years. Ayurvedic texts even describe Swarna Prashana—a revered practice of giving gold-infused honey to newborns to enhance immunity, intellect, and vitality.

In this episode, we challenge the stigma around honey in paediatric care, exploring its rich history, scientific evidence, and time-tested applications. Whether you're a parent or health practitioner, this conversation will empower you to navigate infant nutrition with confidence and clarity.

IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

🍯 The Honey Ban: How a Nutritional Staple Became "Forbidden"
🍯 Infant Botulism: Separating Myth from Science
🍯 Ancient Cultures & Honey in Infant Care
🍯 Ayurveda’s Perspective on Honey for Babies
🍯 The Science Behind Raw, High-Quality Honey
🍯 Debunking Common Concerns: Sugar, Allergies & Choking Hazards
🍯 Swarna Prashana: Ayurveda’s Time-Tested Immunisation Ritual
🍯 The Importance of Responsibly Sourced Honey
🍯 Reintroducing Honey with Confidence and Wisdom

RESOURCES:

Further Reading & Related Articles:

• Ayurvedic Immunisation Over Vaccination For Babies
• Honey – Nectar or Poison?

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Natural Immunisations for Babies & Children: Building Resilience with Ayurveda
• Bees: Crucial Beeings for Health on Earth | Simon Mulvany #031
• Immunising your Baby Naturally | Dr. A.V. Raju #006
• Homeopathic Immunisation for Babies & Children | Dr Isaac Golden, World Authority on Homeopathic Immunisation #092
• Heavy Metals, Minerals and Bhasma in Ayurvedic Herbology and Herbal Products (3rd Biggest Myth in Ayurveda) | Dylan Smith #084

Ayurvedic Products & Herbal Formulations:

• Swarna Prashana (Ayurvedic Herbal Immunisation for Babies)
  • Pushya Nakshatra Dates for Swarna Prashana – Check Here
    
    

Chapters

• 0:00 Introducing the Honey Myth
• 4:48 The Truth Behind the 1978 Ban
• 10:40 Debunking Common Concerns About Honey
• 16:39 Historical Uses of Honey for Infants
• 21:09 Swarna Prashana: Gold-Infused Honey Immunization
• 35:10 Honey Safety and Closing Confidence

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

This time on the Vital Vader podcast. Let's look at ancient Egypt first. This is where honey was revered not only for its sweetness, but for its healing and nurturing properties, particularly for infants. Ayurveda extensively details the benefits of honey. We're going to also talk about some other concerns for honey in babies One notable immunoboosting practice which involves administering honey infused with purified gold ash and some herbs to infants. By revisiting honey's cultural, medicinal and nutritional value, we can reintroduce it as a powerful tool in infant care, honouring its legacy as nature's golden gift. For millennia, honey has been revered across civilisations as a symbol of nourishment, healing and vitality. Yet only recently in 1978, it became a forbidden food for infants under one year of age. It's time to uncover the truth and reintroduce honey as nature's gift for infants, responsibly and with an informed perspective.

Speaker 1: 1:23

Welcome to the Vital Beta Show. I am your host, dylan Smith. I'm an Ayurvedic practitioner, holistic health educator and father, and someone who loves honey, respects the bees as divine buzzing beings who create what in Ayurveda we call nectar amrita not only nectar, but the nectar of immortality. And I'm today bringing up a topic which I want to debunk the honey myth and this is a topic which is pretty prevalent that people think that honey should not be given to babies or infants under one year old, and we're going to go into all of that. We're going to go into how that arose. For good reasons it came, but unfortunately it got blown out of proportion by a long shot. So we're going to speak all about this. And this podcast episode is in association with another podcast episode that we have done on the Vital Veda podcast, where we share knowledge and wisdom on health, on consciousness, on the Vedas, the laws of nature and other aspects of health and spirituality. And the podcast associated is on the Vital Veda podcast called Natural Immunizations for Babies and Children building resilience with Ayur, because honey is a big part of infant immunizations and infant immunity. So we're going to speak about that.

Speaker 1: 2:49

So let's first look at why so recently only 1978, did honey become forbidden for infants. This shift was driven by concerns over infant botulism, a rare but serious condition caused by Clostridium botulinum spores. These spores can be found in soil, dust and certain foods, including honey, but in very rare circumstances they may colonize an infant's immature digestive system. The spores can then produce a neurotoxin which can disrupt nerve function. However, let me tell you, my dear listener, my concerned parent, my health practitioner, my health student, who is listening now? This so-called risk associated with honey was based on limited evidence from a small number of cases in California, poorly understood at the time. Botulism spores were detected in various everyday environments, but at that time, in the 70s, the focus fell disappropriately and disproportionately on honey. This assumption, rather than robust science, was enough to prompt a blanket recommendation against honey for infants. But let me ask you do you think that this fear is truly justified? But let me ask you do you think that this fear is truly justified? Or has precaution overshadowed millennia of wisdom and cultural medical practices that honor honey's place in infant care? This podcast episode is going to explore the roots of this myth. We're going to scrutinize the science behind the warnings. And we're going to scrutinize the science behind the warnings and we're going to revisit honey's vital role in Ayurveda, particularly for the immune system of babies and children. It's time to uncover the truth and reintroduce honey as nature's gift for infants, responsibly and with an informed perspective.

Speaker 1: 4:49

Before we move into this podcast episode of unpacking this honey myth, we're going to also talk about some other irrational concerns for honey in babies. It's important to address these because this is common but also misguided concerns are prevalent. First one is sugar content. Some conventional guidelines discourage honey due to its natural sugars, fearing that early exposure might create a preference for sweetness and poor dietary habits. However, wisdom traditions highlight that honey's natural sweetness harmonizes with the digestion and differs significantly from refined sugar. Moreover, the amount traditionally recommended for infants is minimal. It's a speck, it's a dot of honey mixed with herbs, and we'll go through the application in a bit. Another concern that is irrational is the choking hazard. Honey is sometimes wrongly classified amongst other foods which are choking hazards. Now, this is largely misplaced, as honeys are liquid and does not present risks associated with choking.

Speaker 1: 5:50

Another aspect is allergic reactions. Allergies to honey are rare, but can occur due to trace amounts of pollen or bee venom. Now this risk applies more broadly to individuals with severe pollen allergies and is uncommon in infants. Let me add to that, if you're a thief of a baby developing an allergy because of putting honey in their mouth, well, that we know is not true. Because, for example, now we know for all these years they said don't give kids peanuts in the early years, in their first few years of their life, because they'll develop a peanut allergy. Well out they were wrong and now the signs are showing. It's actually the opposite. When you prevent something and you kind of hold back something, that's a recipe for them to develop an allergy reaction or an allergy, and especially in the case of peanuts, we're talking about anaphylactic, serious allergy reactions, so forget about that.

Speaker 1: 6:44

Botulism Infant botulism as I said, is rare. There's fewer than 100 cases reported every year in the whole United States. Now, while honey is associated with some of the cases, most of those very few less than 100 infant botulism cases arise from environmental spores found in dust or soil and not the honey itself. Furthermore, studies analyzing high quality raw honey show negligible levels of botulism spores, especially when the honey was responsibly sourced. There are studies analyzing high quality raw honey and this is a big thing in Ayurveda is that it should be raw, and when you start heating it it starts altering the constituent factor of the wax globules, of the constituents which create carcinogenic compounds in the honey when heated. And for all these resources for the studies, you can check out the show notes of this podcast episode.

Speaker 1: 7:55

I would now like to speak about the global and historical use of honey for babies and celebrate them, because honey's use in infant care spans continents and millennia. Let's look at ancient Egypt first. This is where honey was revered, not only for its sweetness but for its healing and nurturing properties, particularly for infants. Honey was believed to promote growth, vitality and overall well-being. It was playing a crucial role in infant care and it was commonly used to soothe ailments like teething discomfort and support digestion. Honey's natural antibacterial properties helped reduce inflammation and infection, offering relief from gum irritation during teething. In Myanmar and Africa cultures, honey has been a trusted remedy for infants, particularly for relieving teething pain and to support weaning During teething. Honey was commonly applied to soothe gums, reduce discomfort and inflammation. It was also mixed with porridges room temperature porridges or it was mixed with soft weaning foods to provide essential nutrients, boost energy and aid digestion for healthy growth and development.

Speaker 1: 9:11

Now let's look at Ayurveda, india and honey. Ayurveda extensively details the benefits of honey in such classical texts like Kashyapya Samhita, and these texts date back to 600 BCE. One notable practice, one immunoboosting practice, was called Swarna Prasana is called Swarna Prasana, and this is an Ayurvedic immunization protocol which involves administering honey infused with Swarna Basma, which is purified gold ash, and some herbs to infants and some herbs to infants, and this preparation is said to enhance the intellect, the digestion, the strength and the lifespan, among other benefits. And I quote from the Kashyapa Samhita Svarna Prashanam Khetam Medagni Bala Vardhanam Ayushyam Mangalam Punyam Vashyam Varnyam Grahaapaham. This ancient verse which I just chanted shares about the benefits of Svarna Prasana and for the Sanskrit nerds, for the Vedic nerds, svarna is gold, prasana means consumption. Indeed, this increases the, the intellect and the digestive fire. It increases the strength, it gives life. It's auspicious Punyam, it's virtuous Vrishyam, it's aphrodisiac in the sense that it strengthens the reproductive organs and the vitality and immunity associated with that. And Varnyam, complexion enhancing and Grahapam, which means it removes negative energies or planetary afflictions. Which means it removes negative energies or planetary afflictions. So swan prasad is when you give this herb from birth. It's in fact given even before the breast milk, like as soon as the baby comes out, the usually it's the partner or someone else dips their finger in this honey-based formula and just plops it in their mouth, in in the baby's lips, just touches the lips. Just less than a drop on the baby's lips. And this is profound. I've had patients and clients who have loved this practice, who have seen the subtle, gentle explosion of health, vitality and nectar penetrating and spreading throughout the whole body of the baby. What a beautiful practice. And this is done from day one right up until about 10 years old or 16 years old. This is administered to the baby, preferably around the morning time, on an empty stomach, and definitely given for the first 40 days of their life. Given for the first 40 days of their life, but then we can give it every day in their childhood. Or if that's too expensive for you, because it does have gold ash and good quality Swarna Prasna is not cheap.

Speaker 1: 11:58

If you don't want to, you know, prioritize your funds to your baby in that way or in your family in that way, you can give it for three or seven days once a month. So, first, 40 days, give it to the baby. Then maybe you're listening to this your baby's already three years old, or they're seven years old, or they're two years old and you want to start. Well, you could just give it for seven days a month, or even three days per month. Which days?

Speaker 1: 12:23

Well, you have to start each day on a certain constellation, on a certain star, which comes every 27 days. Once a month, you'll get this constellation we call in Ayurveda Pushya Nakshatra. This is a certain constellation that the astrology in the sky promotes nectar to flow with greater efficacy into the human body. Thus certain medicines, such as Swana, prasana, are mentioned to start on this constellation or to give every month on this constellation. So Pushyamakshatra for the dates and the times to give that. So I recommend getting your calendar and just putting in Pushyamakshatra every month with an alert, and then, oh, it's Pushyamakshatra tomorrow. Great, we're going to give Svanaprasana. We're going to start Svanaprasana for nine days or seven days, whatever you choose to give.

Speaker 1: 13:19

According to the great acharyas, the great sages, this is really effective, and not only according to them. According to me, according to my teacher, the doctors that I work with, this is very effective to enhance the health of babies and the immune system. So, once again, parents should dip their clean finger from their right hand in a small amount of Swarna Prashna, or even some people will dip their gold ring and then dip it in the Swarna Prashna and put it into the baby's lips, if they're an infant, and once they start getting a bit older, then you can even put it in the mouth and you increase the dose. All the, all that information. You can check out the show notes. You can see more gold basma, which is this gold ash included in swanaprasna with honey, is celebrated for its antioxidant properties. It's particularly beneficial for mitigating oxidative stress in newborns, especially those delivered under challenging circumstances. We're talking including genetic issues. You know real, real things the baby's having to be in incubators for whatever reasons, premature or other problems that have come that have become very stressful for the baby and the parents and the family. This is very, very helpful Swaminarasana for these babies and for these families.

Speaker 1: 14:35

This practice of Swaminarasana is part of the 16 rites of passage in the Vedas. There are 16 rites of passage called the Shodasha Samskara. They go for everything from a baby shower while the mother is pregnant to first time you feed solid food to a baby, to when you name the baby that's a rite of passage. When you initiate that child into knowledge with the thread ceremony that's another rite of passage. The marriage is a rite of passage. It goes on. So this is one of the 16 samskaras, one of the 16 rites of passage for pediatric care in the ancient Ayurvedic shastras in the classical texts.

Speaker 1: 15:15

So I just want to put a caution on swan aprashana, since it does involve a metal, in this case gold. Metals are extensively used in Ayurveda medicine. Metallics and used in Ayurveda medicine, metallics and herb and mineral substances. Every metal requires very careful purification and preparation and dosage. So I've done a whole podcast on metals and heavy metals and basmas, which we call the ash of the metals. You can check out on the Vital Veda podcast. It's under the myths of Ayurveda and just type in metals and heavy metals and it should come up. But ultimately you should always consult with a quality Ayurvedic practitioner before considering these treatments and before acquiring them.

Speaker 1: 15:56

There are so many brands that sell swine oprushena but they're using not good quality ingredients and as well as harmful ingredients, including heated honey in their formula, which is poisonous. If you want to know more about why heated honey is poison, you can check out the Vital Vader podcast on heated honey podcast episode. And of course we have really researched and there are some really wonderful preparations of swine and pressure, very special preparations, and I'm not going to go into them now. I went into them a little bit in the other podcast episode on baby immunity, but you can check out that on the vital beta podcast. So really, ultimately I just want to say, like decades after the honey ban as well, back to the, back to the honey and infant care. Of this myth and how this was banned. I mean.

Speaker 1: 16:44

Decades after, there's really plenty of research which shown that the initial fears of this in the 70s were greatly overstated. Infant botulism remains exceptionally rare and the overwhelming majority of cases occur without any connection to honey. Instead, it's really the environmental spores in soil and dust which are often the culprits. High-quality, responsibly sourced honey possesses minimal to no risks, as modern studies confirm. Cultures that have long embraced honey in infant care report no significant health concerns underscoring its safety when used appropriately. The continued stigma around honey appears to stem more from a precautionary inertia than current scientific evidence. By revisiting honey's cultural, medicinal and nutritional value through an informed lens, we can reintroduce it as a powerful tool in infant care, honoring its legacy as nature's golden gift.

Speaker 1: 17:54

My dear friend, my fellow lover of honey, sweet nectar of life, I really hope that you can proceed in supporting your baby's immunity, proceed in designing the interventions and the practices and the rituals that you administer to your baby and your children in a way that is natural and in a way that you feel confident about that. You generally feel comfortable and confident that I got this. What I'm doing for my child, what I'm doing for my baby, the practices which I'm giving, the herbs which I'm giving the baby massage which I'm giving. All these practices and the interventions that I am applying is what's going to make them healthy. And, by the way, they've had an immune system that human evolution has developed over millions of years right. Plus, as you get a bit more knowledge of Ayurveda, you then as well have a medical modality that has been immunizing children for thousands of years. So when you combine that millions of years of human evolution and a very intelligent immune system plus millennia-year-old medical modality, you have a very effortless, innate recipe for a strong, robust immune system.

Speaker 1: 19:16

Even in today's quote-unquote toxic world. You have it, your baby has it, own it, claim it. System. Even in today's quote-unquote toxic world. You have it, your baby has it, own it, claim it, be confident in that and enjoy the waves of life and enjoy nature's gifts such as honey and all the other gifts that nature has to operate Minimal synthetic intervention, toxic intervention and maximum natural health and vitality.

Speaker 1: 19:41

So I hope you enjoyed this episode, I hope that it gave you more confidence into get rid of this fear and this dogma that honey is toxic for infants, and I hope that you can check out the show notes of this episode, because we have a lot. We have the sources for all that I've mentioned. We have further resources and related articles, like the Vital Vader podcast on natural immunization for babies and children. We've got a podcast all about honey with Simon Malvany. We have other podcasts on baby immunization with Dr Krishna Raju on baby massage, with Dr Isaac Goldman on homeopathic immunization for children, and we've got more information on if you wanted to get yourself some swan aprashana, some of that herbs, special herbs there's some extremely special ones that we can point you in the direction of. So I hope that you can honor this wisdom and, responsibly and with an informed perspective, enjoy the health and immunity of your children.