Mad Honey or Grayanotoxin is not FDA approved or standardized in dosing. Discuss your use of Mad Honey or Grayanotoxin products with your health care provider.  Dosing of Mad Honey or Grayanotoxin is variable.  Mad Honey or Grayanotoxin may interfere with other medications and should not be used in individuals with certain health conditions, including liver issues.  Mad honey ingestion may cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, based on the quantity ingested. Near fatal low blood pressure and low heart rate has also been reported. Do not use Mad Honey or Grayanotoxin if you are pregnant, nursing or may become pregnant. Do not use Mad Honey or Grayanotoxin products if driving or operating difficult or dangerous machinery. Children should not be exposed to Mad Honey or Grayanotoxin products.

Mad Honey is one of the rarest and most unusual natural products on Earth. It comes mainly from the steep Himalayan cliffs of Nepal, where giant honey bees called Apis laboriosa collect nectar from special rhododendron flowers. The honey is powerful, medicinal and even toxic because of natural chemicals that are found in these flowers. People have been using this honey since centuries to heal, perform rituals and even in ancient warfare. It is famous all over the world today due to its powerful effects, unusual biology, and rich cultural history. Mad Honey is studied by scientists to learn about plant toxins, insect behavior, human physiology and interactions among living organisms in high Himalayan ecosystems. This paper describes the science, biology, environment, and the reported effects of Mad Honey.

What Is Mad Honey?

Mad honey, known locally as "Bhir Mah" or "Khudo" in the Gurung language, gets its unique properties from a natural toxin called grayanotoxin.The compound is extracted out of rhododendron flowers, the national flower of Nepal that bloom in large quantity in the high altitude of 2,500 to 4,000 meters. The process is remarkable. These rhododendron flowers are pollinated by giant Himalayan honeybees known as Apis laboriosa, which is the largest honeybee species in the world measuring 3 centimeters long. It is amazing that these bees have to visit almost 4 million flowers to make one kilogram of honey. They construct their hives on sharp cliff faces and honey collection is one of the most hazardous activities in the world.