海外出産蜂蜜可能有中毒物質

Recently the Asahi News on-line reported the following:

海外産はちみつご用心　花の中毒物質でめまい・血圧低下

2014年1月4日20時54分

　ヘルシーな印象が強い蜂蜜だが、海外産の中にはまれに中毒を起こすものがある。花の中毒物質のせいだ。先月発行の専門誌に、東京の病院の患者発生報告が掲載された。専門家は「冬休みの海外旅行シーズンを機に万一に備えて症状や対処法を知っておくほうが安心だ」と助言している。

　報告によると、東京都内に住む６０歳代の女性が、東南アジアで購入した蜂蜜をお湯に溶かして飲んだ。３０分後、呼吸困難や視覚異常などの状態に陥り、数時間後には歩けなくなったため、救急車を呼んだ。嘔吐（おうと）や下痢はなかった。

　蜂蜜には、ツツジの仲間が持つ中毒物質グラヤノトキシンが入っていることがある。茶さじ数杯程度でめまい、血圧低下、心拍の異常などを起こす。もともと野生の蜂蜜を食べる習慣があるトルコの黒海沿岸部での発生が多く「マッドハニー病」と呼ばれている。患者数の統計はないが、世界中で症例報告があり、トルコなどで生産された蜂蜜が、流通の国際化によって世界各地に広がっていると考えられている。

(試譯文)

     Although honey could give a strong healthy impression, there were some from overseas which might cause poisoning in some rare situations. It was due to the poisonous material in the flower. A hospital report on patients in Tokyo was published at the technical magazine of last month’s issue. A specialist was advising that "it is safer to know the condition and ways of coping in order to prepare for an emergency at the time of traveling-abroad during the season of winter vacation".

     According to the report, a woman in her 60's who lived in Tokyo melted and drank in hot water the honey purchased in Southeast Asia. Thirty minutes afterwards she fell into a state that included breathing difficulty and an abnormal vision, and because she became impossible to walk for several hours an ambulance was called in. There was neither vomiting nor diarrhea.

    Grayanotoxin, a poisonous material which was a member of azalea might be contained in the honey. The abnormalities of giddiness, falling blood pressure, and abnormal cardiac beats etc. could occur with about several teaspoons. Turkey, in the area along the shore of Black Sea, had the custom of eating wild honey and was the first to generate the many so called "mad honey disease". While there were no statistics on the patient load, there were cases reported world wide that the honey produced in Turkey etc. was considered to have spread to every corner of the earth by circulation internationally.

So, better to be careful if want to buy honey.