Can a nursing mother eat honey?
Honey is not a problem for mom to eat. The gut flora of adults and children over a year old are able to fend off the botulism spores that may be present in honey, and render them harmless. Since the spores would be killed in your gastrointestinal tract, they would not make it into your bloodstream and therefore cannot be present in your milk. A baby’s gut can’t defend itself against the botulism spores, and so they can colonize the intestinal tract, germinate and release botulinum neurotoxin. As a result, honey is not recommended for babies under a year old. It’s recommended that you avoid giving baby anything that contains honey, or make sure that the cooking process kills any botulism spores that might be present. To kill botulism spores, the food must be cooked at 240 degrees Fahrenheit (this requires a pressure cooker) for at least 15 minutes. Botulism spores are very heat resistant – it takes more than six hours of boiling at 212 degrees Fahrenheit to kill the spores. The toxin is
