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  • This is C. botulinum.

  • It's a bacterium that can produce one of the world's

  • most lethal substances.

  • It lives in lots of places including soil,

  • pollen, dust, and also in honey.

  • So why haven't you died from eating this sweet treat?

  • Because you're not a baby.

  • As C. botulinum grows, it produces botulinum toxin.

  • It's the same stuff used in Botox,

  • but Botox has an extremely

  • low dose compared to infected food.

  • In large amounts,

  • the toxin would attack your nervous system,

  • causing the illness known as botulism,

  • which can lead to paralysis and even death.

  • And since C. botulinum is so common in our environment,

  • researchers believe that bees pick it up on their way

  • to the hive where they produce honey.

  • One study found C. botulinum bacteria

  • in about 8% of honey samples.

  • But before you purge your pantry, consider this.

  • Normally when we encounter C. Botulinum, like in honey,

  • it's dormant.

  • In this sleepy state, it can't produce the toxin.

  • Even if you ate it.

  • Unless, of course, you're less than 1 year old.

  • When C. botulinum enters a baby's large intestine,

  • it comes alive because unlike children and adults,

  • babies less than 1 year old haven't been eating

  • real solid foods.

  • They've been drinking milk.

  • But when babies are around 4 to 6 months old,

  • they stop drinking human milk, and they start eating

  • other foods that they've never had before.

  • As a result, their gut microbes change very abruptly,

  • and it's during this transition period in the baby's gut

  • that the lethal C. botulinum bacteria are free to grow

  • and produce the toxin.

  • As the toxin enters the baby's bloodstream,

  • it blocks the ability of motor nerves to release

  • acetylcholine, a chemical messenger

  • that sends nerve signals to muscles.

  • As a result, the baby starts to lose control of muscles

  • and appears tired and floppy.

  • And as more toxin enters the bloodstream, the muscles

  • that control swallowing and breathing stop working.

  • Fortunately, infant botulism is not very common,

  • and infant botulism due to honey is even rarer.

  • Fewer than 100 cases occur in the US each year,

  • and while it's difficult to pinpoint the source

  • of the bacterium in many cases,

  • experts think that honey accounts for 15%.

  • So it's important that if your infant shows signs

  • of weakness, you take them to be evaluated

  • by medical professionals immediately.

  • In some cases, doctors can administer

  • an effective antitoxin,

  • but it can take babies weeks or a month to recover.

  • The FDA recommends waiting until your baby's first birthday

  • to feed them honey or any products

  • that are filled with or dipped in honey.

This is C. botulinum.

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B1 US toxin honey baby infant enters botox

Why Babies Can't Eat Honey

  • 1368 48
    April Lu posted on 2019/03/13
Video vocabulary

Keywords

stuff

US /stʌf/

UK /stʌf/

  • noun
  • Generic description for things, materials, objects
  • verb
  • To push material inside something, with force
extremely

US /ɪk'strimlɪ/

UK /ɪkˈstri:mli/

  • adverb
  • In a way that is much more than usual or expected
  • To a very great degree; very.
  • To a very great degree; very.
  • To a very great degree; very.
  • In an extreme manner or to an extreme degree.
  • Remarkably; unusually.
  • From an extreme point of view.
recommend

US /ˌrɛkəˈmɛnd/

UK /ˌrekə'mend/

  • verb
  • To advise or suggest that someone do something
  • To suggest something as good or suitable.
  • other
  • To advise someone to do something.
  • To endorse or support something publicly.
  • To suggest something as good or suitable.
period

US /ˈpɪriəd/

UK /ˈpɪəriəd/

  • noun
  • Set amount of time during which events take place
  • A way to emphasize what you will say
  • A full stop (.), marking the end of a sentence
  • A menstrual cycle
  • A set time for a class to be held
immediately

US /ɪˈmidiɪtli/

UK /ɪˈmi:diətli/

  • adverb
  • Without any delay; straight away
  • Without any delay; at once.
  • Very closely in space or time; next to.
  • Directly and personally.
  • Following or preceding without any interval of time or space.
  • Without any delay; instantly.
encounter

US /ɛnˈkaʊntɚ/

UK /ɪn'kaʊntə(r)/

  • verb
  • To come up against a problem or trouble; meet
  • To meet someone or something unexpectedly
  • noun
  • A chance meeting; unexpected or unplanned meeting
effective

US /ɪˈfɛktɪv/

UK /ɪˈfektɪv/

  • adjective
  • In operation; operative.
  • Successful in producing a desired or intended result.
  • Working efficiently to produce a desired result
  • In operation; in force.
  • Successful in producing a desired or intended result.
  • Producing a desired or intended result.
  • Actual rather than nominal; real.
  • Skillful and producing the intended result.
common

US /ˈkɑmən/

UK /'kɒmən/

  • noun
  • Area in a city or town that is open to everyone
  • A piece of open land for public use.
  • A piece of open land for public use.
  • Field near a village owned by the local community
  • adjective
  • Lacking refinement; vulgar.
  • Occurring, found, or done often; prevalent.
  • (of a noun) denoting a class of objects or a concept as opposed to a particular individual.
  • Without special rank or position; ordinary.
  • Shared; Belonging to or used by everyone
  • Typical, normal; not unusual
  • Lacking refinement; vulgar.
  • Found all over the place.
treat

US /trit/

UK /tri:t/

  • noun
  • something that tastes good and that is not eaten often
  • Something you buy for others as a surprise present
  • Something special that gives pleasure.
  • other
  • To subject to some process or action; to apply a substance to.
  • To behave towards someone in a specific way.
  • To pay for something for someone as a gift or pleasure.
  • To give medical care or attention to; try to heal.
  • verb
  • To pay for the food or enjoyment of someone else
  • To use medical methods to try to cure an illness
  • To act in a certain way toward someone
solid

US /ˈsɑlɪd/

UK /'sɒlɪd/

  • adjective
  • Being able to be trusted; reliable
  • Substance that is hard or of fixed shape
  • Being well made and expected to last long
  • Having no space or emptiness inside
  • Being made entirely of one material or substance
  • noun
  • Something firm or hard; not gas or liquid