Question About Raw Honey

[lovegrov]

I eat honey with no fe3ar.

richard

[Happytobefree]

Hello all! I am new to the forum and was excited to see this topic! For the past 2 weeks I have made gluten free pancakes on Sunday morning and have felt sick afterwards for the entire day. I used 100% pure maple syrup and the gluten free pancake mix. Well, the pancake mix calls for honey. I found it hard to believe that this would make me sick and I feared that maybe my gluten intolerance diagnosis was crap now. I researched online and found that honey can contain maltose. I was floored. I also found out that commercial honey is usually thinned and has syrup added to it. I bought a new pancake mix that does not require honey so I will let you know how it goes!

A little late.

I would be concerned with the pan that was used to make the pancakes. When going gluten-free, I think it is important to consider all the places you have put wheat containing products and the likelihood that residual proteins have remained there.

[Su]

Hi All,

 

I'm new to this forum but really glad I found it. I just wanted to add here that I react to honey every time. And coffee and tea too, though not always to tea. I have read that some companies use a gluten based food starch to seal their tea bags

[notme]

i eat honey with no issues.  it doesn't matter, local or from grocery store, i'm ok with it.  o, the age old tea bag question:  nope, no wheat paste - i understand they are heat pressed so that the paper meshes to itself.  i use red rose brand tea bags and they have staples (no good for microwave, but i always make tea with boiling water)  

if you are new to the diet, you probably still have a lot of inflammation and there are plenty of things that are going to aggrevate your gut until you beging to heal.  try to eat plain 'clean' foods.  i would probably eliminate dairy for awhile, in the beginning many of us had a hard time digesting it.  i skipped it for about six months and then i was able to add it back in.  good luck

[kareng]

54 minutes ago, notme! said:

i eat honey with no issues.  it doesn't matter, local or from grocery store, i'm ok with it.  o, the age old tea bag question:  nope, no wheat paste - i understand they are heat pressed so that the paper meshes to itself.  i use red rose brand tea bags and they have staples (no good for microwave, but i always make tea with boiling water)  

if you are new to the diet, you probably still have a lot of inflammation and there are plenty of things that are going to aggrevate your gut until you beging to heal.  try to eat plain 'clean' foods.  i would probably eliminate dairy for awhile, in the beginning many of us had a hard time digesting it.  i skipped it for about six months and then i was able to add it back in.  good luck

Yep!  What she said! 

[Irene Joanne]

I react to honey- not because of gluten, but because of the high salicylates in honey

[DebNC84]

On 1/29/2009 at 11:05 AM, julirama723 said:

I apologize if this question has been asked before.

 

Normally, I would assume that raw honey is gluten-free and safe to eat. BUT, what if the beehives are kept in an area that grows wheat and/or is surrounded by wheat fields? Is there a chance that gluten would be in the raw honey, or is that me being a worrywart?

 

The reason I ask is because I ate some raw honey in my pumpkin puree last night, and I had stomach issues all night and currently am experiencing all the warm, fuzzy feelings of a good glutening.

 

It could very well be something else causing this, but I'd like to know if this raw honey is OK to eat in my situation--we have a HUGE tub of it and I would hate to waste it!

I am a new beekeeper - and just learned that some people use supplements to feed their bees - supplements that could contain wheat flour, soy flour or brewers yeast or all of the above.  So to answer your question - yes, it's likely in my opinion there could be gluten in  your honey.  

I realize this post is from 2009 - but better late than never.

[squirmingitch]

3 hours ago, DebNC84 said:

I am a new beekeeper - and just learned that some people use supplements to feed their bees - supplements that could contain wheat flour, soy flour or brewers yeast or all of the above.  So to answer your question - yes, it's likely in my opinion there could be gluten in  your honey.  

I realize this post is from 2009 - but better late than never.

Could you please give a link to that information DebNC84? What kind of supplements? For what purpose?

My husband & I were beekeepers and never were the bees given any supplements other than sugar water to tide them over during lean times. The only other thing they were given to eat were antibiotics if needed and those were administered by mixing with powdered sugar. Bees don't eat wheat flour or soy flour so that's why I am asking where you found that information.

[DebNC84]

it's Pollen substitutes.  Patties and Powders, meant to boost production in the spring.  Beekeeping supply store carry these things.  I've seen brewer's yeast and soy among the ingredients listed.  AND to save money beekeepers mix up their own, which is where i'm seeing the wheat flour.. and I'm completely dismayed by this practice!  Just google "honey bee pollen substitute recipes"  I'm sure you'll find it.  Where I've learned this in on Facebook beekeeping groups - there are multiple.  

[squirmingitch]

14 hours ago, DebNC84 said:

it's Pollen substitutes.  Patties and Powders, meant to boost production in the spring.  Beekeeping supply store carry these things.  I've seen brewer's yeast and soy among the ingredients listed.  AND to save money beekeepers mix up their own, which is where i'm seeing the wheat flour.. and I'm completely dismayed by this practice!  Just google "honey bee pollen substitute recipes"  I'm sure you'll find it.  Where I've learned this in on Facebook beekeeping groups - there are multiple.  

Thanks, I did do some checking. Although I didn't find any wheat flour references, I did see the others and the use for pollen subs. I don't do facebook but I believe you when you say there are some beekeepers mixing up their own pollen cakes using wheat flour. This really could be a problem. One has to ask themselves how much is getting spread around the hive. This also makes me wonder about the labeling laws. i would think wheat, soy would need to be listed as they are in the top 8 allergens. Then my mind thinks to the people who are anaphylactic to wheat or soy. 

Geez, we're going to have to look for certified gluten-free honey now???????????? Sigh.

[RowdyPope]

An oldie, but a goldie!

Myself, I'm not a celiac sufferer, but I have a sensitivity that is somewhere in the 5ppm range and I get symptoms within about 20 minutes of ingestion. I'm sort of a bloodhound for celiac sufferers.

I was trying a particular brand of honey at someones request and I did get a reaction. I was kinda surprised at that one.

Honey is a product of nature and depending on the location the contents will vary. I have not been able to find a product that actually carries a gluten free certification. I know manufacturers want to avoid costs, but that should be the first indicator of trouble.

At work, someone is offering honey from their own bees and they have pictures of two samples. One sample is from the bees next to their wheat patches (which they plant specifically for the bees) and the other is from a different hive. The wheat locality bees produced significantly darker honey.

Take this with a grain of salt. Myself, I no longer eat out and if it isn't a raw vegetable I look for gluten-free certification. I'm pain and inflammation free. Well, some days it's still worth it to get a nice steak at a restaurant.