Honey to not get a stomach virus or flu

[little john]

On the subject of immunity in general - I find that although most people are familiar with the Circulatory System and the Nervous System, they frequently have scant knowledge of the Reticulo-Endothelial System (aka Mononuclear Phagocyte System)

Oodles of relevant info on the web, so I won't bother giving any links.  A bit of light reading awaits perhaps, to offer an alternative during the forthcoming festive period ?

LJ

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

{Debatable - very, very debatable.}

Well, Buddy Lil John, I?ll defend my statement.  Virus are a part of beekeeping so I compliant with Beemaster.

Virus has no respiration, they don?t breathe, they don?t eat nor have any means for digestion.  They don?t breed.  Virus can be crystallized like sugars or a rock.  They have zero metabolism, that why they don?t eat.

Summation: virus, they don?t; eat, breed, nor breathe and have the same metabolism of a rock, zero.  A virus is just a piece of DNA encapsulated in a protein enevelope containing maybe 2-3 enzymes.  The virion. (Singular virus) attaches  to a human cell, with a single enzyme bores through (lytic) the cell and inserts the viral DNA.  That is, an empty shell is left on the human cell surface.

The viral DNA is deadly, this DNA instructs the human cell to stop every thing and make more virus to the point the human cell burst so full of virus.  The released virus lands on another cell and the process repeats until our immunity, a white blood cell, finds and detects the virus on the surface of the human cell in which the white blood destroys the infected cell along with the virus load.

It is all in the DNA of the virus: a special, very demanding code that renders a human cell helpless, actually making slave of our cells and directing the human cell on a susicidal mission.  Our cells are tricked by the viral DNA code.

All cells in our body are instructed by their DNA, this DNA is mostly sugar and I marvel at the complexity in which man/woman kind are just beginning to understand.  Somehow, DNA has the ability to pass on knowledge, to suckle for example.  I am amazed at how a sugar can contain such precise information as to completely form a creature.
Blessings

[bwallace23350]

{All he wants to do is be outside and for me to walk through the woods with him.}

Now that is probably the most inspiring sentence I have ever read on Beemaster.  A classic beautiful statement about a kid and his dad: relative to health and honey.  What more can you ask for, thanks for sharing Wallace.
Blessings

Thanks. He is a special little guy and I feel blessed to be his dad. I am also really glad he is showing an interest in the outdoors and not tv and screens.

[little john]

Hi Van - hope all is well with you.

Viruses can breed - they can replicate like wildfire, and even mutate in the process.  Sure, they need a host in order to do this - but should that automatically disqualify them ?  The following is what Scientific American has to say on the subject (which I think sums-up the situation rather well) :

For about 100 years, the scientific community has repeatedly changed its collective mind over what viruses are. First seen as poisons, then as life-forms, then biological chemicals, viruses today are thought of as being in a gray area between living and nonliving: they cannot replicate on their own but can do so in truly living cells and can also affect the behavior of their hosts profoundly. The categorization of viruses as nonliving during much of the modern era of biological science has had an unintended consequence: it has led most researchers to ignore viruses in the study of evolution. Finally, however, scientists are beginning to appreciate viruses as fundamental players in the history of life.

So - I would say that to describe viruses as being 'non-living' in an absolute way is a mistake.  I were to be pressed to find a suitable label for viruses, then I'd probably describe them as being 'proto' life-forms.

LJ

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Yes, Buddy, Lil John, all is well, Blessings your way.

Virius don?t breed.  To me I define breeding as purposeful, DELIBERATE introduction or exchange of DNA between organisms.  Bacteria conjugate, yes Sir, that is, connect to each other and exchange DNA.  With Virus,,,  there is a throw of the dice, no deliberate exchange, but randomly acquiring pieces of DNA in the hosts cytoplasm that happen by chance are included in encapsulation process.  The debate of virus:  living versus non-living will continue my friend for a long time.  It?s a no brainer to me, but I concur with your ?proto? living assessment.
Blessings

[Oldbeavo]

The pre-biotic effect of honey will help keep your gut bugs in balance, maybe if your gut is healthy then the effect of the virus may be less

[fatshark]

BTW virus is not a living organism.

Well ... it evolves and it demonstrably has genetic material based on RNA or DNA ... but no metabolic activity.

And before you say that's the difference between living and not living ... what about a bacterial spore? Exactly the same applies.

Viruses also 'deliberately' exchange their genetic material in the processes of recombination and reassortment. Viruses that do not do this are at an evolutionary disadvantage. They clearly 'breed'.

Best way to avoid 'flu-like viral infections is a) was your hands frequently and b) don't, don't, don't rub your eyes.