Honey or Cough Medicine
When it comes to helping a child fight off a cough, the centuries-old remedy of honey is still the best, researchers say. The natural sweetener is a traditional soother and remains better than costly over-the-counter medicines. In a study, a dose before bedtime easily outperformed a cough suppressant widely used in commercial treatments.
Honey was better at cutting the severity, frequency, and disturbance from nighttime coughs of those suffering upper respiratory infection. It also helped their sleep, suggesting that parents may be wasting their money on expensive alternatives sold in chemists and supermarkets.
The study compared honey to dextromethorphan (DM), the active ingredient in many cough mixtures. Scientists in Pennsylvania found that DM made no significant difference to symptoms compared with having no treatment for the 105 children aged two to 18 in the research. They were divided into groups receiving honey, a honey-flavored DM medicine or no treatment about 30 minutes before bedtime. Parents rated honey as significantly better than DM or no treatment, according to the journal Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
The researchers said that honey offered a "safe and legitimate alternative" to DM, which can occasionally cause severe side effects in children, including muscle contractions and spasms. Honey's ability to help coughs may be due to the way it soothes on contact and stimulates saliva.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
A Note from the Food Matters team:
We recommend using the highest quality Raw Organic Honey that you should be able to find at your local health food store. This honey retains a higher array of nutrients and has the enzymes still intact enabling the body to utilize the nutrients more efficiently.
