Doctors Prescribe Honey As Cough Remedy

Doctors Prescribe Honey As Cough Remedy

Looking for a natural remedy for a sore throat? 

 

In the mists of COVID-19 and  cold & flu season, finding a natural solution to help cure a sore is always a win. 

2020 research published in BMJ Evidence Based Medicine confirms what most of us Manuka honey lovers have already known for many years.Honey is more than just a delicious natural sweetener. It also has powerful healing properties.

So powerful, in fact, that honey can be safely recommended by doctors as a genuine treatment for the common cough, colds and even upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs).

Honey as an effective natural treatment

 

Doctors typically prescribe antibiotics to treat URTIs. However, the problem is that viruses, not bacteria, cause most infections - rendering antibiotics ineffective. Although antibiotics offer little medical benefit in these situations, there is a dearth of alternative treatments.

Thus, scientists have been searching for a new remedy to treat these types of infections. 

Now, they have have identified a natural treatment that is more effective at reducing URTI symptoms than usual care. 

That therapy comes straight from one of Mother Nature’s best healers: The honeybee.

The test - antibiotics versus honey

 

Three researchers undertook the studies. Hibatullah Abuelgasim, of the Oxford University Medical School, and Charlotte Albury and Joseph Lee, of the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences.

The team performed 14 tests on 1,761 patients. They compared cough severity, frequency, and symptom length. They studied the effects of taking honey in the form of tea, straight, or combined with other ingredients. The results were then compared to those of antibiotics and over-the-counter medicines.


The findings

 

The studies revealed a remarkable reduction in cough severity and frequency. Two of the studies showed symptom length decreased by one to two days.

This is great news for public health systems where antibiotic-resistance has become a worldwide issue. This also addresses antibiotic side effects, such as kidney and liver problems and gastrointestinal upset.

In 2018, the UK’s National Institute for Health, and Public Health England touted the antimicrobial effects of honey. They announced a plan to reduce unnecessary antibiotic treatments and recommended honey for mild coughs and colds. Now, science has finally proved it is an effective and safe home remedy for cough for children and adults.

Honeybee nectar is affordable, non-toxic, and has almost no side effects. Doctors now have the green light to confidently recommend nature's superfood as URTI treatment. New Zealand doctors are hopeful that this news may soon decrease the overuse - and over-prescription - of antibiotics.

 

What’s the best honey to take?

 

Not just any honey, according to the researchers. New Zealand’s very own Mānuka honey stands out, due to its superior natural antibacterial properties.

The Māori have known for centuries about its curative properties. They used the leaves of the Mānuka bush to make sedatives, mouthwash, cough medicines and to relieve a sore throat. It was also used as a topical treatment for skin diseases and burns.

New evidence shows that Mānuka honey may increase antimicrobial activity and can be used as a safe treatment for clearing infections in the upper airways. 

 Manuka Tree

Can you use honey for cough in children?

 

Yes - it can be an excellent way to treat coughs. However, note - doctors don’t recommend that honey is fed to children under the age of one.

If you require further medical advice on URTI treatments, or your symptoms persist, contact your GP.

 

How can I create my own home remedies for cough?

 

Check out our range of delicious, pure medicine in a jar. Give your system a natural boost and use as a natural alternative to refined sugar.

Add 1-2 of Manuka honey to a warm/hot ( make sure its not boiling water) mug of water and dissolve the honey. Sip or gargle the honey mixture, letting it coats your throat.

Or simple eat straight from the spoon or packet, again letting it coats your throat. 

Take your natural new cough remedy wherever and wherever you go with our UMF Manuka honey sticks, the perfect single serving of manuka honey to help soothe your dry itchy throat. 

Heal your body from the inside out and add your jar of Happy Valley’s UMF® Mānuka Honey deliciousness to your cart today!

 

References and research links:

 

Oxford metastudy finds honey most effective treatment for coughs and colds
Honey Better Treatment for Coughs & Cold Then Antibiotics Study Claims 
Honey better than usual care for easing respiratory symptoms, especially cough
Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Anti-pseudomonad Activity of Manuka Honey and Antibiotics in a Specialized ex vivo Model Simulating Cystic Fibrosis Lung Infection
Infant botulism following honey ingestion
https://happyvalley.co.nz/blogs/blog/honey-for-cough-treatment-oxford-study
Honey as a Cough Remedy: Groundbreaking New Study

 

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