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Nature's Prescription HONEY
Many parents are
concerned about the recent FDA recommendation that over-the-counter
cough and cold medicines not be given to children under 6 years of age
because of a lack of effectiveness and potential for side effects.
With
this recent news in mind, a team of researchers from the Penn State
College of Medicine decided to put nature to the test. They tested
the effectiveness of three different approaches for children who were
having trouble sleeping due to a cough.
The children in the
study were given either no treatment at all, a little bit of buckwheat
honey or dextromethorphan (DM), the chemical cough suppressant found in
many over-the-counter cold medicines. The children receiving the honey
or DM took it about 30 minutes before bedtime.
The research team
found that honey was more effective in reducing the severity and
frequency of nighttime cough compared with DM or no treatment at all.
Honey also allowed the children to sleep better. The findings are
published in the December, 2007, issue of the Archives of Pediatrics
and Adolescent Medicine.
According to the study's lead
researcher, Dr. Ian Paul, Penn State's director of pediatric clinical
research: "Honey provided the greatest relief of symptoms compared with
the other treatments. With honey, parents now have a safe and
effective alternative to use for children over age 1 that have cough
and cold symptoms". Some of the children were hyperactive for a short
time after being given the honey, Dr. Paul said. However, children who
received honey slept better and so did their parents, he noted.
Paul
cautioned that honey should never be given to children younger than 1,
because of the rare risk of infantile botulism. In addition, he noted,
cough medicines that mention "honey" on the label actually contain
artificial honey flavor not real honey.
Honey has been used for
centuries to treat upper respiratory infection symptoms such as cough.
In addition, honey has antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, and also
soothes the back of the throat.
Once again, science has proven that food really can be your medicine.
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