Honey - more effective than medicine for colds and coughs
Honey has been used as a remedy for coughs, sore throats and common colds. Meanwhile, a recent study suggests that honey is more effective in treating these diseases than antibiotics or over-the-counter medications. This is what the Daily Mail has published.
Experts at the University of Oxford say doctors should advise patients to eat honey rather than antibiotics, which boosts antimicrobial resistance. They compared the effectiveness of honey with cough suppressants, antihistamines and painkillers, and found that honey was very effective in treating upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). It also works to cure coughs and colds.
Honey was on average 36 percent more effective in reducing the frequency of coughs than conventional drugs, and it reduced the severity of coughs by 44 percent compared to drugs. There was also evidence that honey reduced the time to recover from URTI to two days.
According to a study in the British Medical Journal, "honey significantly reduces the symptoms, frequency and severity of cough." It also said that honey is cheap, readily available and has virtually no side effects. They further said that the use of honey for infections can reduce the excess pressure of antibiotics, which exacerbates the crisis of antimicrobial resistance.
Experts are increasingly concerned that physicians often prescribe antibiotics for colds and coughs, which are rarely needed. Because most of these are caused by viruses.
"Honey was better than normal care to improve the symptoms of URTI," the researchers said. It provides a widely available and inexpensive alternative to antibiotics. The most frequent cause of antibiotic prescription is URTI. Since most URTIs are viral, antibiotic prescriptions are both ineffective and inappropriate. Honey has long been used as a home remedy, and two years ago the UK Medical Watchdog included it in official guidelines for the treatment of cough. However, there have been limited reviews of its effectiveness in treating URTI. Oxford scientists reviewed 14 studies with 1,81 participants to determine the effect of honey when treating the upper respiratory tract.
In 14 studies, patients taking honey were compared to patients taking cough medicines and painkillers. They found that honey was more effective in relieving symptoms - especially the concentration and severity of cough. Honey was significantly better in the case of the antihistamine diphenhydramine, as it reduced the severity of cough by 50 percent.
The study concluded that ‘honey is used commercially and is safe for use by most people except children under one year of age or people with allergies. Honey is a commonly used remedy that is well known to patients. It is cheap, easy to buy and has no side effects. When clinicians want to prescribe for URTI, we will offer honey as an alternative to antibiotics. It is more effective and less harmful than the common cold-cough medicine. '
Honey should not be given to children under one year of age, as it can create toxins in the intestines of any child due to the risk from a bacterium, which can lead to potentially fatal infant botulism.
I know dear, i use it with lemon