The miraculous healing powers of honey
The researchers enrolled 105 children, ages 2 to 18, in their randomized, partially double-blind study. On the first night of the study, the children received no treatment. The parents then answered questions about their children's sleep and cough, as well as the quality of their sleep. On the second night, the children were given honey-flavored cough syrup, or honey, or nothing. The parents then answered the survey questions again. The parents of the children who were given the honey rated that the children's sleep and symptoms had improved, and that their sleep had improved as well.
Darker honeys have more antioxidants than lighter ones and we wanted to have the best chance of seeing improvements," explains the expert, pointing out that lighter honeys would probably also benefit children. At least locally [honey of buckwheat] is available.I can find it here at the local supermarket, says the study's lead author, Dr. Ian Paul, a researcher at Penn State College of Medicine.
According to the study, some of the children who took the honey experienced side effects. Parents reported slightly more hyperactivity when their children took the honey than when they took the cough syrup.
But it's also interesting to note that this isn't the first time honey has been looked at as a remedy. Honey has been used since the time of the ancient Greeks and Egyptians to treat everything from wounds to insect bites. This utility can perhaps be attributed to the idea that an enzyme that bees add to nectar produces hydrogen peroxide, an antibacterial agent.
I think recommending honey as a cough medicine has merit. It provides a safer option than using chemical-based options,” says Paul Doering, co-director of the University of Florida Drug Information and Pharmacy Resource Center, adding that honey is part of a trend to recommend more traditional remedies. common for ailments.
Documentary source:
http://abcnews.go.com/
