Research Verifies Honey Soothes Coughs

Honey Is Safe, Easy, Effective ... a Sweet Solution

Some buckwheat honey before bedtime provided effective cough relief so children could sleep.  It worked as well as, and sometimes better, than a common cough medication.

It's understandable that parents feel frustrated that there's so little they can do for their children when they get sick.  We're prescribing fewer antibiotics and  the FDA has issued a warning against the use of over-the-counter cold medications, because they haven't been proven safe for use in kids.

The good news is ... there's a helpful solution right in your kitchen cabinet (or available at the supermarket or a natural foods store).  A recent report in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found scientific support for an old-fashioned cure for cough ... a dose of honey at bedtime.

Researchers found that buckwheat honey provided more relief from cough and sleep difficulty compared with no treatment and an over-the-counter cough medicine in children with upper respiratory tract infections. 

The study included 105 children age 2 to 18.  All had upper respiratory tract infections, had been sick for seven days or less, and experienced symptoms during the night. Honey was given to 35 children, 33 received a common over-the-counter cough medication, and 37 had no treatment whatsoever.  Parents of the children reported on their child's cough and sleep difficulty the night before their assigned treatment ... and again the night after treatment.  Honey was the clear winner ... as good or better than the OTC medication and definitely better than nothing at all.   (The only side effect was that a few parents reported some hyperactivity and insomnia in their children after taking the dose of honey.)

To read more about the honey for cough research click on Honey Study.

Our Advice: The study looked specifically at one kind of honey, called buckwheat honey.  It's worth buying a small jar to keep in your home ... it's easy, safe (for children over one year of age ... do not give to infants), inexpensive and effective.  Plus, kids love it!