Is Honey More Effective Than Cough Medicine?

re: Is Honey More Effective Than Cough Medicine?

y.l.th — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:05:36 GMT

The best thing, I found, is using Thieves essential oil [1 drop] in 30ml of NingXia juice [both from Young Living]....it's been amazing, as since I've been using this, I don't get any colds etc no more, even so I got other people coughing etc around me.

My sister has found, that it helps her the same way, and lot's of other people, who use it [of those I 've spoken to] it works the same way.....so ,it's not just me, it works for.

My 5 year old been using 1 drop of Thieves with some honey, when he get's the start of a cold, as most kids his age end up getting them, but it doesn't come to anything and he's well very quickly , without the cold virus having bothered him, while other kids in his class/ school are off school with fever and coughs.

It's truly amazing and fully natural with not a chemical in sight.

re: Is Honey More Effective Than Cough Medicine?

bluepoppyshell — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 22:49:40 GMT

honey and hot water always works for our family too! Kids love it and no side effects. stick with what works.

re: Is Honey More Effective Than Cough Medicine?

spirit-girl — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 18:22:57 GMT

Nobody has mentioned the benefits of ginger in fighting the cold. It is a natural expectorant and works wonder.When I have cold or my sinuses are clogged up i make a ginger tea with lemon and honey. I drink 4 times a day and it clears up faster than any other remedy. Even eating ginger everyday with your meals is good for you. thanks

re: Is Honey More Effective Than Cough Medicine?

barbt1612 — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 16:04:57 GMT

The peroxide in the ears absolutely works! It's kind of disconcerting for a few minutes, with the "snap,crackle, and popping" noise and the tickling sensation, but is foolproof.

re: Is Honey More Effective Than Cough Medicine?

Waldo — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 03:37:37 GMT

My automatic response to sore throats and sniffles with my 3 young children is a mixture of raw honey and a version Dr Schultz's "super tonic" which I make myself (cayenne, ginger, horseradish, onion, garlic blended with a bit of raw apple cider vinegaring). It IS spicy, but the honey is too alluring for them and they submit to it! Usually followed by them running around the house in semi-mock pain from the heat. The combo is truly amazing in my opinion.

re: Is Honey More Effective Than Cough Medicine?

Alan845 — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 03:21:04 GMT

For colds we make what our kids have always called "Witch's Brew". To make this, take 1 cup of hot water, dissolve half a cup of raw honey (we use Manuka honey in New Zealand for its antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties), add half a cup of lemon juice, half a cup of cider vinegar and a full bulb (not clove) of freshly crushed garlic. We then add a dessertspoonful of this Witch's Brew to a cup of herbal tea and drink. If it is too sweet, add more lemon juice or cider vinegar, if too sour add more honey. The best herbal teas are those which are made from fresh or dried herbs which will assist in clearing cold symptoms - I use sage and mullein usually. However, any herbal tea will work, or even just diluting it with hot water is effective. One key factor for reducing the unpleasant symptoms of colds is to drink plenty of non-diuretic liquids, e.g. water, herbal tea. These thin mucus and reduce congestion. Normal tea, coffee, fruit juices and fruit flavored drinks are usually diuretic and tend to thicken mucus and increase unpleasant symptoms. Hope this helps.

re: Is Honey More Effective Than Cough Medicine?

Jack Root — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 23:27:07 GMT

My mother used to make our own cough syrup and I can remember this from about the time I was three. She used a jar of honey, very finely minced onions, minced garlic, lemon juice and a tablespoon of cloudy vinegar. She would cook it on the stove and put it in the ice box (yeah, I'm that old...I had to walk to the ice plant to get the ice for the ice box). We were told that we could have one teaspon a day and no more or our ears would fall off. That jar of honey was delicious and we rarely ever got sick.

re: Is Honey More Effective Than Cough Medicine?

Jade Garnet — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 21:32:50 GMT

Drinking 2 teaspoons of white vinegar cleared up my strep throat. The next day it's as if I never had any infection! Incredible. The honey didn't work for my throat infections in the past. It did made me sweat up my bed into a pool - I guess it helped fight the cold by raising my body temperature. Unfortunately, now I'm reinfected with a cold because I binged on cheese. Do OTC cold medicines suppress the body's natural defense against colds? We must need fevers and stuffy noses because they are the body's natural healing mechanisms?

re: Is Honey More Effective Than Cough Medicine?

HilaryB — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 20:31:57 GMT

I mostly agree with this. If you have a light cough or a general cold honey really can help.

I also would recommend hard candies especially those that have honey in them because it helps to keep your throat coated and if you are a mouth breather like I am when I'm sick it helps force you to breath through your nose for awhile.

I will say however, when you are really really sick - I'm talking bronchitis and pneumonia sick - it may not be enough to help.

I have really focused on the preventative route this year and so far I haven't gotten sick but for 16 years I would get bronchitis each fall (and sometimes also in the spring) with it sometimes turning into pneumonia, I have learned a lot about what works and doesn't work for me. In the past when I was sick I did give raw honey a try multiple times. But when I am this bad off it has irritated my throat more because my throat would be raw and the only thing that did help was the dextromethorphan based products alternating with an expectorant. It gave my body enough of a rest from the automated coughing that I could get some sleep and get well.

I don't take it any longer than I absolutely have to and I do recommend going the natural route as much as possible but there are times when things are bad enough or that you haven't found the appropriate natural cure for your exact problem that taking something OTC is better than nothing.

I hope to never have bronchitis again. I'm eating a lot better, going for long walks and stressing less. :)

re: Is Honey More Effective Than Cough Medicine?

www.chi-mester — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 19:13:37 GMT

-)))))))

I donno what I use, but I never get sick! In my 'previous life' when I was a graphic designer, sitting in a room with 6 other people, they all got the flu. First day the first people, next day the next person got sick, an so on.

When it 'was my turn' , the flu just skipped me.-)))

At that point, my junk food eater fellows understood the power of my everyday home-made unrefined , garlic loaded foods. So from that moment all my co-workers stopped talk about me , and stopped making fun of me. Every time I have popped out my home-made lunch from my brown bag. They use to make fun of me like:' Hey buddy, what U got for today? Or, 'Eat careful, dont get Cancer!' and similar jokes.

And it is even more funny that these very people come to me now asking for advices on diets and such...-))

But I had so much experiences like this...

Peace!

re: Is Honey More Effective Than Cough Medicine?

quotBquot — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 19:02:31 GMT

I don't know but I will try it. But I'd like to share my remedy for how a cold always starts with me, a sore throat. I take some lukewarm or warm water, add a lot of lemon or lime juice (1/2 a lemon will do) and then add some. I gargle, and that's the end of the sore throat. For coughs, I have used hot water and honey hot toddy with lemon juice. And then, of course, there's always good ol' Vick nasal rub for my chest area. Works wonders. And last but certainly not least, how about home-made chicken soup anyone?

re: Is Honey More Effective Than Cough Medicine?

Michaels — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 18:53:16 GMT

Ive been using Manuka Honey for years now and never get sick. Prof Peter Nolan at the Waikato Uni in New Zealand has done study after study and has proven that Manuka honey is the far superior honey. Its fights MRSA VRE commonly known as "super bugs". It does miricles for diabetic ulsers or any open wound by decreasing healing time and scarring by 2/3.

It sits at the top of my healing box. It must be Bio Active and have a UMF rating of at least 16+. THe only one that I know that is pure raw manuka is Spirits Bay.

re: Is Honey More Effective Than Cough Medicine?

bunting — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 18:09:55 GMT

Xylitol gum helps with viruses - because I believe it helps to prevent viruses from attaching to cells - which they love to do where sugar is available. Not sure of the mechanism.

Hydrogen Peroxide kills fungi per an ear doctor. However, if may also interfere with ear wax coating which itself repels fungi.

re: Is Honey More Effective Than Cough Medicine?

Nathan Anderson — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 17:41:46 GMT

Manuka honey is absolutely amazing stuff. It comes from New Zealand. It's honey that's created from the flowers of the Manuka Tea Tree. It has shockingly effective anti-microbial properties. My entire family swears by it... it's probably the most coveted substance in the house during cold season!

re: Is Honey More Effective Than Cough Medicine?

PollyH — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 16:10:46 GMT

Caution: Don't use the hydrogen peroxide in the ears on a regular basis. It can weaken the tissue there and predispose you to ear infections. At least that is what I was told by a doctor after I had been using it in that manner.