Honey More Effective than Medicine for Cough Treatment in Children

A teaspoon of buckwheat honey taken before bedtime may well relieve child's cough and make his or her sleep more sound, a new study says.
Researchers at Pennsylvania State University in the US conducted a study and examined 105 children aged 2 to 18 who had cough related to upper respiratory tract infection. Children were suffering from coughs up to 7 days. 35 of them were given buckwheat honey, 33 of them received traditionally prescribed dextromethorphan 30 minutes before sleep and 37 were given nothing. Their parents were to fill in a survey to see the effect of the treatment.
Based on the reports of the children reports recorded by parents, scientists came to a conclusion that honey was far more effective that dextromethorphan treatment. Honey relieved most of the cough symptoms with the decreased frequency and severity of cough reported. Children also were able to have more sound sleep as well as their parents.
Cough is one of the most common symptoms of upper respiratory infection and while the dextromethorphan use remains questionable due to some side effects for children. In this regard, honey is seen as a good alternative for cough treatment.
Honey, especially dark one, such as buckwheat honey, has long been known as a product rich in antioxidants and having microbe-fighting properties. Now the study confirmed its benefits for cough relief.
http://health.infoniac.com

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Health Benefits of Honey :

Honey is a most assimilable carbohydrate compound. It is composed of sugars like glucose and fructose and minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium chlorine, sulphur, iron and phosphate. It contains vitamins B1, B2, C, B6, B5 and B3 all of which change according to the qualities of the nectar and pollen. Besides the above, copper, iodine, and zinc exist in it in small quantities. Several kinds of hormones are also present in it.

The benefits of honey in the disposal of several diseases: heart, diabetes, kidney and other diseases. Scientists of today also accept honey as a very effective medicine for all kinds of diseases, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine. It can be used as an antioxidant, has antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal properties, boosts athletic performance.

Benefits of Honey

• EASILY DIGESTED: Honey is easily digested by the most sensitive stomachs, despite its high acid content.
• CANCER: It plays a big role in the prevention of cancer as well as heart disease.
• LOW CALORIE LEVEL: Honey gives great energy to the body, it does not add weight. Honey contains nutraceuticals, which are effective in removing free radicals from our body. As a result, our body immunity is improved.
• FOR SKIN: Honey may be good for our skin, because it has the ability to attract water. We can use honey instead of alpha hydroxy masks because if its high content of the acid. Honey mixed with ground almonds makes an excellent facial cleansing scrub.
• FOR HAIR: To use Honey as a conditioner for our hair, mix the honey with olive oil.
• ARTHRITIS: Arthritis patients may take daily, morning and night, one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured.
• CARDIAC AILMENTS: It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Regular use also relieves breathlessness and strengthens heartbeats.
• INSECT BITES: Take one part honey to two parts of lukewarm water and add a small teaspoon of cinnamon powder, make a paste and massage it on the itching part of the body slowly. It is noticed that the pain recedes within a minute or two.
• COLDS: Honey cure most chronic cough, cold and clear congested chest. Take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for 3 days. Or, mix 2 teaspoons of honey with an equal quantity of ginger juice and consume frequently.
• DIABETES: Indian blackberry (Eugenia jambolana) seeds or Jamun (Syzygium cumini L) seed  powder is very good for diabetes. Take 1/4th teaspoon with 1 teasoon honey for 50 days.
• GAS: Honey is revealed of gas that if honey is taken with cinnamon powder.
• Honey also helps in promoting moist wound healing.
• FOOD PRESERVATIVE: Honey is good food preservative. While baking cakes by replacing sugar with honey, they will stay fresher longer due to natural antibiotics as honey retains moisture.

Types of Honey

• Mono-floral honey
• Poly-floral honey

Mono-floral honey
When honeybees collect nectar only from one flower, the honey produced is known as the mono-floral honey. It is believed to be the best type of honey, as it contains properties of only one flower. Professional beekeepers usually make such arrangements so that honeybees have access to only particular flower from which they are intended to produce honey.

Poly-floral honey
Poly-floral honey, on the other hand, is produced when honeybees have access to more than on flower and they collect nectar from different flowers and deposit in beehives. Sometimes, another type of honey is also available that is known as blended honey. Blended honey is simply a mixture or combination of different honeys.

In Ayurveda depending
In Ayurveda depending, eight types of honey are described on the type of bee which collects it. They are pouttika, bhramara, kshoudra, makshika, chatra, arghya,oudalaka, and dala.

• Pouttika is collected by very large bees from the nectar of poisonous flowers. It increases vata, causes gout and a burning sensation in the chest. It is also a sedative and reduces fat.
• Bhramara is collected by large bees and is sticky in nature.
• Kshoudra is collected by medium sized honey bees, and is light and cold in nature. It dissolves kapha.
• Makshika is collected by small honey bees, and is very light and dry natured. It's useful in vata-kapha diseases and kapha diseases. (It is considered as the best type with immense medicinal properties. )
• Chatra is heavy and cold in nature. It's useful in gout and leucoderma (shwitra).
• Arghya is good for eyes but causes arthritis.
• Oudalaka is useful in skin diseases, and helps in modulation of voice.
• Dala is dry and reduces vomiting.

Precautions to be taken before using honey

• Always store honey in a glass jar that should not have even a single drop of water, as even a few drops of water can destroy honey’s value.
• Honey should not be mixed with hot foods.
• Honey should not be heated.
• Honey should not be consumed when you are working in a hot environment.
• Honey should never be mixed with rain water, hot and spicy foods, and fermented beverages like whisky, rum, brandy and so on, or with ghee and mustard.
• Honey includes the nectar of various flowers, some of which may be poisonous. Poison has hot or ushna qualities. When honey is mixed with hot and spicy foods the poisonous properties get enhanced and cause imbalance of doshas.

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