Posted on 08/22/2020 9:50:45 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A trio of researchers at Oxford University has found that honey is a better treatment for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) than traditional remedies. In their paper published in BMJ Evidence-based Medicine, Hibatullah Abuelgasim, Charlotte Albury, and Joseph Lee describe their study of the results of multiple clinical trials that involved testing of treatments for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) and what they learned from the data.
Over the past several years, the medical community has grown alarmed as bacteria have developed resistance to antibacterial agents. Some studies have found that over-prescription of such remedies is hastening the pace. Of particular concern are antibacterial prescriptions written for maladies that they are not likely to help, simply due to demands from patients. One such case is often URTIs, the vast majority of which are caused by viruses, not bacteria. Because of such cases, scientists have been looking for other remedies for these infections, and one therapy in particular has begun to stand out: honey.
Anecdotal evidence has suggested that honey can be used to treat colds in general and coughs in particular—people have been using it as a therapy for thousands of years. In this new effort, the researchers looked at the results of multiple clinical trials testing the effectiveness of therapies against URTIs. In all, the team looked at data from 14 clinical trials involving 1,761 patients.
In analyzing the data from all of the trials combined, the researchers found that the trials had included studies of virtually all of the traditional remedies such as over-the-counter cold and sinus medicines as well as antibiotics—and honey. They found that honey proved to be the best therapy among all of those tested. In addition to proving more effective in treating coughing (36 percent better at reducing the amount of coughing and 44 percent better at reducing coughing severity), it also led to a reduction in average duration of infection by two days.
The researchers note that the reason honey works as a treatment for URTIs is because it contains hydrogen peroxide—a known bacteria killer—which also makes it useful as a topical treatment for cuts and scrapes. Honey is also of the right consistency—its thickness works to coat the mouth and throat, soothing irritation.
Yep. I always feel better after Wifey gives me a little “honey”.
Honey is too cheap. We must wait til Bill Gates has a cure developed that will cost much more. Till then honey must be banned from being used.
“Medical Xpress”
That has to be right up there with the New England Journal of Medicine ‘n stuff.
What do you suppose lead author Hibatullah Abuelgasim’s curriculum vitae looks like? Beekeeper?
Winnie the Pooh has never been sick once.
...attempting to treat disease with food ingredients like ignorant peasants and dying like flies.
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There is an interesting scientific research article on line that replicated a Medieval potion for infections and found it was better than current antibiotics for staph.
It contained garlic, onion, ox gall and wine. Maybe honey, too, I don’t honestly recall.
You can likely find it without too much effort.
Personally, I am happy we have antibiotics and easily obtainable antiseptics. However, many problems _can_ be effectively treated with simple remedies that often, but not always, utilize foodstuffs or contain elements of them. We use them in our home all the time. We have had great results, often for issues for which modern medicine has nothing much to offer. We have survived to our 70s with minimal recourse to modern medicinals. We have often discussed this with clinicians who can usually explain why any particular such treatment works.
Enzymes, preservatives, elements found in the portions of vegetables we normally discard, weeds, plant matter that isn’t normally eaten, minerals,commonly available by-products (like charcoal)...all of these were used by our ancestors to good effect and is likely why the human race thrived to this very day.
It’s an interesting study and could stand us all in good stead in the event civilization does collapse, for whatever reason.
One way I like to use honey and stay Keto is to take flavored rice cakes, apply cream cheese, then just enough honey to give it sweetness.
To me it’s like having a slice of cheesecake. Not quite but close enough.
Quick, easy, in low cost as well. Apparently I’m also warding off some of the nasties of the world.
If only it would remove leftists...
I was prescribed Quadrinal - a combination of ephedrine, theophylline, and phenobarbital. What a trip!
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That’s pretty much what I got too. Trippy dreams at the age of 4 are no fun.
CC
If you’re otherwise healthy, sure. If you’re immunesuppressed, not so much.
It’s something I munch on regularly anyway; on toast with butter. It settles my stomach, and local honey helps my dog’s skin.
The CBD honey helps her anxiety when I’m gone for days or weeks on a trip.
The ruling class and their associates get better treatment.. while the working class goes into medical bankruptcy.
But if the MSM publishes this report of the efficacy of honey then the price will skyrocket - unless the President recommends it. Then it will be "debunked."
Bourbon (vasodilator) lemon (vitamin C), and honey
Thank you for posting this.
I'm 75...may parents always made honey and lemon tea for us when we had some type of cold/flu.
It was the lead cups they were drinking out of that killed them.
BTTT!!!
Last summer, I moved from Texas to Panama and was ill soon afterwards. My landlord suggested I needed to ingest some of the local honey because the local honey was produced by local bees who were spreading pollen from the local flowers and the honey was said to carry the antibodies to keep you from getting sick from local plants.
I can say it was helpful in soothing my throat and upper palate from too much sneezing but I can’t vouch for the rest. I’ve been suffering from allergies all summer and can only find temporary relief through honey or OTC medicines. I don’t want to take antibiotics constantly because I don’t want to become resistant to them.
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