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.
The Jamaican version is honey, lime, and rum. Either way, they both work!
I have a chronic cough that flares up sometimes, I usually have a bottle of prescription cough medicine for such times. Last time I had none. I finally tried honey melted in a small amount of HOT water. It stopped me from coughing as quickly as I drank it. AND lasted all night!
ping
Absolutely my experience. Local honey from the beekeeper down the road. Bees enzyming the crap out of local flora. It’s a blessing for someone who started experiencing seasonal allergies in the near half century of life.
They are bringing in at least 2 different kinds of pollen right now and the Golden Rod flow is kicking so the ladies are in gear and mission driven!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FGVLF2Bvo3gF4hoTA
I had a serious skin cancer removed from the thin skin on my hand. The doctor prescribed medicinal honey ointment to put on the opening where the skin was missing. I put it on and rubbed it in (painful) everyday and the skin grew over the 1” hole on my hand in 6 weeks. I was surprised, but it worked.
Honey does not rot. It has stuff in it that prevents bacteria growth. It has an indefinite shelf life. Can this property be medicinal?
If I had a question about enterprise software I might ask Bill Gates. But what medical background does he have?
Grampa used to make hot butter-rum...with honey. Yum!
When my kids were little I made a delicious herbal tea from goodies I gathered from my land. I added honey to the mix to sweeten it. The effect was to knock down the respiratory honking cough and resulting infection before it got them sick.
When I’ve had horrid bronchitis outbreaks, honey, whiskey, and lemon in hot tea did the trick — in just a few hours.
My allergist says that eating a teaspoon of honey a day actually does help with allergies.
He, of course, said it wasn’t as effective as allergy shots, but for those whom allergy shots did not help, honey was terrific.
Mr. mm had the worst allergies I had ever seen when we were dating and first married.
We moved to CNY and several things changed. He was away from the family dog, his mom’s cigarette smoke, and the city pollution. We also found a source for very local honey and he started eating it regularly on his toast.
His allergies today are a fraction of what they were. He had tried the allergy shots and was so sensitive to them that he could not get enough serum to provoke the right kind of immune response and so after a couple years , he quit taking them. But later in life, the honey worked.
My mom told me her mother’s cure all for what you got sick was a spoonful of whiskey in which she had horseradish soaking, making an extract, for all practical purposes.
When they were sick, she’d mix a spoonful of that with some honey and give it to the kids.
My mom said that it was nasty, but when you woke up the next morning, you were well. She said you also did not ever complain about now feeling well. Ever.
Yep. I always feel better after Wifey gives me a little “honey”.
.......................................
Har har! I’ve been waiting for that one!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.