Is Honey Better Than Cough Medicine?

By Doctor Keith Scott-Mumby, The Renegade MD

Recently doctors have fessed up to the fact that children's cough medicines don't work and they are dangerous. Cold and cough medicines for children under age 6 may be ineffective and life threatening, as they have been found to lead to hallucinations, seizures and heart problems, according to a 2005 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, the industry says that cold and cough medicines are safe when used according to the proper recommended dosage. The Consumer HealthCare Products Association issued a statement saying, "These medicines have been found safe and effective by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are the same medicines that families have safely relied upon for decades to help relieve cough and cold symptoms and make their children feel better."

The CHCPA, of course, works with the industry to protect drug companies from consumer safety issues!

Children typically catch eight to 10 colds in their first two years of life, according to the American Pediatrics Association. For those under 3 months old, they advise calling a pediatrician at the first sign of illness, as colds at that age can lead to more serious ailments.

Now, when kids under the age of 6 come down with a cold or cough, there's a new proven wonder remedy that far outperforms many retail medications. It's HONEY.

This is hot news from the December 3 issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Honey has been recommended for years by the World Health Organization as a safe and effective treatment for cough and cold symptoms in children, and it is used for symptomatic relief for these illnesses by cultures all over the world. Because none of the currently available over-the-counter therapies have been shown to be effective for cough and cold symptoms in children, honey was a logical choice to study given that it is safe and widely used.

The new study, led by Ian M. Paul, MD, MSc, associate professor of pediatrics and public health sciences at the College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, was a partially double-blinded, randomized trial to compare parental satisfaction with the effects of a single nocturnal dose of buckwheat honey, honey-flavored dextromethorphan (DM), or no treatment on nocturnal cough and sleep difficulty in children with Upper Respiratory Tract Infections. Dextromethorphan is an antitussive (cough medicine) related to morphine and capable of causing hallucinations, similar to ketamine.

At a single outpatient, general pediatric practice, 105 children with cough or cold symptoms were randomized to receive a single dose of honey, honey-flavored DM, or no treatment 30 minutes before bedtime. Parents completed a survey on 2 consecutive days, first on the day that the child was first seen, when no medication had been given the evening before, and again on the following day after receipt of honey, honey-flavored DM, or no treatment before bedtime. The main criteria for judging success were frequency and severity of cough, bothersome nature of cough, and quality of sleep for child and parent.

The telling result was that honey did way the best and that the DM did no better than no treatment at all. Adding DM with honey didn't improve things. So honey was the clear and only winner. Hurrah for the bees!

Commentators dress up the shock in phrases like "This provides an additional tool for pediatricians" etc. Why would a pediatrician in his right mind (I'm not saying they all are) use an expensive and dangerous drug when cheap and safe honey will do? Go figure.

This also rather trumps all the clap trap of nasal saline sprays/drops, bulb suctioning, cool mist humidifiers and fever-reducing medications.

What I'd like to know was does the type of honey count? We know there are strong antibiotic properties for manuka honey. This trial used buckwheat honey; darker honeys, such as buckwheat honey, consist of more phenolic compounds than other varieties and that the associated antioxidant effect might have contributed to the improvement seen in those children treated with this kind of honey.

It could be a problem, if local availability of specific honeys is limited. Otherwise I think it's a triumph of Nature over polypharmacy.

Oh, by the way: "I believe the findings would be applicable to adults," Dr. Paul concluded. "As for other symptoms, I suspect honey would also provide relief for throat discomfort." Careful Dr Paul, or you'll end up outside the box!

[Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007;161:1140-1146, 1149-1153.]

All parents and grand parents should know this important info for the kids. Spread it around.

Visit Keith Scott-Mumby, The Renegade MD at:
www.alternative-doctor.com
www.askdoctorkeith.com

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