Honey has many medicinal virtues and has been used all over the world since antiquity. It’s no wonder Dr. Oz called it “liquid gold”. Today, we are focusing on how we can use honey to help us with a sore throat and a cough. Check out our Art of the Home tips below about the benefits of honey and how to use it to feel better.
Art of the Home Tips:
- Sore throat: to sooth a sore throat, use honey as a gargle by mixing 1 tablespoon of honey diluted in a small glass of warm water and the juice of 1 squeezed lemon. You can also eat a spoon of honey straight up — it will coat your throat and relieve irritation. To drink, you can mix 1-2 tablespoons of honey in a glass of warm milk and, for adults, add a dash of rum — you’ll even sleep better!
- Cough Suppressant: honey is a natural cough suppressant and in fact a great remedy for a child’s cough (older than 1 years of age). An old French grandma’s home remedy (remède de grand-mères) says to give children a teaspoon of honey at bedtime — it will stop the cough and help in getting a good night sleep. And that was way before the 2007 US study that concluded that 1 tsp of honey does a better job that an OTC cough suppressant and helps children sleep better. Aren’t grandmas so insightful?
- Raw honey versus processed honey: use raw honey if possible (e.g. health store, online, or check your local beekeepers’ association). Raw honey is honey that is unheated, unfiltered, and unprocessed. As a result, raw honey retains the nutrients, enzymes (e.g. propolis), and other minerals contributing to the healing properties of honey.
It’s important not to give honey to children under the age of 1. Honey contains certain spores (clostridium botulinum) that can generate toxins responsible for food poisoning in infants. Although it does not affect adults and older children, honey can be harmful to young ones so no honey for children under the age of 1.