Re:More on honey for coughs

[Guest guest]

I recently came across this article by one of those " ask the doctor " type

columns -- sorry I forgot to save the doctor's name. He cites research showing

that honey works *better* than cough syrup for kids!

Honey as a cough remedy

Problem: I'm a skeptic about the value of cough medicine for kids. Still, I've

been spending an inordinate amount of time this season seeing unhappy, coughing

children and placating their parents, who are distressed by the FDA's warning

against over-the-counter cough and cold remedies for children under the age of

2.

: I'm a skeptic about the value of cough medicine for kids. Still, I've been

spending an inordinate amount of time this season seeing unhappy, coughing

children and placating their parents, who are distressed by the FDA's warning

against over-the-counter cough and cold remedies for children under the age of

2.

New research: Happily, the wonders of modern science (aided by a grant from the

National Honey Board) have come to my rescue. A new study demonstrates the value

of an alternative that's cheaper, safer, and tastier: buckwheat honey. The

researchers studied its effectiveness by randomly dividing a group of about 100

children with colds into three groups. One group was given honey before going to

bed at night. Another group was given a syrup containing dextromethorphan, or

DM, a common cough suppressant, colored and flavored to resemble honey. The

third group was given nothing at all.

: Happily, the wonders of modern science (aided by a grant from the National

Honey Board) have come to my rescue. A new study demonstrates the value of an

alternative that's cheaper, safer, and tastier: buckwheat honey. The researchers

studied its effectiveness by randomly dividing a group of about 100 children

with colds into three groups. One group was given honey before going to bed at

night. Another group was given a syrup containing dextromethorphan, or DM, a

common cough suppressant, colored and flavored to resemble honey. The third

group was given nothing at all.

Findings: The next day, the parents were surveyed about the effects on their

children's coughing and sleep. The honey was somewhat more effective than the DM

cough syrup for each of the outcomes measured (the differences were consistent,

though not statistically significant). Both were better than nothing at all.

Surprisingly, in this study some side effects (like hyperactivity, nervousness,

and insomnia) wer e seen more often in the children taking honey than in the

children treated with the DM syrup, though side effects are one of the main

reasons that DM products have been prohibited or discouraged. The difference,

however, is that DM's side effects, though quite rare, can sometimes be very

serious, which we doubt is true of honey.

: The next day, the parents were surveyed about the effects on their children's

coughing and sleep. The honey was somewhat more effective than the DM cough

syrup for each of the outcomes measured (the differences were consistent, though

not statistically significant). Both were better than nothing at all.

Surprisingly, in this study some side effects (like hyperactivity, nervousness,

and insomnia) wer e seen more often in the children taking honey than in the

children treated with the DM syrup, though side effects are one of the main

reasons that DM products have been prohibited or discouraged. The difference,

however, is that DM's side effects, though quite rare, can sometimes be very

serious, which we doubt is true of honey.

Caveat: Because of a rare but very dangerous risk to infants given honey of

contracting botulism, the sweetener should never be given to children less than

1 year old.

: Because of a rare but very dangerous risk to infants given honey of

contracting botulism, the sweetener should never be given to children less than

1 year old.

Conclusion: Why might honey help soothe a cough? We don't know. But it's

certainly an established folk remedy. My mother, for instance, was a strong

believer, especially when she added butter to the mix. (For adults, she

recommended whiskey and lemon juice.) Because honey is at least as good as, and

perhaps better than, now-prohibited conventional cough syrup, I again have a way

to fend off children's coughs and parents' helplessness. Great!

: Why might honey help soothe a cough? We don't know. But it's certainly an

established folk remedy. My mother, for instance, was a strong believer,

especially when she added butter to the mix. (For adults, she recommended

whiskey and lemon juice.) Because honey is at least as good as, and perhaps

better than, now-prohibited conventional cough syrup, I again have a way to fend

off children's coughs and parents' helplessness. Great!

Reference: " Effect of Honey, Dextromethorphan, and No Treatment on Nocturnal

Cough and Sleep Quality for Coughing Children and Their Parents "

Ian M. , MD, MSc; Beiler, MPH; Amyee McMonagle, RN; Michele L.

Shaffer, PhD; Duda, MD; Cheston M. Berlin Jr, MD

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007;161(12):1140-1146.

.. 2007;161(12):1140-1146.

________________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

Looks good.

Here's a link to a page discussing the actual study:

http://www.livescience.com/health/071203-honey-cough.html

I figure you should brush teeth AFTER getting some

honey at bedtime, though.

Maybe I'll do a little write up of honey in my blog.

I've been so busy lately...meep.

B.

ASD son, RA self, SCD Nov. 2007

http://scdgirl.blogspot.com

********

--- lissu2u@... wrote:

> I recently came across this article by one of those

> " ask the doctor " type columns -- sorry I forgot to

> save the doctor's name. He cites research showing

> that honey works *better* than cough syrup for kids!

>

>

> Honey as a cough remedy

>

> Problem: I'm a skeptic about the value of cough

> medicine for kids. Still, I've been spending an

> inordinate amount of time this season seeing

> unhappy, coughing children and placating their

> parents, who are distressed by the FDA's warning

> against over-the-counter cough and cold remedies for

> children under the age of 2.

> : I'm a skeptic about the value of cough medicine

> for kids. Still, I've been spending an inordinate

> amount of time this season seeing unhappy, coughing

> children and placating their parents, who are

> distressed by the FDA's warning against

> over-the-counter cough and cold remedies for

> children under the age of 2.

> New research: Happily, the wonders of modern science

> (aided by a grant from the National Honey Board)

> have come to my rescue. A new study demonstrates the

> value of an alternative that's cheaper, safer, and

> tastier: buckwheat honey. The researchers studied

> its effectiveness by randomly dividing a group of

> about 100 children with colds into three groups. One

> group was given honey before going to bed at night.

> Another group was given a syrup containing

> dextromethorphan, or DM, a common cough suppressant,

> colored and flavored to resemble honey. The third

> group was given nothing at all.

> : Happily, the wonders of modern science (aided by a

> grant from the National Honey Board) have come to my

> rescue. A new study demonstrates the value of an

> alternative that's cheaper, safer, and tastier:

> buckwheat honey. The researchers studied its

> effectiveness by randomly dividing a group of about

> 100 children with colds into three groups. One group

> was given honey before going to bed at night.

> Another group was given a syrup containing

> dextromethorphan, or DM, a common cough suppressant,

> colored and flavored to resemble honey. The third

> group was given nothing at all.

> Findings: The next day, the parents were surveyed

> about the effects on their children's coughing and

> sleep. The honey was somewhat more effective than

> the DM cough syrup for each of the outcomes measured

> (the differences were consistent, though not

> statistically significant). Both were better than

> nothing at all. Surprisingly, in this study some

> side effects (like hyperactivity, nervousness, and

> insomnia) wer e seen more often in the children

> taking honey than in the children treated with the

> DM syrup, though side effects are one of the main

> reasons that DM products have been prohibited or

> discouraged. The difference, however, is that DM's

> side effects, though quite rare, can sometimes be

> very serious, which we doubt is true of honey.

> : The next day, the parents were surveyed about the

> effects on their children's coughing and sleep. The

> honey was somewhat more effective than the DM cough

> syrup for each of the outcomes measured (the

> differences were consistent, though not

> statistically significant). Both were better than

> nothing at all. Surprisingly, in this study some

> side effects (like hyperactivity, nervousness, and

> insomnia) wer e seen more often in the children

> taking honey than in the children treated with the

> DM syrup, though side effects are one of the main

> reasons that DM products have been prohibited or

> discouraged. The difference, however, is that DM's

> side effects, though quite rare, can sometimes be

> very serious, which we doubt is true of honey.

> Caveat: Because of a rare but very dangerous risk to

> infants given honey of contracting botulism, the

> sweetener should never be given to children less

> than 1 year old.

> : Because of a rare but very dangerous risk to

> infants given honey of contracting botulism, the

> sweetener should never be given to children less

> than 1 year old.

> Conclusion: Why might honey help soothe a cough? We

> don't know. But it's certainly an established folk

> remedy. My mother, for instance, was a strong

> believer, especially when she added butter to the

> mix. (For adults, she recommended whiskey and lemon

> juice.) Because honey is at least as good as, and

> perhaps better than, now-prohibited conventional

> cough syrup, I again have a way to fend off

> children's coughs and parents' helplessness. Great!

>

> : Why might honey help soothe a cough? We don't

> know. But it's certainly an established folk remedy.

> My mother, for instance, was a strong believer,

> especially when she added butter to the mix. (For

> adults, she recommended whiskey and lemon juice.)

> Because honey is at least as good as, and perhaps

> better than, now-prohibited conventional cough

> syrup, I again have a way to fend off children's

> coughs and parents' helplessness. Great!

>

>

> Reference: " Effect of Honey, Dextromethorphan, and

> No Treatment on Nocturnal Cough and Sleep Quality

> for Coughing Children and Their Parents "

>

> Ian M. , MD, MSc; Beiler, MPH; Amyee

> McMonagle, RN; Michele L. Shaffer, PhD; Duda,

> MD; Cheston M. Berlin Jr, MD

>

> Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007;161(12):1140-1146.

> . 2007;161(12):1140-1146.

>

________________________________________________________________________

> More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL

> Mail ! - http://webmail.aol.com

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

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