It is believed that with colds and influenza it is useful to drink tea or milk with honey or just consume this product. We decided to check if such recommendations have a scientific basis.
About therapeutic properties honey with a cold they write Media And Information Portals. His Recommend use at the first signs of the disease and specialized resourcesdedicated to this product. Approved, What honey Helps to remove viruses from the body, increases immunity and facilitates the cough. Shares this opinion and Rospotrebnadzor. However, some specialists They doubt it In the effectiveness of such a treatment.
Humanity is beginning Make honey 8000 years ago - this is evidenced by the rock drawings found in Spain. This product was eaten as a sweetener, as well as from ancient times, was used as a medicinal Means - for the treatment of wounds, diseases of the intestines and skin ailments. Covid-19 spoke during the pandemic assumptionsthat honey can be effective in the fight against this virus, but a sufficient number of studies that would confirm this were not conducted. "Checked" already It wrote The fact that honey, apparently, has some effectiveness in the treatment of thermal burns of small severity, although in order to speak for sure, additional quality studies are also needed.
Under the common cold implied Upper respiratory tract infections that affect the nose, throat, sinuses and trachea. US Disease Control Centers (CDC) They sayThat more than 200 viruses that provoke a runny nose, cough, sore throat, high temperature and other symptoms can cause a cold. There is no specific treatment from a cold, most often it itself passes completely after 10-14 days (although some symptoms, such as a cough, can persist much longer). To accelerate recovery, specialists of the UK National Health Service (NHS) Consult Rest more, drink a lot of liquids and rinse the throat with salty water to relieve pain.
Nevertheless, in some cases, during or after a viral infection, a viral infection may develop also secondary, caused by bacteria (for example, bacterial angina or pneumonia). According to various estimates, this is happening in 10-30% of cases. As the name implies, these diseases provoke different microorganisms, and, unlike viruses, bacterial infections are successfully treated with antibiotics.
Studies existing at the moment indicate that the honey really has some Antibacterial, antioxidant And Anti -inflammatory properties. However, the composition of the honey and, accordingly, its properties may differ depending on which plants were made from the pollen, from the collection region and other factors. So, in 2018, British scientists conducted review Existing studies have found that the Honey Manuka (a tree growing in Australia and New Zealand) has more pronounced antibacterial properties than other types of this product. It is difficult to predict how effective this or that honey will be in the fight against infections and their symptoms.
Studies dedicated to the influence of honey on coughing at night in children were conducted at different times in several countries of the world: in 2007 in USA, in 2012 in Israel And in 2014 in Italy. The research design was similar: children with a sharp cough were given honey, drugs or placebo for several days. Then the parents filled out the questionnaire about how, in their opinion, the condition of the child improved. In all three cases, honey, according to the survey, was called the most effective tool, but it should be borne in mind that the results obtained from parents are partly subjective. Specialists of the authoritative Kokrain library who released review Scientific works in 2018, although noted that some studies showed the advantages of honey in the treatment of cough in children, nevertheless did not consider these evidence quite convincing. Experts of the Medical Education and Research of Mayo also adhere to The point of view that honey can be useful in the treatment of cough.
In 2020, scientists from Oxford University conducted Meta analysis There were studies that exist at that time on the effect of honey on the health of patients with upper respiratory tract infections. It turned out that honey really helps to reduce the frequency and severity of coughing - in this it was more effective than other treatment methods studied in 14 selected work from various scientific databases. Scientists noted that the infections of the upper respiratory tract are the most common cause of prescribing antibiotics. However, such a decision of doctors is ineffective (most of these infections are viral) and even harmful, since excessive use of such drugs can lead to stability Bacteria to them. In this sense, honey, at least, will definitely not do harm, while facilitating the symptoms. Researchers are not sure how honey helps in treatment: this can be associated with antioxidants contained in it or with its viscous consistency, allowing it to envelop the irritated mucous membrane. At the same time, the authors of meta -analysis emphasize: to talk about the advantages of this product, additional experiments and observations are needed.
There are also some data indicating that honey can relieve sore throat. In 2016, a group of Indian scientists published results experiment: 200 patients with a sore throat were divided into two groups, one was given only drug treatment, and the other also on a tablespoon of honey twice a day. The experiment lasted 15 days, doctors evaluated the condition of the participants three times. It turned out that the pain in patients who, in addition to drugs, also used honey, took place faster.
It is important to remember that some people can cause honey allergiesso you need to use it with caution. In addition, it is contraindicated in babies up to a year, as it can provoke children's botulism.
Thus, a viral infection is the most common cause of a cold - honey is incapable of winning. However, there is a limited number of studies confirming that it can be effective for facilitating and faster removal of some symptoms of colds, having almost no side effects. At the same time, it is definitely not worth considering it as the main remedy. Firstly, additional research is necessary to prove its effectiveness. Secondly, despite the general name, different types of honey are significantly different in their properties, so that the positive effect revealed in studies is not guaranteed when using other varieties of this product.
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Read on the topic:
- Mayo Clinic. Honey
- Is it true that burns can be cured with oil, urine or honey?
- Is it true that honey in hot tea becomes poison?
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