Honey as a remedy instead of medication for respiratory infections?
Using honey as a remedy seems to be a preferred treatment for cough or cold symptoms rather than antibiotics and cold remedies. This comes from a new systematic review that takes into account results from 14 previous studies. However, the conclusions may not be as clear-cut as they first appear.
Effectiveness of honey as a remedy for coughs
Researchers from the University of Oxford in the UK highlight the benefits of honey. However, a particular area of interest is the comparison of honey with antibiotics. In addition, such drugs and cold medicines often cause. Side effects. So, with antibiotic resistance on the rise, there are several reasons for using natural honey as a remedy and alternative to chemical substances. Since most upper respiratory tract infections are viral, prescribing antibiotics is both ineffective and inappropriate. The lack of effective alternatives, as well as the desire to maintain the patient-doctor relationship, also contribute to the overprescription of antibiotics. Many people have long used honey as a remedy to help treat coughs and colds. However, research into its effectiveness has been patchy. She cast doubts as to the extent to which the natural product actually alleviates cold symptoms in different age groups compared to other options.
The research team’s review is based on 1,761 people in 14 studies. The scientists thus concluded that honey was effective in treating the symptoms of cough and sore throat. This also includes nasal congestion and general breathing problems. However, while the conclusion seems promising, the studies included appear to symbolize the problems that this research is addressing. Meta-analyzes are all about the included studies. If the literature you rely on is bad there is not much you can say about the subject other than that you need more research. For this reason, people should really be careful when reading too much into the results.
Treatment concerns
As anyone with a cold knows, existing treatments and therapies often make a small difference in the overall progression of the disease. In addition, honey can make you feel more effective than medication. The researchers therefore claim that it is worth doing large, high-quality, placebo-controlled studies. The meta-analysis itself was done well, but the quality of the study on honey appears to be very poor. In the meantime, research continues into how useful honey can be as a remedy in terms of its antibacterial properties. In addition, scientists are trying to answer whether, as a natural remedy, it could really be helpful in treating diseases other than coughs and colds. Sometimes the best therapies are those that have already been found to be inherently effective, but more research is definitely needed.
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