Safe cough medicine for children

In the USA there is a call for a ban of all cough medicines for children age 6 for two very good reasons. One, they don’t work well and two, the incidences of drug overdose for the children who use them are too high. A safe and effective home remedy is to go to the store cupboard and get out the honey as researchers at Penn State University recently found that giving children a spoonful of honey before bedtime was significantly better for quieting coughs, compared to a commercial cough suppressant containing dextromethorphan or no treatment at all. Honey soothes the throat by coating the area that is irritated and is a rich source of antioxidants and anti-microbial compounds that are very beneficial for healing.

Dosage:
Children ages 2 to 5 can have a half teaspoon; ages 6 to 12 can have a teaspoon; and ages 12 and over can have two teaspoons.

It may be helpful to follow the honey with a warm – not milky – drink such as decaffeinated tea. The type of honey makes a difference – go for a tested honey such as manuka, it’s more expensive, but it is more effective.

Natural relief for joint pain

Old wives’ tales are usually dismissed as being nonsense, but if you really care about your health they are well worth paying attention to as they are based on experience and ‘case studies’ that may be anecdotal but have at least been tried on actual human bodies – usually several thousand of them over a long period of time. I have mentioned the health benefits of Manuka honey before, and an old folk remedy for joint pain combines honey with cider vinegar to good effect. I teased you with that mention of the Bible, well cider vinegar gets a mention for being a healing agent and having antiseptic properties and has been used for many things including dealing with high blood pressure, lowering cholesterol and reducing stress. However, one of it’s most impressive qualities lies in it being able to tackle joint disease.

How does it do it? Because vinegar is full of natural enzymes that can help dissolve uric acid, and it is that acid which breaks down the calcium deposits in your joints. It is also believed that cider vinegar builds up the minerals needed for healthy bone structure. In other words, it acts as a natural anti-inflammatory.

Commercial vinegars are produced to give you a fine, clear liquid which is produced by boiling, and unfortunately that also kills all the enzymes and removes vital nutrients. However, like honey, it is better when from a powerful natural source such as Manuka – which itself has anti-inflammatory properties – so cider vinegar is most effective when it is unpasteurised and for that you need to find a specialist supplier. One enterprising company has combined the two ingredients for maximum effectiveness – and to make the vinegar palatable it must be said! A tablespoon of the combination in water on a daily basis will have your joints thanking you, and personally I combine it with a splash of ginger cordial concentrate and make it with hot water. It really does taste good, and if you want to know more then visit this website if you want to order up some ease in your joints: www.greenbayharvest.co.uk