Home Remedies for Childrens’ Coughs, Colds, the Flu and Asthma

No, don’t go to the drug store for your child’s cough.

There has been a call for a complete ban of cough medicine for children age 6 and under by an expert panel of the U.S. FDA. Why? Because a) cough medicines don’t work and b) too many kids have ended up in the emergency rooms because of an overdose of cough medicines. (New Eng Journal of Medicine, Oct 2007)

Take a Spoon of Honey for an Irritating Cough

Honey has been shown to be a safe natural remedy by researchers headed by Dr. Ian Paul at Penn State University, for children aged one and up. Why?

Kids with a nighttime cough were divided into groups and were given 1) a spoonful of honey before bedtime, 2) the active ingredient in cough syrup – dextromethorphan DM, and 3) another group received neither.

Honey was “significantly better” at quieting a cough and helping the children sleep, compared to the DM or no treatment. Honey is a rich source of antioxidant and anti-microbal compounds that can aid healing. Honey also has a soothing effect by coating the throat area that is irritated and that leads to a cough. And it is tasty.

THE DOSAGE? Children aged 2 to 5 received half a teaspoon; ages 6 to 12 had a teaspoon, and ages 12 and up had two teaspoons. The honey was washed down by a non-decaffinated drink. (Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine)

Best of Home Remedies: Honey Is Anti Bacterial

People spread it on their kids’ scraped knees and slurp a teaspoon whenever they feel a sore throat coming on. They eat it to control ulcers by preventing the buildup of H-pylori in their guts. They use it for acid reflux as an acid reflux remedy. It’s been touted for healing leg ulcers for people with diabetes.

Research has now shown the unusual antibacterial activity of honey, leading to a greater understanding of the ability of honey to kill pathogenic bacteria through several different mechanisms.

In studies, honey was effective against many different drug resistant bacteria, including E. coli.

When Dr. Shona Blair used honey to treat E. coli she noticed that honey "attacks" bacteria in such a way that they cannot develop resistance. Honey was able to kill not only the E. coli, but many other types of bacteria. (Dr. Blair is at Sydney University's School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences)

The strongest against bugs, that is said to be the best cure for acid reflux, is manuka honey, from the manuka flower. Other honeys made from clover and other flowers are also as effective, but not as potent. Researchers have found that these honeys, such as Wedderspoon Organic Manuka Honey can even prevent a nasty super bugs that have invaded hospitals throughout the western world.

Honey not only possesses significant antibacterial activity, it has also been shown to actively promote healing by directly stimulating human cells that are important in the immune response to help disease and wounds healing.

Beyond Home Remedies -- When Even Your Doctor Can’t Help:

Terri B. from Colorado, USA, writes about finding a natural dietary immune supplement to her family’s diet and can’t believe the results:

"My Kids No Longer Need Their Inhalers and Don’t Get Pneumonia"

After about just a month of adding a proven immune supplement, neither of my boys had to use their inhalers, except for rare occasions where they have been used for preventative measures only.

Pneumonia was a common occurrence in our household too. Thankfully, since boosting our immune defenses, no one has had it since. My youngest son has only had strep throat one time in the past three years.

My children have continued to enjoy great health, and I have resolved my own health challenges, which is celiac disease. After the birth of my second child, my GI problems and overall health became very compromised. I spent two years in search of the root cause to my problems. After a series of intrusive tests and hundreds of dollars later, I did not receive any real answers from the medical profession.

Thankfully, my mom is a dietician that has always believed in combining medicine with a holistic approach including home remedies. She managed to keep me as healthy as possible through good nutrition and the use of supplements. Despite her efforts, however, I never really achieved optimal health.

I have four children, and it seemed as though every time they got sick, (which seemed to be often, despite eating healthy and taking supplements) I would catch it. A simple cold would flatten me out for days. During this time, I tried every "magical cure supplement" I heard about that had little effect and most simply did not work for me or my children.

My mother convinced me to try a new dietary supplement with scientific proof for improving overall health, and because she was so impressed with what she was learning, she immediately wanted me to try it. But I had tried so many other products that did not work, so I was unwilling to buy this one. In her determination to see me healthy, she bought me a supply and called me everyday to make sure I was taking it. This is when I began to immediately notice radical changes. I was experiencing an energy level I had never known and I wasn't getting sick at all. I was so thrilled with the results I was seeing in my life that I started giving this natural supplement to my children as well.

We were once our pediatrician’s best customers, but since we have started faithfully using supplements our visits are very rare. He actually asked me if we were now seeing a different doctor, which we are not.” Terri B., Colorado, USA.

Building Health With Dietary Supplements

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When Home Remedies Are Not Enough: Asthma Discoveries

Home Remedies for a Cough, Asthma, Asthma Treatment & Getting Healthy