Encouraging Health

If a nagging cough is keeping you awake, and cough syrup doesn’t help, there’s something in your kitchen cupboard that might: honey.

It’s been a favored home remedy for sore throats for decades, and now new research shows it’s more than wishful thinking. It really can silence nighttime hacking.

A Little Does a Lot
It may not take much honey to do the trick. In a study of kids, a small dose of buckwheat honey — 1/2 to 2 teaspoons, depending on age — was enough. (Caution: Never give honey to a child who’s not yet a year old, because there’s a risk of botulism.) And many doctors recommend a bit of honey for adult patients, too. Try it with tea and lemon for extra throat lubrication. Bonus: Honey is a great source of antioxidants.

It Might Help Sinuses, Too
Scientists have only just begun to tap into honey’s medical uses. Early research shows it may have a strong antibacterial edge and might fight sinus infections, too. Research is ongoing. In the meantime, if you’re suffering from sinus issues, try these self-care tips:
Flush ’em. Nasal irrigation will both reduce nasal symptoms and boost bacterial resistance. Try a neti pot.

Drink up. Staying hydrated helps keep your sinuses moist and less susceptible to infection.

Protect ’em. From smoke, dust, allergens, and any other nasal irritants — until your sinuses feel better.

A Honey of a Source of Antioxidants

If you’re looking for the best choice, consider darker-colored “honeydew” varieties from bees who collect the sugary secretions that insects leave on plants, otherwise known as honeydew.

According to a new study of Spanish varieties, honeydew honey has even higher levels of disease-fighting antioxidants than the honey that bees make from nectar.

But all honey, regardless of its origins, is good for you, the experts said.

“Besides its value as a great sweetening agent, honey has proved that it also has effective antioxidant and antibacterial activities,” said study co-author Rosa Ana Perez, a researcher with the Instituto Madrileno de Investigacion y Desarrollo Rural, Agrario y Alimentario in Madrid.

In recent years, honey has gained a reputation as a health food, especially in light of research suggesting that it has germ-fighting powers and is high in antioxidants, chemicals that appear to block certain types of cell damage caused by molecules called free radicals.

“There is increasing evidence that free radicals contribute to the development of diseases, such as neurodegenerative disease, chronic inflammatory disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease and aging,” Perez said.

In 2004, U.S. researchers found that antioxidant levels rose in people who ate between four and 10 tablespoons of honey per day, depending on their weight. It wasn’t clear at the time, however, which varieties of honey might harbor the most antioxidants.

In the new study, researchers looked at 36 varieties of Spanish honey in two groups — clover honey, made by bees from the nectar of flower blossoms, and honeydew honey, made by bees from a sweet, sticky substance secreted by insects such as aphids that live off plants.