A spoonful of honey

Natural honey is a more effective remedy for children's coughs than over-the-counter medicines, researchers say. A dose of buckwheat honey before bedtime easily outperformed a cough suppressant in a US study.

Honey did a better job of reducing the severity and frequency of night-time coughs. It also improved sleep quality for children and their parents.

Dextromethorphan (DM), the active ingredient in many cough mixtures sold in chemists and supermarkets, had no significant impact on symptoms.

The ineffectiveness of dextromethorphan as a cough suppressant despite its potential side effects is no news -- which is noteworthy in itself. Modern over-the-counter cough remedies may not be as dramatic an example as, say, bleeding, but our continuing embrace of them is no less irrational. From the Times of London. The study is available online here. Note that the study does appear to have a fair number of weak spots, so I'm sure this is not the last we'll hear on the subject.

Posted by David on December 4, 2007 9:09 AM