Sometimes those old fashioned cures and remedies passed down from Grandma are ‘right on’! It was reported in the news today that honey may work just as well or better than children’s cough syrups, which have been pulled from the market.
In a study of kids having trouble sleeping because of cough, a research team at Penn State College of Medicine compared the effectiveness of a little bit of buckwheat honey before bedtime versus either no treatment or dextromethorphan (DM), the cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter cold medicines.
Please read entire report at Health Day.
I remember as a little girl my Grandmother giving me honey for a cough. If my Mother was working and I was home sick from school I would often spend the day with Grandma. She would make up the couch in their living room with pillows and blankets so I could watch TV and be with her and Grandpa. We would watch Bob Barker and ‘The Price is Right’. She would tell me stories about her childhood and people I didn’t know. I would nap and wake to the smell of chicken soup coming from the kitchen.
From home made soup to hot toddy’s (minus the alcohol) Grandma found a way to soothe the nagging cough, aching chest, and sore throat. I cherish those memories and still miss her today. She passed away in 1997 months before her 90th birthday. Those old fashioned cures and remedies sprinkled in with a strong dose of common sense served her well. I hope to be as fortunate.
My grandmother and I used to do shots of rye together to fight off those colds. I guess I had a more wholesome childhood than you.
I just wanted to add to this…. My grandma had some of the greatest home remedies for different things. Her favorite for a sore throat or a cough was horehound candy (She had remedies for other things, but I won’t mention those here…).
I know I have also used the honey thing. Another of my favorites for those itchy type coughs is hot tea with lemon and honey. That seems to knock that out for me…
I think cough medicines are horrible. I’ve never been able to give them to my kids, or even take them myself, because we are asthmatic, and they always end up making us worse off by triggering asthma attacks. I guess this is why I’m a big one on the home remedy thing. Thanks for sharing, Elaine.
Don’t forget the Vicks on the chest and sometimes on the back as well . It was so warming to the chest and when you put your nose under the blankets it sure did help to breathe better. I remember the honey and also the hot toddys but me thinks there was some alcohol there, for medicinal purposes only lolol. Yes, we were sick and miserable but we always got well quickly and went on with our little lives.
I think there was a vitamin liquid called Vidalyn??? and we took that every day as well.
You have sent me down memory lane. I also remember that we had only rubber boots so heavy wool socks were put on over our shoes before we put the boots on. When we came in with the ice all over the tops they were so hard to get off, but we stripped of all the wet clothes and they were put on the radiators or on the floor grates at my gradmothers.
Hi Elaine,
You know, many of those old home remedies were used because they worked. Just because society is more technologically advanced nowadays, it does not mean we are necessarily smarter. When I have a cough, I take my honey…with tea. That helps. Thanks for the tip. Have a great day. -Mike.
What a wonderful, warm memory! I could almost feel the snug covers and smell the chicken soup!
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My mother added a teaspoon of whiskey to honey for her tonic. lol
It worked in many ways….
Just remember never give a child under the age of ONE honey, and yes I remember when I was a child that there were many home remedies for all kinds of sicknesses, and they also use to quarantinee kids if they had mumps, chicken pox and many other diseases, now everyone thinks just go to the drug store and all will be well…….then send the sick kid out to play with the other kids so they also can get sick……
God Rest her soul…my grandmother was German, fiesty and work like I probably never will understand. She passed at 64. Made the best cookies and cake…I’ll ever eat.
Sorry for my delayed response everyone. Mea culpa, Mea culpa
Laoch – well it sounds like it
. Guess growing up with 2 parents smoking Winston Reds didn’t help either. But of course back then it seems most people did smoke and they smoked in their house, car, anywhere. My poor lungs didn’t stand a chance.
hot tea, shot of Jack and honey…put ya right to sleep.
Julie – I do the hot tea with lemon and honey also. Haven’t heard of horehound candy mentioned in decades! But that definitely jogs my childhood memories.
AJ – oh yes! definitely remember the Vicks vapor rub, was a childhood staple back then. Plus I had the same sensitive lousy lungs as a child as I do now in mid-age
Mr.Grudge – well said! the newest and latest isn’t always the best.
Karen – she was a good Grandma, I loved spending the day (or night) with her.
Janeywan – I started adding a shot of Jack Daniels once I got a tad bit older
Mary Anne – good reminder, thanks! And yes I hear you, irks me to no end when parents let their sick children go to school, go to all their activities and expose all the healthy ones!
Jason – did she make snickerdoodles by any chance?
Cherished Memories are one of life’s greatest joys! So nice to hear of your wonderful days in your grandparent’s company!
I’ve always thought it was the high sugar concentration of syrups that really soothed the coughs. That and the placebo effect of taking a bright red or royal purple liquid. Honey probably would’ve worked well on my kids, especially if I’d have added food coloring.
Mum would give us a cup of hot milk with a teaspon of honey, it worked on the cold and sore throat. My kids agree…
The old Vicks vapour worked well to as did a few drops of eucalyptus oil in the hanky…
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Nothing beats the smell of grandma’s chicken soup.
I remember honey and crushed panadol from my nan… I still remember the taste, it particularily makes me realise and remember the healing properties of honey…
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