HOUSTON – Honey has been a staple in natural medicine for centuries.
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While honey is not safe for babies under one year due to the risk of botulism, it is the most recommended cough medicine for children aged 1 to 6 years old. In fact, Dietitian Tammi Karni of Simply Nutrition Houston explains how no medicine has been proven to work better than honey for treating coughs in this age group.
“Honey has been used for centuries; it’s in the oldest medical documents,” Karni said. “The raw local honey has been studied a lot in immunity and allergies because then you’re getting the local pollen.”
Despite its health benefits, Karni reminds consumers that honey is still a form of sugar. She emphasizes the need for moderation and the importance of selecting high-quality honey.
“The closer that it is to nature, the better it is,” she said. “Everything, the closer there is to the way that it was produced, the better. If we think about those little plastic containers of honey, you know, those are highly refined, highly filtered, ultra-processed products. Those probably don’t retain many of the nutrient values of honey. But raw honey, for instance, and raw local honey probably has more nutrients.”
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Karni also recommends Manuka honey for its unique properties. “The reason why I like Manuka honey is that in 1998, they came out with a quality control program called UMF, Unique Manuka Factor. It tells you exactly the potency, the authenticity, the shelf life, and all these things of Manuka. So when you’re buying Manuka, it’s expensive, but you know exactly how much you’re getting.”
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Additionally, the FDA has approved Manuka Honey for wound healing.
“If you have a wound or if you’re getting dressings, they give you little sticks of Manuka Honey with high MGO because it provides a coat. Not only is it antibacterial, but it protects the area,” Karni explained.
