Cough is a defensive response of the body that helps to get rid of irritants and excess mucus. The latter is formed in the lungs and respiratory system due to the presence of harmful microorganisms. Therefore, cough helps to clear the body and return to a state of well-being. However, sometimes it becomes persistent and disturbs night sleep. In this case, one can stick to medicines or try some natural remedies that bring the desired relief without side effects. One such combination is honey with lemon and here we are going to introduce its benefits.
Why Natural Remedies?
On the one hand, natural remedies cannot substitute the medicines that are prescribed for curing a cold or flu like antibiotics or antivirals. On the other hand, they are more than helpful in curing disturbing symptoms like coughing.
In addition, they are associated with fewer side effects, affordable cost and availability and various health benefits. For instance, both honey and lemon are rich in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Therefore, they not only reduce the feeling of a sore throat and persistent cough but also have the following properties.
Antimicrobial Properties
The usefulness of these natural remedies in treatment of the respiratory tract infections is due to their antimicrobial properties. Honey is especially well-known for its ability to destroy pathogenic microbes and viruses. The same effect is known for lemons.
Anti-inflammatory Benefits
Furthermore, lemon juice boosts the immune system and can reduce inflammation in the body. Honey also contains natural ingredients that possess anti-inflammatory action. This is exactly what the body needs to cope with harmful microorganisms that attack it.
Other Benefits
Both these products contain antioxidants or compounds that bind up free radicals. The latter brings a lot of damage to the body, contributes to a variety of diseases and the aging process. Antioxidants slow down all these harmful processes and make wound healing faster.
Lemon and Honey Benefits
Several scientific investigations were devoted to honey and lemon and their effects. Thus, it was revealed that honey relieved the persistent night cough in children in 2010 research. Another 2012 study showed that eucalyptus, citrus, and labiatae honey possessed better properties than placebo in preventing severe cough. Lemon’s composition was thoroughly studied and revealed to be full of vitamins, essential oils and antioxidants.
Vitamin C
All citrus fruits are full of a vitamin that is known as a powerful immunity booster, antioxidant and antibacterial agent. The 100 g of fresh lemon contains 53 mg of vitamin C. Thus, with a glass of its juice one gets one-third of the daily requirement for this compound.
Natural Astringent
This effect is more pronounced for honey that calms the irritated throat, loosens mucus and helps to clear the airways. The sweetness of this product contributes to the stimulation of the salivary glands and makes the release of the mucus easier.
Other
In addition, the combination of lemon and honey has detoxifying properties and helps to eliminate different wastes from the body. This is an important part of the recovery from colds or flu. These products also improve digestion and make the body take all the valuable nutrients from food and drinks.
How to Use Honey and Lemon for Cough Relief
It is generally applicable to use 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey on its own, spread them on toast or mix with warm water and other ingredients like lemons and spices. Due to its high caloric value and presence of sugars, it is recommended to take no more than 30 grams or 6 teaspoons per day.
The following drinks are the most popular. Still, one can experiment with them sticking to the quantity of the main ingredients and adding other valuable compounds.
Basic Recipe
To prepare a homemade drink against cough, take a cup of warm water, add a teaspoon of honey and dissolve it completely. Then, squeeze half of the lemon and add juice to the drink.
One can take a few such drinks during the day and one before going to bed to get the desired effect. Also, one can utilize lemon juice instead of squeezing lemons. In this case, it is important to find natural juice that does not contain harmful ingredients.
Honey, Lemon, and Ginger Tea
This drink boosts immunity and has a spicy interesting taste. To prepare it, one will need:
- 2 cups of warm water;
- 1 tablespoon of ginger root;
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice;
- 2 tablespoons of honey.
Mix all the ingredients except honey together in a saucepan, then heat it for 10 minutes and let it cool a bit. Then, add honey and stir until it dissolves. The drink is prescribed once per day to relieve the persistent cough.
Honey and Lemon Lozenges
If you do not want to bother yourself with preparing a drink, you can easily purchase honey and lemon lozenges. They are easily available without a prescription and it is possible to take them every time when the cough is too severe. This may be also convenient at night.
Honey-lemon mix with a dash of cinnamon
This recipe has an air of Christmas in it but is also a good remedy. It contains:
- a cup of warm water;
- 2 tablespoons of honey;
- 3 tablespoons of lemon juice;
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
All the components except water are mixed together and heated for half a minute, then water is added. After, one should heat the mixture again for 10 minutes and let it cool.
The resulting syrup is taken before going to bed. Two or three teaspoons are enough to calm down the respiratory system and avoid bad coughing at night.
Precautions
As both honey and lemons may cause allergic responses, people prone to such reactions should be careful. If you are allergic to these products, then the remedies described above are forbidden for usage.
In addition, honey must not be given to children younger than 12 months. This is because honey may contain a bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which comes from soil. It causes botulism, a severe disease that attacks the nervous system.
The digestive system of adults handles the spores but young children are not able to do this. Therefore, the disease can occur accompanied by muscle weakness and problems with breathing, which require instant treatment.
For children between 1 and 6 years, honey is one of the best remedies for cough, as traditional medicines can bring side effects and are usually not recommended.
At last, both lemon juice and honey must be of a natural origin to provide their health benefits. Thus, check the producers and purchase them only from reliable markets and retailers.
Summary
To conclude, we can always benefit from natural products if we know what we are looking for. Many people consume both honey and lemons but do not consider them as remedies. Still, their numerous health benefits have been proven scientifically and this mixture is one of the best remedies for relieving cough and recovering from colds and flu.
FAQ
Does honey and lemon stop a cough?
They do not stop in entirely but improve the condition of the respiratory tract, soothe and calm it and relieve the persistent night cough.
Does honey and lemon loosen phlegm?
Yes, they possess this effect as they kill microorganisms and activate salivary glands to lubricate the airways and reduce cough.
Why does honey stop coughing?
This product has an anti-inflammatory effect and also breaks up the mucus. The irritation of the throat and airways is reduced. All these effects lead to the decrease of this disturbing symptom.
How much honey and lemon should I put in my water?
For one cup of water, add one teaspoon of honey and a juice that is formed from squeezing half of a lemon. Mix them together and use this drink a few times per day.