Honey better than cough medicines

A new study released Monday by a research team at Pennsylvania state university found that honey may offer parents an effective and safe alternative than over-the-counter children"s cough medicines.

The study found that a small dose of buckwheat honey given before bedtime provided better relief of nighttime cough and sleep difficulty in children than no treatment or dextromethorphan (DM), a cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter cold medications.

Honey did a better job reducing the severity, frequency and bothersome nature of nighttime cough from upper respiratory infection than DM or no treatment.

Honey also showed a positive effect on the sleep quality of both the coughing child and the child"s parents.

In the contrast, DM was not significantly better at alleviating symptoms than no treatment, said the study.