Study: Honey and coffee are better than oral steroids with persistent cough

Reference

Design

participant

study medication and dosage

1. honey and coffee: 20.8 g honey and 2.9 g nestle instant coffee per 1 t-dose, taken three times a day;
2. steroids: 13.3 mg prednisolone per 1 t-dose, taken three times a day; or
3. Control group: 25 g Guaifenesin Pro 1 T-dose, taken three times a day.
The participants released about 1 t of their specific paste in a glass of warm water every 8 hours (3x/day). All products were prepared and packed by pharmacists in such a way that they are similar in appearance, taste and packaging.

target parameter

The cough frequency was evaluated before the treatment and a week after the treatment has been completed with the help of a specially developed and validated questionnaire, which was filled out by doctors who interviewed and evaluated the patients. The questionnaire rated cough on a scale from 0 (low) to 3 (strong).

most important knowledge

The three groups were similar in all variables at the beginning of the study, including age and cough. Changes in the abuse of cough before and after the treatment period were significant for the honey/coffee group and the steroid group. No significant change was found in the control group (Table 1). The difference in the abuse of cough before and after treatment was not significantly different between the steroid and control group. The decline in coughing was statistically significant in the honey coffee group than in the steroid or control group.

Table 1 . Medium coughing (0-3) in 3 groups before and after treatment in the 2013 study
	coffee and honey group	steroid group	control group Newsletter abonnieren Bleiben Sie informiert: Jeden Abend senden wir Ihnen die Artikel des Tages aus der Kategorie Medizin forschung – übersichtlich als Liste. Abonnieren
Pretreatment	2.9	3.0	2.8
after treatment	0.2	2.4	2.7
Source: Raeessi Ma, Aslani J, Raeessi n, et al. Honey plus coffee versus systemic steroid in the treatment of persistent post -infectious cough: a randomized controlled study. Prime Care Respir J. 2013; 22 (3): 325-330.

effects on practice

A mixture of honey and instant coffee loved persistent cough more effectively than steroids or placebo. This treatment is safe, effective, pleasant in taste, inexpensive and uses natural food ingredients. What can we ask for more?
The use of honey in medicine goes far back into the history. In Iran, where this current attempt was carried out, the use of honey in traditional medicine goes back to old Persia for millennia, where vinegar -cooked honey mixtures, known as oxymel, were used for various medical purposes and also as a basis for hundreds of specific herbal connections.
This is the second study by these authors, in which honey and coffee are used to treat persistent cough. In their earlier work from 2011, they compared the effect of instant coffee or honey individually with a combination of the two in a group of 84 subjects with persistent cough. The combination of coffee and honey was significantly better than each of the two ingredients when relieving persistent cough.
Table 2. Medium-sized cough (0-3) in 3 groups before and after treatment in the study from 2011
	coffee group	honey group	coffee and honey group
Pretreatment	3.0	3.0	3.0
after treatment	1.8	1.4	0.4
Source: Raeessi Ma, Aslani J, Gharaie H, Karimi Zarchi aa, Raeessi n, Assari S. Honey with coffee: A new knowledge in the treatment of persistent post -infectious cough. Iran J Otorhinolaryngol. 2011; 23 (63): 1-8.
The medical effect of honey can be based on a number of mechanisms, including acid content, osmolality and hydrogen peroxide production. 3 honey reduces the prostaglandin synthesis in the area of ​​application, increases the nitrogen oxide level and has an antioxidant effect. Asthma rabbit model led aerosolized honey "to structural changes in the epithelium, the mucous membrane and the submuclical areas of the airways." . . [and] reduced the number of inflammatory cells of the respiratory tract in the broncho -alveolar rinsing fluid and inhibited the cup cell hyperplasia. ”
It was assumed that every material that tastes sweetly relieves the cough. ⁶ This effect can simply be attributed to the high osmolality of honey, since it stimulates the saliva reflex and the hyperse secretion of airway mucus, which in turn improves the mucoziliary clearance in the throat. A double -blind, randomized control study from Israel from 2012 showed that honey was clearly superior to other treatments against nightly coughing in children.
Although a Cochrane review in March 2012 only allowed in its characteristic cautious style that "honey may be better than 'no treatment'", 9 honey seems to be something that we should use in practice-especially, in combination with coffee. Why does the combination work so well? We are not really sure.
Nosáľová et al. an Arabinogalactan protein extract from instant coffee that actually has an exertion. ^{10 There is indications that coffee or the caffeine it contains act as a bronchodilator and could thus alleviate the cough. However, the small amount of caffeine used in these studies is probably not sufficient to cause bronchodilation. 11 [Author’s Note: For Readers Who Might Ask Whether Decaffeinated Coffee Wood, We Don’t Know The Answer Yet As It is Unclear Whether the Caffeine is essential for this Mixture’s efficacy.]}
as is as it is, the combination of honey and coffee (see recipe in the appendix) seems to be more effective than both substances alone and is definitely worth a try if the cough continues.
Appendix. honey and coffee recipe based on checked studies

500 g honey (approx. 1 pound)

70 g instant coffee (approx. 2.5 ounces dry weight or 13 t or 6.5 ounces liquid)

mix honey and coffee, add 1 t of it in 1 cup of warm water and drink it three times a day, about every 8 hours.
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2. Raeessi Ma, Aslani J, Gharaie H, Karimi Zarchi aa, Raeessi n, Assari S. Honig with coffee: a new knowledge in the treatment of continuing post -infectious cough. Iran J Otorhinolaryngol. 2011; 23 (63): 1-8.
3. al-Waili NS. Topical use of a mixture of natural honey, beeswax and olive oil in atopic dermatitis or psoriasis: partially controlled, simply blinded study. Supplement Ther Med. 2003; 11 (4): 226-234.
4. al-Waili NS. An alternative treatment for Pityriasis Versicolor, Tinea Cruris, Tinea Corporis and Tinea Faciei with topical use of a mixture of honey, olive oil and beeswax: an open pilot study. Supplement Ther Med. 2004; 12 (1): 45-47.
5. Kamaruzaman Na, Sulaiman SA, Kaur G, Yahaya B. The inhalation of honey reduces respiratory inflammation and histopathological changes in a rabbit model for ovalbumin-induced chronic asthma. BMC Complement Med. May 2014;
6. Wise PM, Breslin Pa, Dalton P. Influence of taste sensation on cough reflex sensitivity. lung. 2014; 192 (1): 9-13.
7. Cohen ha, Rozen J, Kristal H, et al. Effect of honey on nightly cough and sleep quality: a double -blind, randomized, placebo -controlled study. pediatrics. 2012; 130 (3): 465-471.
8. Ashkin E, Mounsey A. Purls: A spoon of honey helps a coughing child to sleep. j Fam Pract. 2013; 62 (3): 145-147.
9. Oduwole O, Meremikwu mm, Oyo-Ti-Tita A, Udoh EE. Honey against acute cough in children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. March 14, 2012; 3: CD007094.
10. nosáľová g, Prisenžňáková l, Paulovičová e, et al. Antitussive and immunoducting effect of instant coffee arabinogal actual protein. intj bio-macromol. 2011; 49 (4): 493-497.
11. Yurach Mt, Davis BE, Cockcroft DW. The effect of caffeinated coffee on the response to the respiratory tract on methacholin and exhaled nitrogen oxide. respir. 2011; 105 (11): 1606-1610.