Nagging cough? Scratchy throat? The answer for cold and flu season might already be in your pantry. For years, people have used honey as a natural cough suppressant. Compared to other over-the-counter solutions, honey contains one ingredient: honey. Penn State College of Medicine research shows that honey is an effective and natural alternative to over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicine. As little as one to two teaspoons can help ease and soothe the irritation caused by a cough.
When looking for a spokesperson for our campaign, we turned to Nurse Practitioner Barbara Dehn, RN, MS, NP, also known as Nurse Barb. Nurse Barb has long supported using honey as a natural cough suppressant. "When children are sick with a cough and sore throat, honey is the sweet solution I recommend because it works and tastes great," she says.
We've teamed up with Nurse Barb to create innovative honey cough recipes and to educate consumers on why this pantry staple can also be housed in the medicine cabinet. The NHB continues to educate consumers on the benefits of honey, from its use as a natural cough suppressant to the proper age to feed honey to children.
Nurse Barb joined Women Physicians in 1991 and is known throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, with regular television appearances as a health expert. Given her credentials, she has created "Nurse Barb's Daily Dose," a segment aimed to answer various healthcare questions. Throughout the month of March, Nurse Barb will be featuring honey in her Daily Doses with select markets across the U.S. You can also check out Nurse Barb's Daily Dose here: