A Natural Cold Remedy:  Common Cold Relief with Manuka Honey

Natural Cold Remedy from New Zealand: 
 

Manuka Honey is a natural cold remedy from New Zealand. Natural Manuka Honey provides cold relief  and might help to cure a cold due to its antibacterial properties.

Research on Manuka Honey as natural cold remedy

Manuka Honey has been researched by the Waikato University in New Zealand for over 20 years. The research team found that Manuka Honey seems to naturally destroy staph aureus and streptococcus pyogenes, bacteria present in colds and sore throats.

List of Bacterial Pathogens where Manuka Honey may be helpful

Infections caused by bacterial pathogens that are sensitive to the antibacterial activity of Manuka Honey are listed in the following table. It can be concluded that honey, in particular Manuka Honey may be helpful when fighting these bacteria.

How does the antibacterial activity work in Manuka Honey?

The antibacterial activity in Manuka Honey is due to four major processes or qualities: the osmotic effect, its acidity, the production of hydrogen peroxide in it and the unique phytochemical factor.

Click here to read this informative article about natural Manuka Honey

The need for Natural Health Alternatives 

Virus vs. Bacteria

The cold and flu are mostly caused by viruses. The common symptoms are a sore throat, a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, cough, muscle aches and pains. Especially during the winter season such viruses spread very fast. It takes about a week for the body to build the necessary antibodies to help fight the flu and cold symptoms.

Bacterial infections often follow the viral flu or cold. If a bacterial infection follows the flu or cold, it is a good idea to go see your doctor to discuss the possible need of antibiotics if the body is still too weak to fight off bacteria on its own. In this case, antibiotics may help speed up the healing process.

Many people might now think: why not take an antibiotic right away, so the viral infection does not even turn into a bacterial infection? That wouldn’t be such a bad idea, if antibiotics were not that dangerous. Antibiotics bring unwanted side effects and thereby weaken the body instead of strengthening it. Also, when taking antibiotics, the bacteria in your body can develop an antibiotic resistance. That means that later on when you maybe really need an antibiotic, it will not work since the bacteria are already resistant to the antibiotic.

Manuka Honey can be the solution to this problem. Manuka Honey is all natural, so it has no known side effects. Manuka Honey won’t weaken your body as antibiotics do. At the same time it is working as a natural antibiotic due to its hydrogen peroxide and unique phytochemical factor. That means, in order to prevent a possible bacterial infection, you can take natural Manuka Honey during your cold, or even before, to prevent it.

And here is how Manuka Honey works: With most colds, the bacteria develop in the throat and spread from there to the sinuses and bronchus. That is why Manuka Honey is taken three times a day and slowly dissolved in your throat before you let it sip down. The antibacterial strength of Manuka Honey takes care of possible bacteria in the throat and lets them not even develop.

Special Tip: An Old Home Remedy made more effective with Manuka Honey

Hot Honey-Lemon-Tea

The advantage of using Manuka Honey instead of regular honey for this traditional cold home remedy, is that Manuka Honey has an additional antibacterial property to hydrogen peroxide called the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF). When regular honey is added to very hot tea, the hydrogen peroxide will be destroyed almost completely so it will be only slightly antibacterial. Manuka Honey is more effective, because, even if overheated, it keeps its very strong additional antibacterial property.

Also, get a lot of sleep to help the body restore itself, drink lots of liquids and bouillon or chicken soup to replace the salt the body looses with fever and sweat.