Remember those tempting advertisements asking you to choose their over-the counter medicine the next time you get a sore throat and cough? Well you may have followed their advice but your sure can prevent fallnig for it in reality, the over-the-counter medicines may not even be as effective as your regular home remedies for cough.
Even doctors agree that cough medicines may only be a waste of money when compared to the effectiveness that lemon and honey have on cough. There is hardly any evidence that suggests cough medicines to be effective against cough, though some may help treat the symptoms associated with cough, such as a blocked nose or fever. Moreover, several cough medicines also contain high doses of sugar. You can consider your traditional home made lemon and honey remedies to be the best approach for cough. 
What's There in Honey?
Honey not only tastes nice but it also offers natural antibacterial properties that can help your body fight the harmful bacteria causing the cough. Honey is also rich in nutrients including calcium, iron, magnesium, sodium, zinc, copper, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, selenium and fluoride.
The minerals present in honey help the body repair and stimulate tissue growth as well as act as anti-oxidants to remove harmful free radicals. Good quality honey is usually low in water content, allowing it to naturally attract water to be used in surrounding tissues.
What can Lemon Offer?
Lemon is a rich source of vitamin C, which is one of the most important vitamins to help the immune system. The vitamin C also provides lemon it's powerful anti-oxidant properties. Moreover, they also have strong antibacterial and antiviral properties.
Lemon Honey Juice
One of the simplest home remedies for cough is a combination of about 1 cupful of warm honey and 3 tablespoonfuls of fresh lemon juice. Add around half a cup of warm water to the mixture and then stir it well untill its smooth. To cure the cough take a tablespoon of the mixture a couple of times during the day and once right before bed.
Lemon Honey with Ginger
If your cough is a little worse than usual, add a few pieces of ginger to the regular honey and lemon recipe. Ginger contains several essential oils, antioxidants and oleoresin which makes it an effective cough suppressant. Grate about 1 tablespoonful of ginger root into a sauce pan with 2 cupfuls of water. Add around 2 tablespoonfuls of honey and lemon each to the mintute and let it cool a little. Take a tablespoonful of the mixture to ward off that cough.
Consult Your Doctor Too
Honey contains a form of botulism that may be deadly to children under the age of 12 months. Do not give honey to children younger than 18 or 24 months. Also consult your pediatrician before using any home remedy with your children. If the cough stays for more than a week or turns into green or yellow phlegm or the cough is accompanied by fever and other symptoms, onsult your doctor.
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