Natural Remedies for Easy Breathing

August 24, 2020

In 2019, the Medical Anthropology magazine published an article called Ebola and Public Authority: Saving Loved Ones in Sierra Leone in which Melissa Parker and her colleagues investigate the situation related to Ebola virus during the epidemics of 2013-2016 in Africa. Among findings of the researchers from UK was one interesting observation that “people’s science” was often more effective in treating the virus than treatment methods used in hospitals, called Ebola Treatment Centers or TCE.

The article mentions that one of the commonly used remedies in battling Ebola was honey and lime syrups.

Lime and Honey Syrup

Lime, being a citrus fruit, contains vitamin C, beta-carotene, flavonoids, limonoids and folic acid. Lime and lemon juice have more citric acid than other citrus fruits. As an acid, it has the proposed ability to break up mucus, if the cough is productive.

Honey contains antibacterial properties that help in getting rid of the harmful cough-causing bacteria. It is loaded with vital nutrients as well: potassium, calcium, manganese, phosphorus, and copper. The body needs these minerals for normal and healthy functioning.

The WHO recommends honey as the most effective demulcent in the treatment of cough due to its chemical and nutritional composition.

The sweetness of honey stimulates the salivary glands and induces the release of the mucus through the airways. The antimicrobial and antioxidant effect of honey restricts the further formation of the mucus, thereby providing complete relief from coughing.

On the other hand, lime or lemon helps to increase immunity against these infections, and when you drink the concoction of hot water, lime/lemon and honey, it loosens mucus, calms the throat, and clears the irritating airways.

The recipe is very simple.

You Will Need

1 cup organic honey (local honey is the best)
5 tablespoons of lime or lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
1/4 cup warm water (never use hot water in combination with honey)

Combine one cup of honey with 5 tablespoons of lemon juice.
Add warm water to it and stir until the ingredients are mixed completely.
Take one tablespoon of this mixture 3 times a day
Refrigerate the leftover for further use. It can be used safely for up to a month.

Honey, Lemon juice, and Garlic Recipe

The combination of lemon juice and honey with garlic works best if you feel congestion in the chest. Garlic breaks down the phlegm that causes congestion and helps to clear the chest.

You Will Need

2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon grated garlic
1 cup water

Take 1 cup of water and bring it to boil.
Add lemon juice and garlic into it, and turn the heat off.
Let the mixture cool down till the water is warm.
Add honey and stir the solution.
Drink this mixture once daily for instant relief.

References

Ebola and Public Authority: Saving Loved Ones in Sierra Leone Melissa Parker, Tommy Matthew Hanson, Ahmed Vandi, Lawrence Sao Babawo & Tim Allen
Feasibility Study: Honey for Treatment of Cough in Children, Pediatric Reports, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3718232/
Honey: its medicinal property and antibacterial activity, Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3609166/
Nutritive Value of Honey, USDA.
https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/19296