Honey and propolis
Honey has been recognized by the World Health Organization as a valuable cough reliever. It is a sweet, viscous liquid with a pretty complex chemical composition. It contains carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and flavonoids - compounds that show various health-promoting effects. Moreover, it also contains antioxidants. Honey, but also other bee products, show antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory effects (protecting the human body against – among other things - cancer). These products include propolis and royal jelly.
The research shows that during medical therapy with the use of honey the subsidence of cough, sore throat, and headache, normalization of body temperature, and improvement of general well-being are observed. In situations where strong drugs cannot be used, honey proves to be very effective. Deciding on this sweet medicine, one should pay attention to its quality.
In convenience stores, we can find the honey of two groups: artificial, which do not have health-promoting properties, and natural ones, which have naturally occurring beneficial substances contained in them.
However, natural honey available in large stores should also be approached with caution. Remember - real honey will always crystallize when artificial honey will always be liquid due to the added sugar. It is safest to buy honey from beekeepers with local apiaries, then you can be sure that you are buying a real and beneficial product.
Black elderberry
The effect of elderberry fruits and their preservatives on shortening the time of infection has been known in natural medicine for centuries. The plant is rich in natural vitamin C and bioactive substances, so it can be used as natural medicine, but is it actually effective?
Modern studies of the use of black elderberry juices, and infusions made from the fruit or leaves of elderberry and its other products in the treatment of infections, show its great potential in the effectiveness of the treatment of flu and colds.
Raspberry
Raspberry fruit juice is used as a medicine to help fight fever. As far back as ancient times, physicians, including Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.), took advantage of raspberries' soporific properties. The fruit also increases the kidney’s filtering ratio thus improving detoxification of the body, and bile production, resulting in the improvement of the digestive processes. However, in the case of a pregnancy that is at risk of preterm labor, raspberry tea and raspberry leaf tea should be avoided because, according to some scientists, the substances found in them may affect muscle contraction and speed up labor.
