Never give honey to an infant
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY
I appreciate you writing about home remedies for children when they come down with colds, but I am alarmed that you suggested lemon and honey for coughs. I feel this needs an urgent disclaimer.
Honey can be dangerous for a child under age 2. A friend's 6-month-old baby nearly died of infant botulism. Honey can cause this in infants. Even honey jars have a warning that it is not for small children.
Children 1 year old and younger should never be given honey. You are correct that this warning is designed to reduce the risk of infant botulism. Honey is occasionally contaminated with spores of the bacteria that cause botulism. Honey poses little risk for adults or children older than 1, but babies may not be able to fend off the bacteria.
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Someone asked about natural migraine remedies and you mentioned spicy hot and sour soup, among other things. I've had migraines since before I was in kindergarten (I'm 58 now), and the best thing I've found is ginger.
Jamaican-style ginger beer is good, though rather sweet. The pickled ginger sold with sushi is a godsend. It also helps with the nausea.
Ginger has been documented as a migraine treatment for decades (Journal of Ethnopharmacology, July 1990). A small study testing a combination product (GelStat Migraine) containing ginger and the herb feverfew found that it could help alleviate migraines (Medical Science Monitor, September 2005).
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist and Teresa Graedon is an expert in medical anthropology and nutrition. www.peoplespharmacy.com
