The season for cough and cold is here again. School children get infected most times and it gives them a lot of discomfort. Medical professionals will always tell you that over-the-counter medicines don’t work for cold and cough, but that it runs its course and goes away because it’s viral. However, you can, of course, use cough relief lozenges that ease the symptoms of a cough, which you can read more about here.
There are proven home remedies that at least help to soothe the cough and allow your kid have a restful sleep. I make a batch of my homemade cough paste with natural ingredients, then refrigerate and use for a week. The ingredients i use are ginger, lemon, turmeric powder and honey, which is add later in the mix.
Ginger helps to reduce coughing and as well soothes the throat.
Lemon contains a high dose of vitamin C and helps boost immunity against viral infection.
Turmeric Powder looks like curry powder but is completely different from it. It contains anti-bacterial and anti-viral compounds, thus making it a good natural remedy for cough. It also relieves coughing by helping to decongest the mucus blocking respiration.
Honey is considered the best natural remedy for treating cough in children and works better than over-the-counter medicines. A spoonful of honey alone given to coughing kids at bedtime has helped them sleep better at night according to research. Honey soothes the throat, relieves irritation and as well suppresses cough. It also acts as a sweetener to the cough mixture, so it makes it sweeter and easier for kids to drink this mix.
Honey is not good for babies under 12 months as it causes botulism – a fatal condition caused by some toxins found in honey. This recipe is not for babies please.
To make this Ginger Lemon Turmeric Paste, i used
- 3-4 chunks of ginger
- 3 big lemons
- 1 lime (optional)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
Method:
- Scrape the back of the ginger off, chop ginger into small pieces and put in a blender.
- Squeeze the juices out of the lemon and add to the ginger.
- Add the turmeric and blend all together into a paste. Store in a clean jar in the fridge.
- To use this paste, just scoop a tablespoon into a cup and add some boiled warm or not too hot water. Mix and then strain off the the chaff. Add 2-3 tsps of honey to the mixed liquid before giving your child.
I’ll love to hear from you when you try this. You can just leave a comment in the comment box below. Have you joined us on Instagram and Facebook? Search for @mummsyum and click the follow or like buttons to join the community.
Good to know. Thank you ! Can adults use this too? So, due to the honey, babies under 12 will not be able to have it rightt?
O yes Asor. I drink it too but as a detox drink and without honey.
Please how do I make turmeric powder? Or where can I get the turmeric powder?
Faith, check in shops. There is also the fresh one that looks like ginger that you can also look out for.
Thank you so much Chioma. I will certainly try this out. Please do you know of any store in Lagos where I can find tumeric?
Thanks so much Becky. Check supermarkets, shoprite, Ebeano and co.
My baby has been coughing and having catarrh as well… would dis also work for the catarrh?? can’t wait to try this out.. Thanks so much!! God bless…
Steph, so long as baby is over 1 year, that should be fine but don’t give it if less because it contains honey which is not good for babies. Remember this is a remedy to soothe and not cure.
Thanks Chioma for this, made it for my son and within days he stopped coughing. I had given him antibiotics and two different cough drugs which didn’t work. This is now the cough drug for my whole family. I used fresh tumeric to prepare my own.
Great Ogoo. I am glad it worked 🙂
Good Morning. pls can i use this for my son, he is going to be a year old in 4 days and hes been having unrelenting catarh and cough.
No, you cannot please
can i give my baby without honey then?
No Joke.
Hello ma, could you pls teach how to make soya milk powder, not soya beans powder , but soya milk powder, I really want to know their difference because they don’t taste the same
Thanks a lot
Confidence, there is soya milk which is made from soya beans but in liquid form. I have never heard of soya milk powder…only soya beans powder.
An eye opener I would call this one. Thanks.