A Great New Product for Coughs

Coughing is the worst, especially since it can linger for weeks after having a respiratory infection.

We have a new product by Terry Naturally that I've really been impressed with for coughs, called Bronchial Clear-it's a combination of thyme and ivy extract, both of which have impressive benefits for respiratory health.

Its main ingredient is ivy leaf, which is not very well known as a supplement in the US, but has some really impressive benefits for respiratory health. Even though it is not very well known in America as a supplement, it has been used medicinally for thousands of years safely.

Ivy extract is great for respiratory health because studies have shown that it can help to reduce inflammation in the lungs and also help to dissolve excess mucus.

When I was doing research into the benefits of ivy leaf for respiratory infections, I found research comparing ivy leaf's effectiveness to a prescription, saying it was "as effective as the prescription Ambroxol for chronic bronchitis". That really piqued my interest because I am a person who often seems to get a cough whenever I get sick, so I'm defiantly familiar with every prescription for coughs and respiratory infections, but I'd never heard of Ambroxol. It turns out that Ambroxol is a medication for respiratory infections that usually prescribed in Europe, but apparently isn't FDA-approved.

After reading about that, I went down a rabbit hole of why that prescription for lung infections wasn't FDA approved (since often Europe has a lot more stringent regulations than the US), but it seems it's not because it isn't an effective treatment, but that the patent had expired and it wouldn't be worth it financially for an American company to pay for the costly FDA approval process.

All of this to say that ivy extract has benefits shown to be equal to European medications for respiratory infections for coughing, helping the body to clear excess mucus, easing coughs and improving lung function.

In addition to ivy extract, the Bronchial Clear product also has thyme extract, an herb that’s fantastic for respiratory health since it can help clear mucus from the lungs and reduce lung inflammation. It’s even shown benefit for people suffering from COPD, an irreversible lung disorder where people experience problems breathing due to inflammation in the airways. The active ingredients in thyme extract also show benefits for having natural anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.

I've taken Bronchial Clear by Terry Naturally and really thought it helped. I definitely won't be without it from now on in the winter. We also have a kid’s cough syrup with ivy extract at the store from Garden of Life that we'd recommend, since a lingering cough can be an awful thing for anyone to deal with, at any age.

Stop by the store if you have any questions, we’d be happy to help you further. We’re at 7228 W. College Drive in Palos Heights.

Manuka Honey Throat Lozenges for Cough and Sore Throat

Manuka honey is a specific type of medicinal honey that has benefits for many different aspects of health (see this article on our website for an overview on the benefits of Manuka honey).

Manuka honey is unique from other types of honey in that it is only made in New Zealand, from the manuka plant that flowers for only two to four weeks each year. It’s also the only natural food source that has been shown to have anti-bacterial effects, due to compound known as methylglyoxal that forms naturally in manuka honey. Other honeys can occasionally have levels of that antibacterial compound, but only in small amounts. According to scientific research, the amount of antibacterial methylglyoxal must be at a minimum of 100mg/kg to reliably inhibit harmful bacteria. Manuka honey can have as much as eight times that amount.

Manuka honey is great in general, but it makes a really fabulous ingredient in a throat lozenge due in part to the healing and soothing effects in honey. Manuka honey specifically has also been demonstrated in scientific research to be able to inhibit bacteria, including strep bacteria, so not only can it soothe sore throats, it actually can be helpful for healing the root cause of a painful sore throat.

Honey, in general, has also been shown benefit for reducing coughing due to its coating action. Manuka honey throat lozenges are a simple, portable way to receive the cough reduction benefits on the go, since it’s not usually practical to walk around with a jar of honey.

We have several new, great tasting manuka honey throat lozenges available at the store this month. They’re perfect for both kids and adults and we have a number of varieties and flavors to choose from, so be sure to stop by to take a look!