The honey+ ancient seed combo that may speed COVID-19 recovery

My family and I were hit with what I still call “the COVID” early on in the pandemic. A lot has changed since then — for the better — but the potential for infection from SARS-CoV-2 or one of its variants is still a real possibility.

Fortunately, the majority of cases are mild — as was the case with my family. But it seemed to take forever for some of us to get over the initial infection and symptoms. I got over mine much quicker than my husband and daughters, and now I think I know why…

Ground-breaking research has found there may be a way to dramatically speed recovery time in moderate to severe cases of the illness. This is great news considering that the virus is expected to stick around, at the least, seasonally, in some form or another. And in addition to vaccination, this couldn’t hurt.

What am I talking about? A simple combination of two natural ingredients (one I take regularly) that can almost cut recovery time in half!

A little bee power plus an ancient remedy

So, what was the combo the scientists found to be so incredibly effective?

Honey, plus black cumin seed (also known as Nigella sativa).

Why these two ingredients?

The researchers combed through the scientific literature for a “miracle drug” that could be considered safe, globally accessible, proven effective against viruses and also possessing anti-inflammatory, immune-modulating and anti-coagulant properties.

While no published clinical trials identified a drug that fit the profile, both honey and Nigella sativa showed similar pharmacological profiles.

The research team began their work during the height of the coronavirus outbreak in Pakistan, from May to July 2020, and followed 313 patients diagnosed with the virus.

210 of them were classified as having a moderate case, which included coughing, sore throat, shortness of breath and congestion. The other 103 cases were considered severe, with fever, cough, pneumonia and even respiratory distress.

To test the power of honey plus black cumin, participants were divided up into two groups. The first group received only a placebo. But the second group was given the honey and black cumin combo for up to 13 days.

Additionally, everyone in the study received standard care as directed by their physicians, including antipyretic drugs, antibiotics, supplement oxygen and mechanical ventilation if needed.

The results were quite impressive

The patients that took the honey/black cumin combo not only got over their symptoms quicker, but they also tested negative for the illness faster too.

In fact, taking honey plus black cumin was shown to alleviate COVID-19 symptoms in just four and six days in the moderate and severe groups, versus seven for those taking the placebo.

And both the moderate and severe cases showed viral clearance a full four days earlier after taking the natural combo compared to the placebo.

Yet it gets even better…

Mortality was reduced in the honey and black cumin group

The study showed that while the placebo group experienced a 30-day mortality rate of 18.87 percent, those taking honey plus Nigella sativa had only a four percent mortality risk.

When asked about the results and the potential of the natural combination in a post-COVID world, Dr. Sohaib Ashraf, research fellow at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and principal investigator of the study, said in an interview with NutraIngredients-Asia, “We have seen patients getting miraculously better with this treatment regimen even outside the trial.”

He suggested the combination could be used as an inexpensive nutraceutical treatment, either alone or in combination with other drugs for additive effects, capable of significantly reducing the burden on healthcare systems.

But, while the study has shown that honey and black cumin together could have the power to help speed recovery from the virus, the combination should not be considered a cure for COVID-19.

Sources:

Covid-19 RCT: Honey and black cumin seed help speed up recovery in Covid-19 patients — NUTRA-ingredients-asia.com

Honey and Nigella sativa against COVID-19 in Pakistan (HNS-COVID-PK): A multi-center placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial — medRxiv