Honey may be more effective at treating coughs and colds than over-the-counter medicines

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The researchers said honey was more effective at relieving symptoms of colds and flu-like illnesses than usual commercial remedies, and may provide a safer, cheaper, and more easily accessible alternative to antibiotics.

They encouraged doctors to consider recommending it to patients instead of prescribing antibiotics, which can lead to side effects and lead to antibiotic resistance if overused.

Honey has long been used as a home remedy for coughs, but its effectiveness in treating common illnesses has not been thoroughly researched.

Doctors at Oxford University School of Medicine and Nuffield’s Primary Care Health Sciences Department analyzed the existing evidence to determine how symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) responded to it. URTIs are common cold-like illnesses that affect the nose, sinuses, pharynx or larynx.

“Honey was superior to usual care for improving symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections,” they wrote in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine.

“It provides a widely available and inexpensive alternative to antibiotics. Honey could help in efforts to slow the spread of antimicrobial resistance, but more high-quality, placebo-controlled trials are needed.”

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The researchers compiled the results of 14 studies, nine of which involved only children. Most compared honey to more conventional treatments like over-the-counter medications.

When reviewing studies comparing honey to placebo, however, the authors were unable to reach the same conclusion as when looking at other comparative studies. They said more research should be done on this comparison.

Public health bodies in the UK have repeatedly warned of the dangers of overuse of antibiotics. In 2018, they said millions of surgeries could be life threatening if the effect of antibiotics were diminished by over-prescribing.

“Since the majority of URTIs are viral, prescribing antibiotics is both ineffective and inappropriate,” wrote the study authors. “However, the lack of effective alternatives, as well as the desire to preserve the patient-physician relationship, both contribute to the antibiotic over the prescription.”

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A large catalog of previous research has proven that honey has the power to kill bacteria. Studies have shown that it is effective against dozens of strains, including E. coli and salmonella.
A specific type of New Zealand honey called manuka and Malay tualang honey have been shown to fight staphylococcus and the digestive bacteria responsible for peptic ulcers, H. pylori.
And another study of 139 children found that honey provided better nighttime cough relief and improved sleep than dextromethorphan, a popular cough suppressant, and the antihistamine diphenhydramine (often sold under the brand name Benadryl).

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