A newly published study has suggested that honey is better for coughs and sore throats than conventional medicine.
Honey has been an unofficial treatment for sore throats and coughs for a long time.
Honey has a number of antimicrobial properties and has been used in medicine for 100s of years. It also has been shown he help with blocked noses, and aid healing of wounds due to its thickness and stickiness.
It’s reading available and cheap, and unlike medicine, it has no real side effects. It’s always been a home remedy for illnesses for as long as I can remember, but surprisingly, it’s effects on URTIs haven’t been properly researched since recently.
The researchers at Oxford included honey in the research, replacing usual ingredients that treat coughs and sore throats, but they did still include antihistamines and painkillers like paracetamol.
The researchers found that after testing the honey on a group of people, that more of the group symptoms were improved by the honey mixture, compared to conventional medicine tested on another group with similar symptoms.
The researchers now say that doctors and GPs could suggest using honey and a symptom reliever, instead of suggesting certain medicine.
Writing in the journal BMJ Evidence Based Medicine, the report’s authors said: “Upper respiratory tract infections are the most frequent reason for antibiotic prescription.
“Since the majority of URTIs are viral, antibiotic prescription is both ineffective and inappropriate.”
They concluded: “Honey is a frequently used lay remedy that is well known to patients. It is also cheap, easy to access, and has limited harms.
“When clinicians wish to prescribe for URTI, we would recommend honey as an alternative to antibiotics.
“Honey is more effective and less harmful than usual care alternatives and avoids causing harm through antimicrobial resistance.”
(URTI = upper respiratory tract infection).
