Drinking tea or warm lemon water mixed with honey is a time-honoured way to soothe a sore throat. But honey alone may be an effective cough suppressant, too.
A trio of researchers at Oxford University have found that honey is a better treatment for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) than traditional remedies.
In their paper published in BMJ Evidence-based Medicine, Hibatullah Abuelgasim, Charlotte Albury, and Joseph Lee described their study of the results of multiple clinical trials that involved testing of treatments for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) and what they learned from the data.
The study found that honey is more effective than usual care alternatives for improving URTI symptoms, particularly cough frequency and cough severity.
Medical Express noted that anecdotal evidence has suggested that honey can be used to treat colds in general and coughs in particular—people have been using it as a therapy for thousands of years.
In this new effort, the researchers looked at the results of multiple clinical trials testing the effectiveness of therapies against URTIs. In all, the team looked at data from 14 clinical trials involving 1 761 patients.
In analysing the data from all of the trials combined, the researchers found that the trials had included studies of virtually all of the traditional remedies such as over-the-counter cold and sinus medicines as well as antibiotics - and honey.
According to the Telegraph, the scientist noted that as honey is a complex substance and not a uniform product, more studies need to be done before definitive conclusion can be drawn.