The Science Behind Honey's Effectiveness in Treating Coughs and Sore Throats
Honey, that sweet golden elixir we all love to drizzle over our pancakes or add to our tea. But did you know that honey is not just a delicious treat? It also has incredible medicinal properties that can help soothe coughs and sore throats. Yes, you heard it right - nature's own remedy for those pesky ailments! In this blog post, we will delve into the science behind why honey is so effective in treating coughs and sore throats. Get ready to learn about the different types of honey, how to use it properly, and uncover the secrets behind its healing powers. So sit back, relax, and let's explore the wonders of honey as a natural solution for your coughs and sore throats!
Can honey stop a cough and sore throat?
So does honey help a cough and sore throat? It’s a question that’s been asked many times, and there’s plenty of evidence suggesting that honey is indeed effective for coughs and sore throats. But what is it about honey that makes it effective?
Honey is antimicrobial, because when mixed with water – or saliva – it causes enzymes to create very small amounts of hydrogen peroxide, which has long been used as an antibacterial agent, so by killing the bacteria that cause the soreness and the inflammation, you will also help with the pain.
Moreover, as a demulcent, honey’s thick consistency soothes sore throats by providing a coating for the mucous membranes, alleviating inflammation and pain by offering protection from dryness or severe coughing that can irritate the throat.
Moreover, honey is a source of antioxidants because of its high amount of phenolic compounds, which are a type of antioxidant, whose role is to decrease oxidative stress in the body and underpin general immunity.
Honey can provide symptomatic relief of coughs and sore throats, but will rarely completely get rid of an infection or illness. If symptoms persist, or your condition has not improved after a few days, then you should seek the advice of a medical practitioner.
With that in mind, what kind of honey do we need to use to tackle our most common winter complaints – coughs and sore throats?
What kind of honey should I use for a cough or sore throat?
This is an important point, as, when it comes to honey and coughs or sore throats, not all varieties are created equal. In general, any kind of honey offers some help. But some types may offer extra advantages because of their special properties.
Manuka, which comes from New Zealand and is considered one of the best cough and sore throat remedies, is thick and has high levels of antibacterial compounds to fight infection, as well as providing a soothing coating for the tissues of the throat.
Another top option is raw honey, which is not heated or processed. Raw honey has more of its antimicrobial enzymes, antioxidants, and minerals intact than refined varieties. These elements can bolster your immunity and help you heal.
Or, if you prefer a gentler taste – clover, available at many groceries, with its silky flavour, is often at the top of that list.
The best type to use for a cough or sore throat, then, will be based on availability and/or preference – try them all out to see which one works best for you!
How to use honey for a sore throat or cough
Using honey to provide relief from a sore throat or cough is extremely easy when you know how. You can incorporate honey easily into your daily routine with some of these simple methods.
1. Honey and warm water: Mix one tablespoon of raw honey with warm water. Drink slowly. Helps to soothe the throat and temporarily helps coughing.
2. Honey and lemon: Squeeze half a fresh lemon into a cup. Add one tablespoon of honey, and mix well. Drink to soothe your throat, and get a dose of vitamin C on the side. It’s found in lemons.
3. Honey tea: Steep your favourite herbal tea and allow it to cool a little. Add a teaspoon of honey, then sip it during the day to control your symptoms.
4. Honey gargle: Mix one tablespoon of honey in warm water; gargle and spit for about 30 seconds. This should relieve some throat pain and reduce inflammation.
Also, be sure to select the best quality raw or unpasteurised honey for the best effects. And do consult with your health care practitioner if the symptoms don’t improve or worsen over time.
Honey as medication
Honey has been used as a miracle medicine for thousands of years and the fact that it helps people get rid of coughs and sore throats has been documented for centuries.
Another reason this would work is because honey is a natural antimicrobial that can kill the germs responsible for causing a sore throat, thereby reducing soreness and inflammation, and soothing the irritation.
Honey also helps ease coughing. Its thick consistency helps to pave the throat, relieving coughing bouts and throat irritation by producing extra saliva.
Another benefit of caveman medicine is that honey has antioxidants. Antioxidants are compounds in the body that help improve the immune system and help your body heal faster.
Raw (unprocessed) honey is best for medicinal use. Pasteurisation destroys some of the valuable enzymes and nutrients contained in honey.
To treat a cough or sore throat with honey, take one to two teaspoons straight or mixed with warm water or herbal tea.
However, while a spoon of honey can relieve the symptoms, it is far from a cure itself. If your symptoms last for a long time or become more severe over time, please consult your healthcare professional.
Raw honey vs. pasteurized
Raw HoneyVs.Pasteurized Honey
Raw honey are produced directly from the hive, unrefined and unprocessed.
Pasteurizing is a type of heating process to kills potentially dangerous bacteria and yeast off, or any other unwanted biological particles in. Therefore, pasteurized honey is heated.
Some people believe that raw honey is more healthy as it retains its ‘live’ enzymes, antioxidants and other nutrients which can soothe a sore throat, reducing phlegm and helping to calm coughing. Some people say it has anti-inflammatory effects.
Conversely, pasteurised honey is more processed, meaning it’s heated to kill off impurities and to extend shelf life, which also decimates some of honey’s beneficial compounds, but purges any potential contaminants.
It’s a case of personal choice at this point in your day whether you want honey that has undergone pasteurisation or you want to stick to the raw option. However, if it’s those possible health benefits of enzymes and antioxidants you’re interested in and, foremost, are the properties of unaltered honey, as to what you may be ingesting, then the only option might be raw honey.
Other sore throat remedies
Besides honey, there are other natural remedies that will help soothe a sore throat, such as using gargles made from warm salt water, which helps reduce inflammation and kills bacteria in the throat.
Another easy remedy is to drink some warm herbal teas, such as a chamomile or peppermint tea, which have relaxant properties that can help to ease a sore throat.
Also consider a humidifier or vaporiser, which add some moisture into your bedroom. Moisturising can help dry nasal and throat passages that come with winter’s indoor heating.
Lozenges and sprays that you can buy over the counter usually soothe because they contain active ingredients such as menthol or benzocaine, which temporarily numb the throat.
Please note, I am talking about remedies not likely to help your sore throat continue for weeks on end, but which might assist in the relief of your symptoms while a sore throat rides itself out and disappears. It’s always best to see a doctor or other healthcare professional for continuing or significant symptoms that could point to a more serious condition.
Doctors Agree:Honey for Cough Works
Honey has become a natural first-line treatment for coughs for physicians as they search for alternatives to harmful antibiotics. Was the old wives’ tale wrong after all? No, it was not. There is science to support the use of honey as an agent to calm coughs.
A number of studies have shown it helps to alleviate coughing, most notably children’s, because the viscous fluid coats the throat, soothing it and reducing irritation. It has some antimicrobial activity because it inhibits certain bacteria involved in infection.
Indeed, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends it as one of the non-pharmacological methods of treatment for cough in children aged one year and older, while the World Health Organization acknowledges it as effective in ‘reducing severity of acute cough symptoms’.
Still, always remember that honey isn’t for an infant in his first year of life (he or she could get botulism from it), and be sure to consult your paediatrician before trying any other home remedies.
And that’s why you should take a spoonful of honey next time you have a lingering cough, rather than a two-day cough and cold treatment from your medicine cabinet. You’ll be free of the negative effects of drugs and you’ll also get the sweetness and health benefits of this golden ambrosia.
How and Why Does Honey for Cough Work?
You probably know that honey tastes good and it’s an old remedy to help a cough or sore throat. But how does honey work and why? Here’s how. Honey has two unique properties.
Honey is antibacterial. The enzymes help produce hydrogen peroxide, a bactericidal agent. This means that honey is great for soothing a cough or sore throat that could be due to a bacterial infection, and helps to kill the bacteria in the throat.
Honey has a smoothing, moisturising effect Honey coats the throat with an even layer of moisture if you have a tickly, dry or irritated throat from coughing. It helps to relieve the symptoms, sweeping away inflammation and irritation.
Not only that, but the viscosity of the honey coats the lining of your throat, forming an impervious layer to protect it from further agent-induced irritation associated with coughing, or even talking too much.
Moreover, some of the honey is laden with antioxidants that boost your immune system and speed healing by neutralising those nasty free radicals that cause oxidation.
More research is needed to ascertain whether and how honey might be effective for coughs and sore throats in all the ways suggested by the published research reviewed here. But, yes, so far, a tablespoon of honey, taken alone or with lemon juice and warm water, has a lot going for it: antibacterial substances in propolis and its related compounds; its ability to coat and soothe inflammation; its creation of a protective barrier; the antioxidant boost. As a natural remedy, it holds some well-established promises.
Wherever you can, always use raw unprocessed organic honey, which will enhance its health benefits
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