Honey is more effective than the usual treatments for upper respiratory tract infections, according to a new analysis supporting the use of one of the world’s most ancient remedies for coughs and colds.
It is especially effective at reducing the frequency and severity of a cough, say Miss Hibatullah Abuelgasim of Oxford University, UK, and colleagues.
The team were looking for effective alternatives to antibiotics, which do not work for most upper respiratory tract infections but are nevertheless frequently prescribed.
These infections affect the nose, throat, voice box and the bronchi that lead from the windpipe to the lungs, and cause symptoms including sore throat, blocked nose, cough, and congestion.
In today’s (19 August) BMJ Evidence Based Medicine, the team writes: “Honey is a well known traditional therapy for upper respiratory tract infections symptoms. Guidelines recommend it for acute cough in children, but the evidence base for honey use for other upper respiratory tract infection symptoms and populations has not been evaluated.”
They undertook a review and meta-analysis of 14 reliable studies of 1,761 participants and found that, compared with usual care – antihistamines, expectorants, cough suppressants and painkillers – “honey improved combined symptom score, cough frequency and cough severity“.
They state: “Honey was superior to usual care for the improvement of symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections. It provides a widely available and cheap alternative to antibiotics.
“Honey could help efforts to slow the spread of antimicrobial resistance, but further high quality, placebo controlled trials are needed,” they write, adding that “honey is a complex substance and not a uniform product”.
Abuelgasim, H. et al. Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Evidence Based Medicine 19 August 2020 doi: 10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111336
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