Ear, Nose & Throat Treatment How Honey May Help Your Cough By Rod Brouhard, EMT-P facebook twitter linkedin Rod Brouhard is an emergency medical technician paramedic (EMT-P), journalist, educator, and advocate for emergency medical service providers and patients. Learn about our editorial process Rod Brouhard, EMT-P Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Meredith Bull, ND on March 06, 2020 facebook linkedin Meredith Bull, ND, is a licensed naturopathic doctor with a private practice in Los Angeles, California. Learn about our Medical Review Board Meredith Bull, ND on March 06, 2020 Print Honey can't cure coughs, but it has been used for ages to ease them. That's because honey is believed to act as a demulcent—a substance that coats the throat and soothes mucus membranes. It also contains antioxidants and antimicrobial properties that may have a role in promoting healing. While there's plenty of anecdotal evidence supporting honey's use for a cough, studies have also shown that a spoonful of honey may help reduce cough-related symptoms in adults and kids over 1 year old. Yuji Kotani / Photodisc / Getty Images Supporting Research A 2010 study tested the effects of honey along with cough medicine (dextromethorphan) and antihistamine (diphenhydramine) on nightly coughing due to upper respiratory infection in 139 children. It found that honey had the greatest symptom relief for coughing than both medicines. Another study in 2012 tested three types of honey (eucalyptus, citrus, and labiatae) on coughs caused by upper respiratory tract infections. The researchers found that all three types of honey were better than the placebo in relieving cough frequency and severity. Children and their parents also reported a better night sleep with the honey than they did with the placebo. Who Can Use It Honey may be used along with other cough remedies or solo. Aside from the fact that it's easy to find and inexpensive, it's a remedy that doesn't pose any risk of drug interaction (as might be a concern with some over-the-counter medications used for the same purpose). Aside from having an allergy to honey or swallowing difficulties, virtually any adult can use honey to ease a cough. However, honey should never be given to babies younger than 12 months because of the risk of botulism, a rare type of poisoning caused by toxins that attack the nerves. Honey can contain Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium found in soil. While most grown people's digestive systems can handle these spores, babies' systems are too immature, which can result in bacteria growing and producing toxins in the intestinal tract. This can lead to muscle weakness and breathing problems, and it requires immediate medical care. A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee recommended that children under the age of 6 should not take any cough or cold medicines because they have not been shown to effective and can have serious side effects. For children older than 12 months, honey may be a useful substitute. How to Use Honey for a Cough You can try 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey either on its own, spread on toast, or mixed into a cup of tea or warm water. While honey can be consumed as needed, it also adds sugar and calories to your diet. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to about 30 grams a day, so try to keep your daily honey intake to less than 6 teaspoons. A Word From Verywell Honey is just one way to improve a cough. Often, coughs from upper respiratory infections improve by staying hydrated and getting lots of rest. If your cough lasts more than three weeks, is accompanied by shortness of breath, or occurs along with a fever, see your healthcare provider. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Goldman RD. Honey for treatment of cough in children. Can Fam Physician. 2014;60(12):1107-8, 1110. Shadkam MN, Mozaffari-Khosravi H., and Mozayan MR. A comparison of the effect of honey, dextromethorphan, and diphenhydramine on nightly cough and sleep quality in children and their parents. J Altern Complement Med. 2010;16(7):787-93. Carrillo-marquez MA. Botulism. Pediatr Rev. 2016;37(5):183-92. doi:10.1542/pir.2015-0018 Briars LA. The Latest Update on Over-the-Counter Cough and Cold Product Use in Children. J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther. 2009;14(3):127-31. doi:10.5863/1551-6776-14.3.127 American Heart Association. How much sugar is too much? Additional Reading Infant botulism. Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth website. Updated January 2015. Botulism. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Updated August 19, 2019. Cohen HA, Rozen J, Kristal H, et al. Effect of honey on nocturnal cough and sleep quality: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Pediatrics. 2012;130(3):465-71. doi:10.1542/peds.2011-3075 Goldman RD. Honey for treatment of cough in children. Can Fam Physician. 2014;60(12):1107-8, 1110. Shadkam MN, Mozaffari-Khosravi H., and Mozayan MR. A comparison of the effect of honey, dextromethorphan, and diphenhydramine on nightly cough and sleep quality in children and their parents. J Altern Complement Med. 2010;16(7):787-93. doi:10.1089/acm.2009.0311