Honey more effective at treating coughs and colds than antibiotics and is a much cheaper alternative: Study
Honey has long been used as a home remedy for coughs and colds and now researchers say it could be more effective than conventional treatments such as antibiotics. According to experts, doctors often prescribe antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infections, which do not work if the illness is caused by a virus, and can contribute to the growing issue of superbugs and antibiotic resistance.
A team from the University of Oxford, UK, found that honey is better than usual care for easing upper respiratory tract symptoms, especially cough. They emphasize that honey is cheap, readily available, and has virtually no side effects, and doctors can recommend it as a suitable alternative to antibiotics, which are often prescribed for these types of infection, even though they are not suitable.
“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,” write authors in the report published in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine. They add, “Given that a lack of alternative therapies and a desire to preserve the patient-doctor relationship are two key contributors to antibiotic over-prescription by general practitioners, our finding that honey may be effective is important in the clinical context: honey is a reasonable alternative.”
Upper respiratory tract infections affect the nose, throat, voice box, and the large air passages (bronchi) that lead from the windpipe to the lungs. Symptoms include sore throat, blocked nose, cough and congestion. The investigators say honey is a well-known traditional therapy for upper respiratory tract infections and guidelines recommend it for acute cough in children, though the NHS warns against giving honey to a child aged below 1. But the evidence for its effectiveness for a range of upper respiratory tract symptoms in adults has not been systematically reviewed. Accordingly, the research team looked at databases for relevant studies comparing honey and preparations that included it as an ingredient with usual care: mostly antihistamines, expectorants, cough suppressants and painkillers.
The authors found 14 suitable clinical trials, involving 1,761 participants of varying ages. The analysis reveals that honey was more effective than usual care for improving symptoms of respiratory infections, especially the frequency and severity of coughing. Two of the studies showed that symptoms lasted one or two days fewer among those treated with honey. The researchers note that comparisons with placebo are limited, and there were just two studies involving a dummy comparator treatment or placebo. They suggest the need for more placebo-controlled trials.
“In comparison with usual care, honey was associated with a significantly greater reduction in combined symptom score, cough frequency, and cough severity. Adverse effects were not observed in most patients given honey, and they were relatively mild, such as nausea. Honey is a frequently used lay remedy that is well known to patients. When clinicians wish to prescribe for upper respiratory tract infections, 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,” concludes the team.