If mom gave you honey as a child whenever you had a cold, turns out she was very right in doing so. According to a new review of research published by Oxford doctors, honey’s antimicrobial properties allowed it to outperform the standard of care when addressing symptoms and reducing a cough’s severity.
The doctors recommend that honey should be tried before any antibiotics when treating upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). URTIs commonly include sore throat, congestion, coughing and a stuffy nose. The healing properties of honey have been used for thousands of years.
Honey is known to treat burns and prevent infection in wounds, Sky News reported. But while honey has a deep tradition as a home remedy, medical professionals have also adopted it: It’s now part of standard treatment for children’s chest colds. Yet, honey’s efficacy for treating adults with URTIs had not been thoroughly reviewed, until now.
The researchers noted that the overuse of antibiotics for treating URTIs is often due to doctors wrongly prescribing them to treat viral infections, which don’t respond to antibiotics. On the other hand, honey is cheap, easily found and poses no side effects for most people. Plus, it’s tasty and sweet!
