The cough-relieving effect of natural honey is actually greater than that of cough medicines

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　Humans have been harvesting honey for 8,000 years, and it has been used as a medicine for 4,000 years. Entering the Middle Ages, honey was used for healing wounds, treating ulcers, disinfection, and gargling; in modern times, its uses have expanded to include treating influenza, cataracts, glaucoma, and coughs – all based on methods derived from traditional medicine. 　　In recent years, many studies have been conducted on the medicinal properties of honey. In laboratory tests, honey has shown antibacterial effects, capable of inhibiting E. coli, Salmonella, and some drug-resistant bacteria, but this has not been confirmed in clinical trials. In terms of honey varieties, it seems that honey with a darker color has better antibacterial properties, which is beneficial for chain restaurant marketing. 　　Medihoney, made from New Zealand’s Manuka honey, was approved by the FDA in 2007 for the treatment of wounds and ulcers, but it cannot be used for burns as it causes pain at the wound site. 　　In the laboratory, honey does have some therapeutic effects on allergies; in the United States, some people have managed to overcome severe allergies by keeping bees and harvesting honey themselves, but there is no evidence from clinical trials yet. 　　For diabetics, although honey is natural, it is not better than white sugar or brown sugar; in fact, it contains more carbohydrates and calories. 　　In 2007, researchers from the School of Medicine at Pennsylvania State University in the United States conducted a randomized double-blind trial on the cough-relieving effects of honey. Previously, they found that the commonly used cough suppressant dextromethorphan showed no statistical difference compared to no treatment, and it also had side effects. In this trial, dextromethorphan in honey flavor was used as a control, along with a group that received no treatment at all. 105 children aged 2 to 18 years (with an average age of 5.22 years) were randomly divided into these three groups to compare the effects on reducing the frequency and severity of coughing as well as improving sleep after 24 hours; it was found that honey had the best effect, especially in reducing the frequency of coughing and improving the sleep of both children and their parents. 　　Regarding the effects of honey, researchers explain that one reason is the antioxidant properties in honey; another reason is that it isn’t honey itself that has the effect, but rather the natural sugars in it, which stimulate saliva and respiratory mucus secretion as well as provide relief from throat pain, thereby alleviating coughs, especially dry coughs. 　　The results of this trial generated a lot of reaction, with most responses being supportive; however, there were also objections, as from a statistical perspective the differences shown by this trial were not very significant. In particular, no statistical difference was observed when comparing honey and dextromethorphan, and moreover, this trial was funded by the **Honey Board. 　　In 2010, Iranian researchers confirmed the cough-suppressing effect of honey. The researchers randomly divided 139 children aged 2 to 5 years into 4 groups; 3 of these groups were given honey, dextromethorphan, and diphenhydramine respectively, while the fourth group received no treatment. It was found that after 24 hours, honey was significantly more effective than the other groups in reducing the frequency of coughing, improving the severity of coughing, and enhancing the sleep quality of both the children and their parents. 　　This trial was a randomized trial, not a double-blind study; therefore, its conclusions are not very convincing. 　　In 2012, Israeli researchers conducted a randomized double-blind trial in which 270 children aged 1 to 5 were divided randomly into 4 groups. Each group was given one of three different types of honey, as well as a liquid that resembled honey in color and taste and was used as a control. The results showed that, after 24 hours, the three types of honey were significantly more effective than the control group in reducing the frequency of coughs, improving the severity of coughs, and enhancing the sleep quality of both the children and their parents. 　　The aforementioned trials are the most well-designed and statistically sound, and their results are more convincing. 　　To date, the results of several existing clinical trials have all supported honey’s effectiveness in relieving coughs, with no negative findings reported; as a result, most authoritative bodies recognize honey’s ability to alleviate coughs. 　　Babies under one year old should not eat honey because it may contain spores of botulism, and infants under this age have an underdeveloped digestive system, which can lead to death. This situation is very rare, but due to its serious consequences, it is necessary to prevent infants under 1 year of age from consuming honey, as well as any foods that contain honey. 　　Honey’s effect in relieving coughs is certainly better than taking no medication at all; compared to cough medicines, it seems that honey is more effective. Due to the severe side effects of cough suppressants, there have been reports of children under 12 dying from their use; therefore, apart from not being suitable for children under 1 year old, honey is a very safe cough suppressant for children of other ages. 　　The several studies mentioned above all found that cough symptoms improved in the group that did not take medication, indicating that coughs caused by common illnesses such as the common cold are self-resolving symptoms resulting from the body’s own healing mechanisms. There is no need to take medication if it does not affect sleep or cause severe discomfort. 　　From a possible mechanism perspective, it seems that the relieving effect of natural sugars is more plausible; since many cough medicines contain natural sugars, they can also relieve coughs, or rather, their cough-relieving effect stems primarily from their sweetening components. 　　However, most of the honey sold on the market is not true honey; it is either fake products made from saccharin and similar substances or honey produced by feeding bees solely with white sugar, containing no detectable pollen – 76% of honey sold in the United States has no pollen detected in it. Furthermore, honey from sources such as China and India also contains antibiotics and heavy metals. Speaking of which, if the quality of the honey purchased cannot be guaranteed, it’s better to wait until coughing becomes so severe that it prevents sleep before using it