Is it true that honey calms coughs better than cough medicine does?

Answer From Pritish K. Tosh, M.D.

Drinking tea or warm lemon water mixed with honey is a time-honored way to soothe a sore throat. But honey alone may be an effective cough suppressant, too.

In one study, children ages 1 to 5 with upper respiratory tract infections were given up to 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) of honey at bedtime. The honey seemed to reduce nighttime coughing and improve sleep.

In fact, in the study, honey appeared to be as effective as a common cough suppressant ingredient, dextromethorphan, in typical over-the-counter doses. Since honey is low-cost and widely available, it might be worth a try.

However, due to the risk of infant botulism, a rare but serious form of food poisoning, never give honey to a child younger than age 1.

And remember: Coughing isn't all bad. It helps clear mucus from your airway. If you or your child is otherwise healthy, there's usually no reason to suppress a cough.

With

Pritish K. Tosh, M.D.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

Aug. 06, 2020 See more Expert Answers

See also

  1. Acute bronchitis: Is it contagious?
  2. Acute sinusitis
  3. Acute sinusitis: Do over-the-counter treatments help?
  4. Adjuvant therapy for cancer
  5. Albuterol side effects
  6. Allergies
  7. Allergy medications: Know your options
  8. Allergy-proof your home
  9. Aortic aneurysm
  10. Asbestosis
  11. Ascariasis
  12. Asthma attack
  13. Asthma: Colds and flu
  14. Atelectasis
  15. Atypical cells: Are they cancer?
  16. Avoid rebound nasal congestion
  17. Barrett's esophagus
  18. Barrett's Study Results
  19. Bile reflux
  20. Biopsy procedures
  21. Bird flu (avian influenza)
  22. Blood tests for heart disease
  23. Aortic surgery: What patients need to know — Mayo Clinic
  24. Treating Pericarditis
  25. Video: Valve-sparing aortic root replacement
  26. Bronchitis
  27. Can chicken soup cure a cold?
  28. COVID-19 and vitamin D
  29. Can vitamins help prevent a heart attack?
  30. Cancer
  31. Cancer
  32. Cancer blood tests
  33. Myths about cancer causes
  34. Infographic: Cancer Clinical Trials Offer Many Benefits
  35. Cancer diagnosis: 11 tips for coping
  36. Cancer-related fatigue
  37. Cancer pain: Relief is possible
  38. Cancer risk: What the numbers mean
  39. Cancer surgery
  40. Cancer survival rate
  41. Cancer survivors: Care for your body after treatment
  42. Cancer survivors: Late effects of cancer treatment
  43. Cancer survivors: Managing your emotions after cancer treatment
  44. Cancer treatment myths
  45. Cardiac asthma: What causes it?
  46. Infographic: Cardiac sarcoidosis: A heart under attack
  47. Castleman disease
  48. Chelation therapy for heart disease: Does it work?
  49. Chemotherapy side effects: A cause of heart disease?
  50. Chicken soup: Can it treat a cold?
  51. COPD
  52. Chronic sinusitis
  53. Churg-Strauss syndrome
  54. Cold and flu viruses: How long can they live outside the body?
  55. Cold or allergy: Which is it?
  56. Cold remedies
  57. Cold symptoms: Does drinking milk increase phlegm?
  58. Common cold
  59. Common cold in babies
  60. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
  61. COVID-19: How can I protect myself?
  62. Cough
  63. Herd immunity and coronavirus
  64. COVID-19 and pets
  65. COVID-19 and your mental health
  66. COVID-19, cold, allergies and the flu
  67. COVID-19 drugs: Are there any that work?
  68. Long-term effects of COVID-19
  69. COVID-19 in babies and children
  70. Coronavirus infection by race
  71. COVID-19 travel advice
  72. COVID-19 vaccines for kids: What you need to know
  73. COVID-19 vaccines
  74. COVID-19 variant
  75. COVID-19 vs. flu: Similarities and differences
  76. COVID-19: Who's at higher risk of serious symptoms?
  77. Croup
  78. Curcumin: Can it slow cancer growth?
  79. Daily aspirin therapy
  80. Debunking coronavirus myths
  81. Cancer-related diarrhea
  82. Different COVID-19 vaccines
  83. Dilated cardiomyopathy
  84. Does zinc work for colds?
  85. Dust mite allergy
  86. Dysphagia
  87. Early HIV symptoms: What are they?
  88. Eating during cancer treatment: Tips to make food tastier
  89. Egg allergy
  90. Ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis
  91. Enlarged heart
  92. Esophageal cancer
  93. Esophageal Cancer
  94. Esophagitis
  95. Fasting diet: Can it improve my heart health?
  96. Fight coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission at home
  97. Flu masks
  98. Flu shots
  99. Flu shots and heart disease
  100. Flu: When to see a doctor?
  101. Flu vaccine: Safe for people with egg allergy?
  102. Football Spinal Cord Injury - The Chris Norton Story
  103. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  104. GERD: Can certain medications make it worse?
  105. Goiter
  106. Granulomatosis with polyangiitis
  107. Grass-fed beef
  108. Group B strep disease
  109. H1N1 flu (swine flu)
  110. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome
  111. Have a cold? Common sense rules
  112. Have a cold? Fight back with humidity
  113. Have a cold? Fight it with fluids
  114. Healthy eating: One step at a time
  115. Healthy Heart for Life!
  116. Heart cancer: Is there such a thing?
  117. Heart disease
  118. Heart disease in women: Understand symptoms and risk factors
  119. Heart failure
  120. Heart failure and sex: Is it safe?
  121. Heart-healthy diet: 8 steps to prevent heart disease
  122. Heart murmurs
  123. Heartburn medicines and B-12 deficiency
  124. High-dose flu vaccines: How are they different from other flu vaccines?
  125. High-dose vitamin C: Can it kill cancer cells?
  126. Histoplasmosis
  127. HIV/AIDS
  128. Hodgkin's lymphoma (Hodgkin's disease)
  129. Hodgkin's vs. non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: What's the difference?
  130. Holiday Heart
  131. How do COVID-19 antibody tests differ from diagnostic tests?
  132. How well do face masks protect against COVID-19?
  133. Humidifier care 101
  134. Humidifiers
  135. Influenza (flu)
  136. Interstitial lung disease
  137. Is hydroxychloroquine a treatment for COVID-19?
  138. Laryngitis
  139. What causes laryngospasm?
  140. Legionnaires' disease
  141. Low blood counts
  142. Lung cancer
  143. Infographic: Lung Cancer
  144. Lung Cancer
  145. Lung nodules: Can they be cancerous?
  146. Mayo Clinic Minute: You're washing your hands all wrong
  147. Mayo Clinic Minute: How dirty are common surfaces?
  148. Measles
  149. Measles vaccine: Can I get the measles if I've already been vaccinated?
  150. Menus for heart-healthy eating
  151. Mesothelioma
  152. Milk allergy
  153. Mitral valve stenosis
  154. Monoclonal antibody drugs
  155. Mort Crim and Cancer
  156. Mouth sores caused by cancer treatment: How to cope
  157. Nasal Cleaning
  158. Neti pot: Can it clear your nose?
  159. No appetite? How to get nutrition during cancer treatment
  160. Nonallergic rhinitis
  161. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
  162. Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health
  163. He's the bravest kid I've ever seen
  164. Omega-3 in fish
  165. Omega-6 fatty acids
  166. Opera Star's Surgery
  167. Pectus excavatum
  168. Pectus excavatum
  169. Pericardial effusion
  170. Pericarditis
  171. Pet allergy
  172. Pleurisy
  173. Plugged ears: What is the remedy?
  174. Pneumonia
  175. Pneumonitis
  176. Polypill: Does it treat heart disease?
  177. Pregnancy and COVID-19
  178. Protein: Heart-healthy sources
  179. Pulmonary edema
  180. Pulmonary embolism
  181. Pulmonary fibrosis
  182. Put fish on the menu
  183. Recurrent breast cancer
  184. Red wine, antioxidants and resveratrol
  185. Researchers Develop New Stents for Complex Aortic Aneurysms
  186. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
  187. Roseola
  188. Safe outdoor activities during the COVID-19 pandemic
  189. Safety tips for attending school during COVID-19
  190. Sarcoidosis
  191. Self-care for the flu
  192. Self-Image During Cancer
  193. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
  194. Sex and COVID-19
  195. Sinus headaches
  196. Sinus infection and toothache: Any connection?
  197. Sjogren's syndrome
  198. Radiation simulation
  199. Small cell, large cell cancer: What this means
  200. Spinal cord injury
  201. Stevens-Johnson syndrome
  202. Heart disease prevention
  203. Stuffy nose? Try saline spray
  204. Super Survivor Conquers Cancer
  205. Thoracic aortic aneurysm
  206. Throat cancer
  207. Treating COVID-19 at home
  208. Tuberculosis
  209. Tuberous sclerosis
  210. Tumor vs. cyst: What's the difference?
  211. Unusual symptoms of coronavirus
  212. Valley fever
  213. Vascular rings
  214. Vicks VapoRub: An effective nasal decongestant?
  215. Asthma attack video
  216. Cryotherapy
  217. Video: Heart and circulatory system
  218. How cancer spreads
  219. PICC line placement
  220. Radiofrequency ablation
  221. Vitamin C: Can it prevent colds?
  222. Walking pneumonia
  223. Warm-mist versus cool-mist humidifier: Which is better for a cold?
  224. Heart failure action plan
  225. What is MERS-CoV?
  226. What's the difference between H1N1 flu and influenza A?
  227. When cancer returns: How to cope with cancer recurrence
  228. Whipple's disease
  229. Whooping cough
  230. Whooping cough
  231. Infographic: Women and Heart Disease
  232. Do zinc supplements shorten colds?