Coughing is a common symptom of a cold, and honey is known for its cough-relieving properties, so many people drink honey to alleviate cough symptoms when they have a cold. Here, we want to remind everyone that it is best not to take cold medicine with honey.
You should not take honey with cold medicine. Many cold medicines, such as Tylenol, Quick Cold, Gan Lik, Ganmao Qing, etc., contain the analgesic and antipyretic drug acetaminophen. When it comes into contact with honey, it forms a complex that affects the body's absorption rate, thereby reducing its fever-reducing effect.
Honey has the effect of moistening the lungs and relieving coughs, making it suitable for dry coughs due to lung dryness. If you have a cough with little phlegm, thick phlegm, or a dry cough with no phlegm, you can drink it dissolved in water. However, it is not advisable to take honey while taking fever-reducing medicine or cold medicines containing fever-reducing ingredients. Many cold medicines, such as Tylenol, Quick Cold, Gan Lik, Ganmao Qing, etc., contain the analgesic and antipyretic drug acetaminophen. When it comes into contact with honey, it forms a complex that affects the body's absorption rate, thereby reducing its fever-reducing effect. Similarly, traditional Chinese patent medicines containing honey, such as cough syrups and Chuanpi Loquat Paste, should not be taken with the aforementioned cold medicines. Additionally, honey primarily relieves coughs by moistening the lungs. Coughs caused by colds are often due to external factors and are not suitable for nourishing treatment, so it is best not to drink honey.