Is Honey More Effective for Coughing Than Medicine?
Experts Agree, but Caution: Different Types of Coughs Require Different Honeys
Over the weekend, reporters from major hospitals in Nanjing learned that as autumn approaches, the number of patients with coughs has significantly increased. For many citizens, if they have a cough and the symptoms are not severe, they usually go to a pharmacy to buy cough syrup. However, a recent new study from Israel shows that a better way to stop a cough is to drink honey. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) experts also state that using honey to treat coughs is an ancient practice in TCM.
A Study Shows Honey is More Effective for Coughs Than Syrup
Israeli researchers studied 300 children aged 1 to 5 who had a cold that had lasted for several days. They gave some children one teaspoon (10 grams) of honey, while others were given one teaspoon of syrup, but the children were not aware of which they were receiving. The results found that children who drank honey generally showed improvement in cold symptoms, with both their coughs and sleep quality improving. The results have been published in the medical journal "Pediatrics." The honey varieties used in the study included eucalyptus honey, citrus honey, and honey from plants like lavender or rosemary.
In response, Dr. Paul Ian, a pediatrician from Pennsylvania State University, pointed out that honey is rich in antioxidants, which can help fight infections caused by colds. Furthermore, the thicker the honey, the richer its antioxidant content. Regarding honey's cough-suppressing effect, Dr. Paul explained that honey's thick, sweet, and concentrated nature can increase saliva secretion, helping to expel phlegm and lubricate the respiratory tract.
According to a Reuters report, a study in Pennsylvania, USA, confirmed that children with colds who drink honey before bed can more effectively relieve their coughs than taking cough syrup, and they also sleep more soundly.
Honey for Coughs Has a Long History in Traditional Chinese Medicine
A physician explained that in TCM, honey is considered sweet and neutral in nature, and it is associated with the lung, spleen, and large intestine meridians in the twelve meridian system. Its main functions are to tonify the middle jiao, moisten dryness, relieve pain, detoxify, and stop coughs. Clinically, it is often used to treat patients with epigastric and abdominal pain due to deficiency, dry cough due to lung dryness, and constipation due to intestinal dryness. From a Western medicine perspective, honey has a strong inhibitory effect on Gram-positive bacteria such as streptococci, staphylococci, and diphtheria. If honey's cough-relieving effect is slightly superior to syrup, the main reason may be that it not only stops the cough but also moistens the lungs, offering a richer range of effects. Simply put, it treats the symptoms and also helps address the root cause.
The physician further explained that the use of honey for coughs in China has a long history. Many works on Chinese herbal medicine contain records of honey as an adjunct treatment for coughs. In many folk cough remedies in China, honey is also a common ingredient, and many people often combine it with pears, white radish, lilies, and other ingredients that moisten the lungs to make various kinds of therapeutic medicinal foods.
Honey is Not Suitable for Infants Under One Year Old
The physician explained that TCM typically classifies coughs into five patterns: wind-heat, wind-cold, phlegm-dampness, phlegm-heat, and yin deficiency with dry heat. Treatment varies according to the specific pattern. For example, osmanthus honey and acacia honey have heat-clearing and detoxifying effects and are suitable for patients with wind-heat coughs. Wolfberry honey has the effects of tonifying qi, nourishing the kidneys, and moistening the lungs, and it provides good auxiliary treatment for patients with coughs due to yin deficiency and dry heat. However, patients with phlegm-dampness-type coughs should not use it excessively because honey is not suitable for those with epigastric bloating and a thick, greedy tongue coating due to dampness obstructing the middle jiao.
Additionally, experts specially remind that infants under one year of age should not eat honey. Because during its production, transportation, and storage, honey can easily be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. Infants have weak immune systems, and after ingesting the bacteria, it can multiply in their intestines and produce toxins. As their liver's detoxification function is also poor, they are prone to botulism. Infants under six months are even more susceptible to this disease.