Honey and the Common Cold

Maryland family doctor Ariane Cometa, MD, who describes herself as a holistic practitioner, likes to use a buckwheat honey-based syrup to ease early symptoms of a cold. She says it calms inflamed membranes and eases a cough -- the latter claim supported by a few studies.

In a study that involved 139 children, honey beat out dextromethorphan (a cough suppressant) and diphenhydramine (an antihistamine) in easing nighttime cough in children and improving their sleep.

Another study involving 105 children found that buckwheat honey trumped dextromethorphan in suppressing nighttime coughs.

"If you're suffering from a cold or something going on in the throat or upper airways, getting on board with honey syrup will help fight infection and soothe membranes," says Cometa, who also recommends a buckwheat honey-based allergy medicine.

A new study has found that eating honey reduces the duration of the common cold; more specifically, eating two ounces of honey a day reduces the length of the common cold by up two days.

The researchers, from Jahrom University of Medical Science in Iran recruited men and women within 24 hours of catching a cold.

All 60 patients were given traditional therapies - such as decongestants and anti-pyretics (drugs to lower a temperature) - but half of them were also given a dose of honey - two ounces (around four tablespoons) - every day.

Researchers monitored a range of symptoms including a runny nose, muscle pain, fever, coughing and sneezing. They did not know who had been given the honey.

At the end of the study, which was reported in the Archives of Medical Research, the researchers found a significant difference in duration of all symptoms, with the honey group faring much better. It's thought that this is due to compounds in honey such as phenolic acid and flavonoids. 

Research paper details:

Pourahmad M, Sobhanian S. Effect of honey on the common cold. Archives of Medical Research Vol 40, Issue 3, April 2009, Pages 224-225