Honey found a better treatment for upper respiratory tract infections than traditional remedies

A trio of researchers at the University of Oxford have found that honey is a better treatment for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) than traditional remedies. In her paper published in BMJ Evidence-based Medicine, Hibatullah Abuelgasim, Charlotte Albury, and Joseph Lee describe their study of the results of multiple clinical trials involving tests of treatments for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) and what they learned from the data.

In the past several years, the medical community alarm has grown as bacteria have developed resistance to antibacterial agents. Some studies have found that over-prescribing such remedies slows the pace. Of particular concern are antibacterial prescriptions written for ailments that are unlikely to help, simply by asking patients. One such case is often URTIs, most of which are caused by viruses, not bacteria. Because of such cases, scientists have been looking for other remedies for these infections, and one therapy in particular has begun to emerge: honey.

Anecdotal evidence has suggested that honey can be used to treat colds in general and coughs in particular – people have been using it as a therapy for thousands of years. In this new effort, the researchers looked at the results of multiple clinical trials testing the effectiveness of therapies against URTIs. In all, the team looked at data from 14 clinical studies involving 1,761 patients.

Analyzing the data of all combined trials, the researchers found that the trials included surveys of virtually all traditional remedies, such as cold and sinus medicines, such as antibiotics – and honey. They found that honey proved to be the best therapy among all those tests. In addition to being proven more effective in treating coughs (36 percent better at reducing coughs and 44 percent better at reducing cough), it also led to a reduction in the average duration of infection by two days.

The researchers note that the reason honey works as a treatment for URTIs is because it contains hydrogen peroxide – a known killer for bacteria – which also makes it useful as a topical treatment for cuts and scrapes. Honey is also of the right consistency – its thickness works to coat the mouth and throat, soothing irritation.

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