Raw Honey for Sore Throats & Cold Symptoms: What the Science Actually Says

A 2007 study in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine compared buckwheat honey directly to dextromethorphan, the active ingredient in most over-the-counter cough syrups. Honey performed better. That study got attention at the time, and the research that followed has mostly backed it up.

Quick answer: Honey is one of the best-supported home remedies for coughs and sore throats from colds. A 2018 Cochrane review found honey eases children’s coughs better than no treatment, placebo or diphenhydramine, and a 2021 review in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine found the same for adults and children with upper respiratory infections. Take 1 to 2 teaspoons, straight or in warm tea, up to a few times a day and before bed. Never give honey to babies under 1.

This is not folk medicine running on hope. There are real mechanisms. Understanding them helps you use raw honey more effectively, and know when it is the right tool.

Does honey actually work for coughs?

Yes, and the evidence is unusually strong for a home remedy.

A Cochrane Review by Oduwole et al. (the most rigorous type of systematic evidence assessment in medicine) analyzed multiple clinical trials on honey for cough in children with upper respiratory infections. The conclusion: honey probably relieves cough better than no treatment, diphenhydramine or placebo, and may help nighttime sleep. It did about as well as dextromethorphan.

Adults have been studied too. A 2021 systematic review in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine by Hibatullah Abuelgasim and colleagues at Oxford pooled 14 trials and found honey improved cough frequency and severity compared with usual care for upper respiratory infections.

How it works: honey forms a physical coating over irritated throat tissue, which reduces the cough reflex. Its sweetness may also calm the cough reflex through nerves shared between taste and cough pathways, a theory researchers have proposed to explain why sugary syrups help a little too.

For children under 12 months, honey is never safe (regardless of type or reason). For children over one year and for adults, 1-2 teaspoons before bed is the dose used in most studies.

Is raw honey better than store-bought for a cold?

Not all honey is the same. This matters more than people realize.

Raw honey contains multiple compounds that get reduced or destroyed by the heat and processing used in commercial honey.

Enzymes. Raw honey contains amylase and invertase, enzymes that begin breaking down starches and complex sugars as soon as they touch your mouth. These enzymes are heat-sensitive and are largely destroyed in commercial processing. Some research suggests these enzymes have digestive benefits, though this is one of the more contested claims.

Antioxidants. Honey is rich in antioxidants — particularly flavonoids and phenolic acids — that protect cells from free radical damage. Heat and processing reduce antioxidant content. Long, hot processing changes honey’s chemistry, though some browning compounds formed by heat are antioxidants too.

Antimicrobial compounds. Honey’s antimicrobial power comes partly from hydrogen peroxide production (via the enzyme glucose oxidase) and partly from other compounds like methylglyoxal. Processing reduces these too.

Prebiotic fiber. Raw honey contains oligosaccharides, a type of prebiotic that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. These are partially broken down during processing.

The practical takeaway: the cough studies used several kinds of honey, not only raw, and all of them helped. Raw honey keeps more of its natural enzymes and flavor, which is why it’s what we recommend, but any honey will coat a sore throat.

What kind of honey is best for colds?

Darker varieties generally outperform lighter ones for this purpose.

Buckwheat honey in particular has been studied more than others and consistently shows high antioxidant content and strong antimicrobial activity. A 2018 study in Food Chemistry compared buckwheat honey with manuka and found buckwheat had strong antioxidant activity and antibacterial effects comparable in some tests to manuka. This matches what traditional remedies have pointed toward for a long time: reach for the darker, stronger stuff when you are sick.

That said, any raw honey is considerably better than heavily processed supermarket honey. If wildflower is what you have, use it.

How much honey should you take when you’re sick?

Based on clinical studies:

Adults and children over 5: 1–2 teaspoons, up to four times daily. For nighttime cough specifically, one dose about 30 minutes before bed.

Children ages 1–5: ½ to 1 teaspoon, up to three times daily.

Children under 12 months: None. This restriction is absolute.

Dissolving honey in warm (not hot) water or tea is fine and helps with hydration. Wait until the liquid has cooled to a comfortable drinking temperature before adding the honey. Above roughly 95°F (the natural temperature inside a working hive) you start degrading the enzymes you want to preserve.

What honey remedies are worth making at home?

Honey and warm water: The most straightforward option. One to two teaspoons in 8 oz of warm water. Add lemon if you want; the vitamin C is helpful, and the acidity can assist with thinning mucus slightly.

Honey, ginger, and lemon syrup: Combine in a clean jar: ½ cup raw honey (buckwheat if you have it), a 2-inch piece of fresh ginger thinly sliced, the juice of one lemon, and a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional but useful for congestion). Let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours, shaking occasionally. Strain. Take 1–2 teaspoons as needed. Refrigerate and use within two weeks.

Ginger contains gingerols and shogaols, compounds studied for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. It also tastes warming, which is half the comfort of a hot drink when you’re sick.

Honey and thyme infusion: Steep one tablespoon of fresh thyme in one cup of hot water for 10 minutes. Strain, let it cool to warm, stir in honey. Thyme contains thymol, which acts as both an expectorant and antispasmodic, good for productive coughs. The European Medicines Agency has formally recognized thyme preparations for traditional use in respiratory conditions, based on at least 30 years of documented use.

Fire cider: For a bolder tonic, try fire cider, a folk recipe of apple cider vinegar steeped with horseradish, garlic, ginger and hot peppers, finished with raw honey.

What won’t honey do for a cold?

• It will not shorten the duration of a cold or flu. No study has shown that.
• It will not prevent illness. The antioxidants in honey are real—they are not a shield.
• It will not replace medical care when that is actually what you need. Seek medical attention if symptoms persist beyond 10 days, if fever exceeds 101°F (38.3°C), or if breathing difficulties occur. Honey is a good tool for symptom management. It is not a substitute for antibiotics when those are genuinely indicated.

Frequently asked questions

Is honey or cough syrup better for a cough?

For children over 1 with a cold, studies found honey did as well as dextromethorphan and better than diphenhydramine or no treatment. For adults, a 2021 review found honey beat usual care. Honey has fewer side effects, but see a doctor for a cough lasting more than three weeks.

Does hot water destroy the benefits of honey?

Very hot water breaks down honey’s enzymes but doesn’t make it unsafe, and it still coats your throat. Let tea cool to drinking temperature before stirring in honey to keep more of its enzymes.

Can honey cure a cold?

No. Honey eases cough and sore throat symptoms, but no study shows it shortens a cold or the flu. Rest, fluids and time do that.

How often can I take honey for a sore throat?

Most studies used 1 to 2 teaspoons a dose, often before bed, and up to three or four times a day is reasonable for adults. Remember it adds sugar, about 21 calories a teaspoon.

Is buckwheat honey best for coughs?

Buckwheat honey was the honey in the well-known 2007 Penn State study, and it is rich in antioxidants. Other honeys also worked in later studies, so use what you have.

Sources

• Paul IM et al. “Effect of honey, dextromethorphan, and no treatment on nocturnal cough and sleep quality for coughing children and their parents.” Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 2007. PubMed
• Oduwole O et al. “Honey for acute cough in children.” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018. PubMed
• Abuelgasim H et al. “Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, 2021. PubMed
• Deng J et al. “Biochemical properties, antibacterial and cellular antioxidant activities of buckwheat honey in comparison to manuka honey.” Food Chemistry, 2018. PubMed
• European Medicines Agency, community herbal monograph on thyme (Thymus vulgaris).

Why does local raw honey matter here?

At Nettie’s Bees, we keep honey below 95°F throughout extraction and bottling. That is the temperature of a working hive. The reason is simple: the compounds that make raw honey useful are temperature-sensitive, and once you pasteurize, you lose them.

Different seasons and different floral sources produce different honeys. Late-summer and fall honeys here tend to be darker, and darker honeys generally carry more of the plant compounds researchers study.

If you are stocking up specifically for cold season, look for late-summer or fall harvest honey, and favor darker varieties—buckwheat if you can find it. Wildflower is a solid fallback.

For educational purposes only. If you have serious or persistent symptoms, speak with a healthcare provider.