Honey for Cough and Sore Throat: What Trials Found
What trials and reviews found when honey was used for cough in children and adults, what is known about sore throat, and why honey is never for babies under 12 months.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Supplements can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read mushroom safety and interactions before you use any mushroom product.
Never give honey to a baby under 12 months. Honey can carry spores that cause infant botulism, a serious illness. [1][2] See Honey and Infant Botulism for the warning signs and where to get urgent help.
The question
Many families reach for honey when a child coughs at night. This page asks one thing: what did the trials and reviews we read actually find? It covers food honey (the kind used in the studies), not medical-grade honey wound dressings, which are a different product and a different question.What counts as evidence here
Most trials gave honey to children aged about 1 to 18 years with a cold or similar short illness and measured cough on symptom scales (in one trial, a survey of parents). [3] Ratings like these are useful but not objective, and many cough illnesses improve on their own. One major source on common colds notes that a cold is self-limited. [4]What the sources found
| Question | What the source found | Strength of evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Does honey ease acute cough in children? | A Cochrane review of 6 trials (899 children) found honey probably reduces cough frequency better than no treatment or placebo, with moderate-certainty evidence. The authors also say there was no strong evidence for or against using honey. [5] | Promising but limited |
| Is it better than cough medicine? | The same review found honey may have a similar effect to dextromethorphan (a cough suppressant) and may be better than diphenhydramine, both with low-certainty evidence. [5] | Promising but limited |
| Newer pooled analysis | A 2026 meta-analysis of 6 trials (576 children, average age 3 to 5, followed for 3 days) found no significant difference from medicines on most outcomes. Only the effect on the child's sleep favored honey in the main analysis. [6] | Promising but limited |
| Extra analyses | Those authors say a later sensitivity analysis suggesting honey was better on all outcomes should be regarded as hypothesis-generating rather than definitive. [6] | Insufficient evidence for a firm claim |
| One older trial | In 105 children, a single bedtime dose of honey scored better than no treatment for cough frequency; honey versus dextromethorphan showed no significant difference. [3] | Promising but limited |
| Adults with acute bronchitis | In a trial of 194 adults, days of moderate-to-severe cough were similar with honey and with usual care, and the authors concluded the treatments tested were ineffective. [7] | No good evidence of benefit (this trial) |
| Upper respiratory infections, all ages | A meta-analysis of 14 studies found honey improved symptom scores and cough compared with usual care; the authors call for better placebo-controlled trials. [8] | Promising but limited |
Sore throat
Proper evidence not found for honey as a food for sore throat. We searched PubMed for "honey sore throat" and for honey in respiratory infections, and the NHS sore throat page we read does not mention honey. [9] Studies of honey in combination products (for example with other ingredients) cannot tell us what honey alone does.What official health advice says
The NHS describes hot lemon and honey as having a similar effect to cough syrup but also says there is limited evidence that it helps, and marks it as not suitable for babies under 1 year. [10] A clinical review of the common cold lists honey, for children one year and older, among the few treatments with established safety and effect for children, and says over-the-counter cold medicines should not be used in children younger than four years. [4]Frequently asked questions
Does honey stop a cough in children?
Trials suggest honey may ease cough in children aged 1 and older better than no treatment or placebo, but a Cochrane review found no strong evidence either way, and most children were treated for about one night. [5]
Is honey safe for a baby with a cough?
No. Honey should not be given to babies younger than 12 months because of the risk of infant botulism. [10][2]
Is honey better than cough medicine?
Pooled results found honey to be similar to dextromethorphan and possibly better than diphenhydramine, but the evidence was low certainty. [5] A clinician or pharmacist can advise on cough medicines for a particular child.
Does honey work for sore throat?
Proper evidence not found. We searched for trials of honey alone for sore throat and did not find usable ones. [9]
Does honey help adults with a cough?
One trial in adults with acute bronchitis found no difference from usual care. [7] A wider review of respiratory infections found some benefit, with calls for better trials. [8]
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Safety and limits
- Age: honey is not for babies under 12 months. [11]
- Side effects: in the Cochrane review, stomach symptoms were reported in 12% of children given honey versus 11% given placebo (pooled risk ratio 1.91, 95% CI 1.12 to 3.24, moderate certainty), although the review overall found no difference in how often adverse events occurred between honey and comparison groups. Nervousness, insomnia and hyperactivity were seen in 9.3% of children given honey and 2.7% given dextromethorphan; the authors judged this evidence low-certainty. [5]
- Allergy: honey can rarely cause allergic reactions, including in people allergic to certain weed pollens. See Bee Product Allergy. [12]
- Sugar: honey is mainly sugars and water. [13] Ask a clinician if sugar intake matters for you or your child.
- See a clinician about a cough in a baby, trouble breathing, or a cough that lasts. The NHS page lists when to see a doctor. [10]
For other ingredients people use for coughs, see Natural Ingredients for Cough and Sore Throat. For honey in general, see Honey.
References
- NHS (UK). Botulism. Read 2026-10-22.
- MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, National Library of Medicine. Infant botulism. Read 2026-10-22.
- Effect of honey, dextromethorphan, and no treatment on nocturnal cough and sleep quality for coughing children and their parents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2007. PubMed 18056558. Read 2026-10-22.
- Treatment of the Common Cold. Am Fam Physician 2019. PubMed 31478634. Read 2026-10-22.
- Honey for acute cough in children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2018. PubMed 29633783. Read 2026-10-22.
- Honey vs. pharmacological treatment for acute cough in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Eur J Pediatr 2026. PubMed 42671586. Read 2026-10-22.
- Effectiveness of antitussives, anticholinergics, and honey versus usual care in adults with uncomplicated acute bronchitis: a multiarm randomized clinical trial. Fam Pract 2023. PubMed 36239199. Read 2026-10-22.
- Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Evid Based Med 2021. PubMed 32817011. Read 2026-10-22.
- NHS (UK). Sore throat. Read 2026-10-22.
- NHS (UK). Cough. Read 2026-10-22.
- World Health Organization. Botulism fact sheet. Read 2026-10-22.
- Anaphylaxis caused by artisanal honey in a child: a case report. J Med Case Rep 2021. PubMed 33985563. Read 2026-10-22.
- Honey as a Natural Flavorful Product: A Comprehensive Review of Its Potential Biological Activities and Recent Studies. Food Sci Nutr 2026. PubMed 42005332. Read 2026-10-22.