Honey may be more effective for treating respiratory symptoms than antibiotics, study claims

(Source independent.co.uk) Honey may be more effective at treating respiratory symptoms than prescribed antibiotics, a study has claimed. Upper respiratory tract infections impact the nose, throat, larynx and bronchi, the large air passages that lead from the windpipe to the lungs. Examples of Upper respiratory tract infections include the common cold, tonsillitis and laryngitis, while the flu can be an upper or a lower respiratory tract infection. Although honey is frequently used as a home remedy to treat coughs and colds among children and adults, its efficacy as a remedy for Upper respiratory tract infections among adults has not been systemically reviewed. Researchers from the University of Oxford decided to conduct an investigation into the topic, assessing 14 clinical trials that compared honey and other forms of treatment that included it as an ingredient, including antihistamines, cough suppressants and painkillers.

According to the data, which featured 1,761 participants of different ages, honey was deemed a more effective form of treatment that other forms of usual care for relieving respiratory symptoms, particularly when it came to coughing.