By Montoya Sigafoose, founder of Home Remedy Shop
The honey that calms a cough best is raw, dark and unprocessed. Buckwheat and manuka are the strongest choices, but a good local raw honey will do the job for most coughs. Supermarket "pure honey" that has been heated and filtered does far less.
Honey is the base of almost every cough remedy we share at Home Remedy Shop. Our guide to honey for cough covers how much to take and which honey works best, and most of our 20 homemade cough syrups start with a jar of it.
In my family, a spoon of honey has been the first answer to a cough for three generations. Here is how to choose the right jar.
Why honey helps a cough
Honey coats the back of the throat, which calms the tickle that keeps a dry cough going. It is naturally antibacterial, it carries the herbs you mix into it, and it is gentle enough for children over one year old. That is why a spoon at bedtime is one of the simplest ways to get a better night with a cough.
The honeys compared
How much honey to take
Adults: one to two teaspoons, up to five times a day, and a spoon at bedtime.
Children over 1: half to one teaspoon, especially before sleep.
Babies under 12 months: no honey at all, because of the risk of infant botulism.
Take it straight from the spoon, or stir it into warm (not boiling) water or tea so it keeps its enzymes.
Three ways to use it
Onion and honey syrup. Cover a sliced onion with raw honey in a jar, leave it for a few hours and take a teaspoon of the syrup.
Thyme and honey tea. Steep fresh thyme in hot water for 10 minutes, let it cool until warm and stir in a spoon of honey. Good for a wet cough.
Ginger, lemon and honey. Grate fresh ginger into warm water with lemon juice and honey for a cough with a sore throat.
Spotting good honey when you buy online
Look for raw or unpasteurised on the label.
Crystallising is a good sign. Raw honey naturally sets over time.
For manuka, always check the UMF or MGO rating. A jar without one is not proven manuka.
Buying from a local beekeeper usually gets you the freshest raw honey.
If a cough lasts more than three weeks or comes with breathing trouble, see a doctor.
FAQ
What are the most effective natural remedies for a persistent cough?
Dark raw honey such as buckwheat or manuka, combined with herbs that suit the cough: thyme for a wet cough, licorice or marshmallow root for a dry one.
How do you make a homemade cough syrup with kitchen ingredients?
Cover a sliced onion with raw honey, leave it for a few hours, then take a teaspoon of the syrup as needed.
Where can I buy quality ingredients for DIY cough remedies?
Raw honey from a local beekeeper or health shop, manuka with a UMF or MGO rating, and organic dried herbs from a herbalist.
What are the best over-the-counter home remedies for cough relief?
A good raw or manuka honey, honey-based herbal syrups with honey listed first, and ivy leaf or thyme syrups.
Montoya Sigafoose is the founder of Home Remedy Shop, where she shares natural remedies that have worked in her family for three generations.
