Honey for a Sore Throat: Good or Bad? -

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(Last Updated On: November 17, 2018)

Sore throat refers to the painful, scratchy and irritated throat. It makes it difficult to swallow food and drinks [1].

If you feel pain when you swallow your food, you have a sore throat. Although it’s not a serious condition, it can make you feel uncomfortable.

This problem can affect any age. People with greater risk are the following:

children,
people who smoke,
people who have allergies,
people with weak immune system and
people who work in environments that expose them to other infected people [2]

It can also make talking difficult. Often, it goes away without treatment.

You’re lucky if it does.

There are cases in which it leads to a more serious infection. Thus, it’s important that you relieve a sore throat with the help of natural remedies such as honey.

Causes and Symptoms of a Sore Throat

The reason behind a sore throat can be either viral or bacterial infection or some other factors.

Viral infection. Most of the sore throats that people experience today are due to a viral infection.

Cold
Flu
Mononucleosis
Chickenpox
Croup
Measles

Bacterial infection

It’s also possible for bacterial strains to infect the throat and cause pain.

Strep throat (caused by Streptococcus pyogenes)
Diphtheria
A whooping cough

Other factors

If viruses and bacteria are not the culprits, it may be any of the following factors causing throat pain:

Allergy to pollen, dust mites, and chemicals cause accumulation of mucus in the throat. It causes pain and inflammation
Dry air that can make the throat feel irritated
Cigarette smoking
Talking in a loud voice that can strain the throat
Medical conditions like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) [3]

Apart from having a painful throat, there are other symptoms that you should know about:

Throat dryness
Swollen lymph nodes
White patches on tonsils
Hoarse voice [2]

Properties of Honey

Honey is a sweet substance that’s made when bees collect nectar and store it in honeycombs [4].

Throughout history, it has been popular for its medicinal properties. A cave painting found in Valencia, Spain shows that humans have begun collecting honey about 8,000 years ago [5].

Honey has natural sugars, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and antioxidants. It also has various therapeutic purposes [4].

Honey’s antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing activities are quite beneficial. [4].

Its antimicrobial properties are quite strong. It can fight even antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains [4]. Most of these pharmacological effects are due to the fructose, glucose, and antioxidants that you can find in honey [4].

Honey has gained worldwide recognition for its role in complementary and alternative medicine [4].

For problems like a sore throat, honey can be your go-to solution. It’s not only inexpensive, but it’s also effective and safe. With its sweet taste, even children would love to use it to relieve the pain in their throats.

How Honey Combats a Sore Throat

Honey can combat a sore throat and provide you the relief that you’re looking for.

Here are the various ways it can resolve this common respiratory condition.

1. Honey can combat allergies

As mentioned earlier, allergies are some of the most common cause of a sore throat.

It’s a good thing, honey can help control allergies.

A study that conducted in 2013 shows how high dosage of honey treated allergic rhinitis in 40 patients [6]. The participants consumed either honey or placebo for a period of four weeks [6].

Those who consumed honey showed improvement in allergies, and a sore throat [6].

2. It fights harmful microorganisms

It is a well-known fact that honey is a strong antiviral and antibacterial agent. Since most sore throats are due to viral and bacterial infections, honey can help in this matter.

A study confirms that honey has the ability to inactivate microbes. It can also prevent them from causing further infection [7].

3. Honey boosts the immune defense

Another way honey helps in solving this problem is by strengthening the body’s immune defense.

Honey is rich in essential nutrients and antioxidants. Thus, it can power up the immune resistance. Then it will be more difficult for harmful pathogens to cause illness [8].

4. It tones down inflammation

The primary reason there’s a pain in the throat is the inflammation. This can be healed, thanks to honey’s anti-inflammatory activities. Honey can inhibit pro-inflammatory enzymes to tone down swelling in the throat [9, 10].

6 Ways to Use Honey for Sore Throat

Here are the remedies that you can try if you’d like to use honey to treat throat pain and inflammation.

1. Honey and Apple Cider Vinegar

The importance of apple cider vinegar in your everyday life is uncountable. It solves many health problems for you. It won’t be a surprise to know that apple cider vinegar is useful in treating your sore throat as well.

So what actually makes apple cider vinegar and honey a good remedy for a sore throat? It’s the acidic content of the apple cider vinegar. It has a high range of acidic contents. These components help to treat your sore throat faster by killing all the germs and bacteria.

The following remedy will clear your throat and relieve it from the infection.

How to use apple cider vinegar:

You will need a cup of water, two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and one tablespoon of raw honey.

Heat the water and combine the raw honey with it. Next, add the apple cider vinegar and mix well. Drink this mixture while it’s still warm. Drink it twice a day until you get relief from the problem.

You can also use this same mixture for gargling as that will be quite beneficial in this case as well.

2. Honey and Lemon Juice

Lemon juice contains vitamin C. It’s an effective way to combat respiratory infections like those that cause a sore throat.

An easy way of using lemon juice:

Take 1 glass of warm water, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of honey.

Add lemon juice and honey to warm water. Mix well. Drink the mixture in the morning and before going to bed. Do this every day until throat pain and swelling subside.

3. Honey and Cinnamon

One of the oldest remedies for a sore throat is the combination of honey and cinnamon. This combination is also great for other respiratory ailments.

Here is a simple method of using cinnamon:

Boil 1 cup of water in a pot. Add honey and cinnamon and stir well. Remove from heat and let it steep for 15 minutes. Drink slowly the concoction. Follow this remedy once a day for up to one week.

4. Honey and Ginger

Ginger can tone down inflammation and fight microorganisms that cause infection. Thus, it’s good for a painful throat.

Learn how you may use ginger:

In a pot, bring 1 cup of water to boil. Add 1 teaspoon of grated ginger. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the stove and strain the mixture. Stir in 1 tablespoon of honey. Drink this tea once or twice a day for up to two weeks.

5. Honey and Turmeric

Also an effective anti-inflammatory, turmeric can help soothe a sore throat.

A simple method of using turmeric:

Put 1 cup of water in a pot, and boil. Add 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder. Simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the stove and strain the powder. Mix in 1 tablespoon of honey.

Drink this turmeric and honey tea every day for one to two weeks, or until condition gets better.

6. Honey and Onion Juice

Onion juice is a quick way to ease the pain and discomfort of a sore throat.

How to use onion juice:

Chop 1 onion into small pieces. Put in a jar with a lid. Add 1 tablespoon of honey and mix well. Store the mixture in the refrigerator. Chill for 24 hours.

The next day, take one tablespoon of the liquid. Do this every day until a sore throat is gone.

7. Honey and Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea has soothing effects on the throat to tone down soreness and swelling.

Learn how you may use chamomile tea:

Boil 2 cups of water in a pot. Add 2 tablespoons of chamomile leaves. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat. Cover and let it steep for 15 more minutes. Strain the mixture. Add 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Mix well.

Drink this tea twice a day for one to two weeks or until swollen throat tones down.

When Do You Need to Consult a Doctor?

A sore throat is quite painful which you want to get rid of as soon as possible. These home remedies can soothe your symptoms. But if you see the following symptoms, you must make an appointment with a doctor: