Quick answer: Honey is one of the few cough remedies with guideline backing. The UK's NICE guidance on acute cough lists honey as a self care option for adults and children over one, and a 2021 systematic review found honey reduced the severity of a cough that lingers after a viral infection in adults. It soothes the cough. It doesn't treat the infection, and it isn't suitable for babies under 12 months.
Why does a cough linger after a cold or flu?
The virus can be gone while the cough carries on. Your airways stay irritated and sensitive for a while after the infection clears, so the cough can hang around for weeks after you otherwise feel fine. That's the stage where people start looking for something gentle to take every day, and where honey has the most to offer.
What does the evidence say about honey for coughs?
The NICE guideline on acute cough suggests honey as a self care step for people over one year old, before reaching for other remedies.
A 2021 rapid systematic review of honeybee products for viral respiratory infections found that honey reduced the severity of persistent cough after an infection in adults. The same review is honest about the limits: honey didn't give immediate relief for an acute cough, and it didn't change how quickly people recovered from a throat infection. That matches how we'd describe it. Honey eases a cough over days. It isn't a cure.
Is Trigona honey different from regular honey for a cough?
Trigona honey is made by stingless bees that store it in pots built from propolis and wax, so it carries more propolis than honey from European honeybees. It's also more acidic, with a pH of 3.2 to 4.5 against 3.9 to 6.1 for regular honey, which is part of its sour taste. Between 13% and 44% of its sugars are trehalulose, a rare sugar with roughly a third of the glycaemic impact of table sugar.
What we won't claim is that Trigona honey has been specifically trialled for post viral cough. The cough research above is on honey in general. If you want to read the studies on stingless bee honey itself, we've collected them on our research page.
How do you take honey for a cough?
- A spoonful straight from the jar, a few times a day, coats the throat best.
- In a drink, let it cool to lukewarm, around 30 to 37°C, before stirring the honey in. Raw honey's enzymes start to decline above about 40°C.
- Before bed is when a cough tends to be worst, so that's a good time for a spoonful.
For a scratchy throat during the day, Trigona Propolis Spray goes straight to the back of the throat: 2 to 4 pumps, as often as you need. It suits children over one as well.
When should you see a doctor about a cough?
Honey is for a cough that's annoying, not one that's worrying. See a doctor if your cough lasts more than three weeks, if you're coughing up blood, if you're short of breath or have chest pain, or if a high fever won't settle. The same goes for any cough in a baby under one, who shouldn't have honey at all.
Frequently asked questions
Does honey help a cough after a cold?
For many adults, yes. A 2021 systematic review found honey reduced the severity of a cough that persists after a viral infection, though it didn't provide immediate relief for an acute cough.
Is stingless bee honey good for a cough?
Stingless bee honey is honey, so the general evidence for honey and cough applies. It also carries more propolis than regular honey. There are no trials we know of testing stingless bee honey specifically for post viral cough.
Can children take honey for a cough?
Children over 12 months can. Babies under 12 months should never be given honey of any kind.
Should honey go in hot tea for a cough?
Let the tea cool to lukewarm first. Above about 40°C raw honey starts losing enzymes, and near boiling destroys most of them.
Keep a jar of Raw Trigona Honey (Active 25+) by the kettle and take a spoonful before bed while the cough lasts.