A single bedtime dose of honey beat a leading cough medicine in children with colds.
Thick natural sugars that coat the throat, plus antioxidant phenolics
The WHO recognises honey as a soothing remedy for cough and sore throat in children over 12 months.
Natural sugars and thickness that work as a demulcent, a soothing coating
Honey improved upper respiratory infection symptoms better than usual care.
Hydrogen peroxide (released by the enzyme glucose oxidase) and phenolic compounds
In lab tests, manuka honey stopped the influenza virus from replicating.
Natural bioactive compounds in manuka honey
Honey switched on the body's first line of defence, the innate immune response.
Natural bioactive compounds; the study did not single out one
Honey cut pollution-driven lung inflammation (IL-8) by over 70%.
Phenolics and flavonoids, such as gallic acid and chrysin
Honey's antioxidants were absorbed into the blood and raised its antioxidant capacity.
Bioavailable phenolics and flavonoids
Honey's polyphenols help neutralise free radicals from heavy metals and industrial dust.
Chrysin, pinocembrin and phenolic acids
Honey triggered a controlled immune signal that speeds up tissue repair.
Floral phytochemical factors
Honey is not a substitute for quitting smoking.
12 weeks of honey improved the antioxidant status of chronic smokers.
Natural polyphenols and antioxidants
Honey reduced lung inflammation in rats exposed to cigarette smoke.
Non-peroxide bioactive fractions
Most of us eat far more refined sugar than we realise, often hidden in chai, biscuits and packaged food. Before you swap, here's what research says sugar does to your body.
Sugar, the silent killer
101 million Indians have diabetes, and another 136 million are prediabetic.
ICMR-INDIAB, The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 2023Getting over 25% of calories from added sugar raised the risk of dying from heart disease 2.75 times.
US CDC, Emory & Harvard, JAMA Internal Medicine, 2014People who drank sugary drinks daily had 61% higher odds of fatty liver.
Framingham Heart Study, Journal of Hepatology, 201510 weeks of sugary drinks increased fat around the organs and worsened insulin sensitivity.
University of California, Davis, Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2009A breakfast of cornflakes and milk pushed about 80% of healthy adults into the prediabetic blood-sugar range.
Stanford University, PLOS Biology, 2018Just 3 weeks of daily sugary drinks raised an inflammation marker (hs-CRP) in healthy young men.
ETH Zurich, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2011Scroll for more
Sugar is a silent killer. It does its damage for years before you feel a thing.
One look at this table, and you'll never stir sugar into your chai again.
Why white sugar is zero on every row: refined white sugar is 99.8–99.9% pure sucrose. Refining strips out the entire non-sucrose part, which is where every bioactive lives.
Honey is a better swap, not a free pass. Enjoy it in moderation; it is not suitable for diabetic or pre-diabetic people.
*These findings come from research by independent institutions and organisations, and include lab, animal and human studies. HimSotra does not claim or endorse any of these outcomes; we are only sharing published research for your information. Honey is a food, not a medicine.