Honey and citrus make a simple homemade syrup that can be useful when a cold leaves you with a nagging cough or irritated throat. Honey’s thick texture coats the throat and can temporarily reduce irritation and the urge to cough. Research has also found evidence that honey can help reduce coughing, particularly nighttime coughing.
Adding lemon, lime or orange gives the syrup a fresh flavor while providing vitamin C and other naturally occurring plant compounds. The combination works especially well as a soothing remedy because the sweetness of the honey balances the acidity of the citrus. A spoonful can be taken on its own or stirred into warm water or tea for a comforting drink.
There are plenty of ways to change the basic recipe. Fresh ginger can add warmth, mint gives it a cooling flavor, rosemary provides a more herbal taste, and cloves or cardamom work well with orange. The source material describes several combinations, including lemon-ginger-honey, lime-mint-honey and orange-clove-honey, making this an easy remedy to customize with ingredients already in the kitchen.
Homemade syrups are best thought of as symptom-relief remedies rather than cures. They may make coughing and throat irritation easier to tolerate while the body recovers, but they aren’t a replacement for medical care when an illness becomes serious. A cough that persists, difficulty breathing, coughing up blood, a high fever or symptoms that continue to worsen should be evaluated by a healthcare professional.
Honey also isn’t appropriate for everyone. Never give honey to a baby under 12 months old because of the risk of infant botulism. People taking prescription medications or managing chronic health conditions should also be careful when adding concentrated herbal ingredients such as ginger, turmeric or elderberry, since some herbs can interact with medications.
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