Have you tried: Honey & Onion Cough Syrup 🍯 🧅 (don't eat the onion!)
We’ve been soothing sore throats and coughs in our house this week - hopefully this is the last of the years sickness!
When I was a kid, alongside hot lemon/ginger and honey tea, we always had honey and onion syrup for sore throats and coughs - thanks Mum! But does it really work? Like many traditional remedies - it now has evidence based research to back it.
It’s best to use raw honey or Manuka honey if possible for benefits such as higher content of antioxidants and higher antimicrobial/antibacterial properties. Honey has been shown to be effective in treating coughs, reducing frequency and severity. (Children under 12 months should not consume honey due to risk of infantile botulism). Onions also have antimicrobial/antibacterial, immune supporting, expectorant (mucus clearing) anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
How to make (it’s so easy!)
- Peel an onion and cut it in half (or into smaller pieces if you prefer)
- Place the onion into a clean bowl
- Pour your honey over the onion
- Cover with a plate and leave in a cool place to infuse (for a few hours at least) before consuming
- The honey will become thin and runnier, more like a syrup
- Always use a clean spoon
- Take 1-2 teaspoons as needed to soothe a cough
- You can add more honey if it is getting low (discard after 3 days and start again)
Don't eat the onion! (Just incase you thought you had to munch on the onion!)
The Whole Bowl Co. co-founder and qualified nutritionist