Every winter/transition season it returns: Sore throat, cough, runny nose, feeling of weakness – and the hand automatically reaches for the familiar grandma’s remedies. Chicken soup, tea with honey, warm milk, gogol mogol. Is there scientific logic behind these recommendations – or is it just warming nostalgia?
Let’s check a few “grandma’s remedies” and what the studies say about them.
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Tea With Honey
I divide the answer into two – the tea, and the honey.
Let’s start with the tea itself: A famous study from Respiratory Medicine examined the effect of any hot drink versus a drink at room temperature on cold symptoms. The researchers found that the hot drink provided immediate and sustained relief of symptoms such as runny nose, cough, sore throat and fatigue.
But does it really “open” the nose? Measurements showed that nasal airflow did not actually change!
Meaning, the heat did not “dry” the runny nose or truly constrict the mucous membranes, but it affected receptors in the mouth and throat that gave the brain a significant subjective feeling of relief. In addition, the warm steam helps soften mucus and makes it easier to clear.
Meaning: The heat is the key to the feeling of comfort and relief of congestion, even without relation to what is added to the water.
And what about honey? Honey is probably the “star” of grandma’s remedies. It is considered antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and soothing to the throat. To what extent is it truly a remedy and how much is it just sugar?
A review published in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews found that honey can reduce the frequency and severity of cough, especially at night, but it is important to understand: Honey does not eliminate the virus, it does not “cure” a cold. It coats the throat lining, reduces local irritation, and therefore can ease coughing.
Beyond coating the throat, the sweet taste of honey stimulates the release of natural substances in the body (opiates) that help calm the cough reflex in the brain.
How Much Honey Is Needed?
Although there are those who take the opportunity to lick honey all day, a teaspoon or two before bedtime is a reasonable choice if there is a bothersome cough. But: Several cups of tea with a lot of honey throughout the day already become accumulated liquid sugar. There is absolutely no medical advantage to larger quantities.
Chicken Soup
Chicken soup has even received a nickname: “The Jewish penicillin.” Indeed, a study published in Chest found that chicken soup can to some extent inhibit the movement of inflammatory cells (neutrophils), but this was under laboratory conditions. Meaning there may be a mild anti-inflammatory effect. It is important to be precise: This is not a study that proved clinical healing of a cold in humans.
In addition, there was an older study that many rely on from 1978 that found that hot chicken soup (more than hot water) improves the speed of mucus clearance from the nose.
So why do people feel that it works? There are several logical reasons:
• Warm fluids can ease the feeling of congestion and sore throat
• The steam creates a feeling of relief in the airways
• The soup provides fluids and salts when there is no appetite and if it contains vegetables such as carrots, potatoes and chicken – also protein, minerals such as potassium from the potato, and vitamin A that is important for the immune system from the carrot.
It is important to remember that vitamin A requires fat for absorption, and the fat from the chicken in the soup is a “perfect match” for its absorption.
Meaning – Not a medicine but yes a pleasant nutritional support during illness.
It is important to pay attention to the amount of salt, especially if there is a tendency toward high blood pressure or edema.
Gogol Mogol
Gogol mogol is a mixture of a whipped egg with sugar or honey, sometimes with warm milk. There is almost no scientific research that supports its effectiveness for treating a cold. So why is it considered “healing”? Probably because of the thick texture that coats the throat, the heat that soothes, and the calories that provide energy when not eating.
It is advisable to pay attention:
1. If using an uncooked egg – there is a risk of salmonella infection.
2. Nutritionally – this is a high-calorie mixture (egg + sugar/honey + milk). There is no special “medical effect” here beyond a feeling of comfort. It is more a warm dessert than a medical treatment.
3. Honey must not be given to infants under one year of age (due to concern about botulism).
<br>Salt Water Gargling
Gargling warm water with salt is one of the oldest home recommendations. There is logical basis for this:
• Salt water creates a hypertonic environment that reduces local swelling
• The mechanical action reduces bacterial load in the area
• In addition there are reports of relief of sore throat
More recent studies around viral respiratory diseases have shown that salt water gargling and nasal rinsing with salt water slightly shorten the duration of illness (by about half a day to a day) by reducing the viral load in the throat.
It is important to understand that salt does not deeply disinfect the throat. It does not “kill bacteria” in a clinically significant way at home concentrations, and it does not treat a bacterial infection such as streptococcus.
For salt to have significant antimicrobial activity, much higher concentrations are required that are not suitable for the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat. Meaning the gargling is not a treatment for infection – but it is a simple way to reduce discomfort.
In Conclusion It Is Important To Distinguish Between Three Things:
Treatment of the cause of the illness – Grandma’s remedies do not do this.
Symptomatic relief – Some of them do. Also psychological comfort which of course also has value.
In any case, this is not a reason to lick half a jar of honey on days when you do not feel well. Honey is still simple sugar (fructose and glucose), and therefore for people with diabetes it is important to count it as a carbohydrate for all intents and purposes, even if it is a “remedy.”