Treat coughs with honey

Funny how granny always knew best… honey and over-the-counter remedies should be the go-to treatment for coughs rather than antibiotics, health officials have announced today.

The advice, from Public Health England and the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE),  is part of a growing government effort to tackle antibiotic resistance. In most cases acute coughs are due to a cold or flu virus or bronchitis, of course, so antibiotics will make little difference – you’re now advised to take honey for coughs.

As many as one in five GP prescriptions for antibiotics may be inappropriate, according to PHE research published earlier this year, and the body has warned that overuse of the drugs is threatening their longterm effectiveness. Antibiotics, costing £8.80 for an NHS prescription, not only won’t help, they also have side-effects, PHE doctors are now admitting. PHE’s Dr Susan Hopkins said: ‘Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them puts you and your family at risk of developing infections which in turn cannot be easily treated.’

Not only is a it great to take a spoonful of honey for coughs, local honey is also a good preventive for hay fever (as it contains pollen taken by bees in your local area).

The Hub’s local honey (some of it flavoured with fresh vanilla) is from a hive in Boldre, Lymington. £5 per pot