Licorice and Honey Cough Drops

Both licorice and honey may help with coughing.  Try these home made Licorice and Honey Cough Drops to help ease a sore throat, reduce coughing, and help fight respiratory infections.

Licorice and Honey Cough Drops – Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of raw honey
• 2 Tbsp of fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp of finely grated licorice root
• 1 tsp of finely grated ginger root
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil
• 1/4 cup of arrowroot powder
• Tools:  whisk, nonstick saucepan, candy thermometer, parchment paper, cookie sheet

Licorice and Honey Cough Drops – Instructions

• Heat all ingredients together in saucepan on high; whisking constantly, with candy thermometer measuring temperature.
• The mixture will begin boiling and foaming, whisk constantly until the temperature reaches 300 degrees.  You may have to lift the pan off the heat for a moment to reduce foaming overflow.
• When the candy thermometer reaches 300, remove from heat for about 5 minutes, until it stops foaming.
• Place parchment paper over a cookie sheet.  Coat the parchment paper with coconut oil to prevent sticking.
• Drizzle the liquid candy carefully onto parchment paper.  Allow to cool and harden.
• Break the hardened candy into pieces, then toss in arrowroot powder to prevent sticking.
• Store in sealed glass containers.
• Adults – take one piece as needed to help with a cough and sore throat.  Honey is not safe for children under the age of one year.

Some Research about the Ingredients

• Glycyrrhiza glabra  (licorice root) and Adhatoda vasica had an antitussive activity in mice comparable to that of codeine sulphate.  From:  Jahan, Y., & Siddiqui, H. H. (2012). Study of antitussive potential of Glycyrrhiza glabra and Adhatoda vasica using a cough model induced by sulphur dioxide gas in mice. International journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and research, 3(6), 1668.
• Glycyrrhiza glabra induced cough efforts in guinea pigs more effectively than codeine.  From:  Saha, S., Nosál’ová, G., Ghosh, D., Flešková, D., Capek, P., & Ray, B. (2011). Structural features and in vivo antitussive activity of the water extracted polymer from Glycyrrhiza glabra. International journal of biological macromolecules, 48(4), 634-638.
• Throat coat, a tea including licorice, slippery elm, and marshmallow, reduced throat pain in patients.  From:  Brinckmann, J., Sigwart, H., & van Houten Taylor, L. (2003). Safety and efficacy of a traditional herbal medicine (Throat Coat®) in symptomatic temporary relief of pain in patients with acute pharyngitis: A multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. The Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 9(2), 285-298.
• In a study of 105 children ages 2-18 years with nighttime cough, parents rated honey favorably in reducing the cough associated with respiratory infections.  From:  Paul, I. M., Beiler, J., McMonagle, A., Shaffer, M. L., Duda, L., & Berlin, C. M. (2007). Effect of honey, dextromethorphan, and no treatment on nocturnal cough and sleep quality for coughing children and their parents. Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine, 161(12), 1140-1146.
• In a double blind study of 300 children ages 1-5 years, the three different types of honey tested reduced nocturnal coughing.  From:  Cohen, H. A., Rozen, J., Kristal, H., Laks, Y., Berkovitch, M., Uziel, Y., … & Efrat, H. (2012). Effect of honey on nocturnal cough and sleep quality: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Pediatrics, 130(3), 465-471.
• The antimicrobial activity of honey is reviewed.  From:  Molan, P. C. (1997). Honey as an antimicrobial agent. In Bee products (pp. 27-37). Springer, Boston, MA.
• The immunity boosting, antimicrobial actions of ginger were discussed.  From:  Shakya, S. R. (2015). Medicinal uses of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) improves growth and enhances immunity in aquaculture. International Journal of Chemical Studies, 3(2), 83-87.
• Ginger constituents may help relax smooth muscles of the throat related to asthma complaints.  From:  Townsend, E. A., Siviski, M. E., Zhang, Y., Xu, C., Hoonjan, B., & Emala, C. W. (2013). Effects of ginger and its constituents on airway smooth muscle relaxation and calcium regulation. American journal of respiratory cell and molecular biology, 48(2), 157-163.

Click here to learn about more herbs to help with cough and congestion.

By: Kathy Sadowski

4/11/18

This categorized compilation of research articles does not necessarily imply that there are adequate results to demonstrate safe and/or effective human use. These statements are not meant to diagnose, treat, or cure any diseases. The information at this page has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Consult a Doctor before using herbs and essential oils if you have medical conditions, are taking medications, or have questions.