Honey may provide better than usual care for easing upper respiratory tract symptoms, especially coughs, researchers have said. The substance is relatively inexpensive, readily available, and has virtually no side-effects. Doctors can recommend it as a suitable alternative to antibiotics, which are often prescribed for such infections even though they are not suitable, scientists from the University of Oxford said.

Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) affect the nose, throat, voice box and the large air passages (bronchi) that lead from the windpipe to the lungs. Symptoms can include sore throat, blocked nose, cough, and congestion.

There is evidence for honey being used in children, and it has long been used as a home remedy to treat coughs and colds. But the evidence for its effectiveness for a range of upper respiratory tract symptoms in adults has not been systematically reviewed.

To address this, scientists looked at research databases for relevant studies comparing honey and preparations that included it as an ingredient with usual care—mostly antihistamines, expectorants, cough suppressants, and painkillers. They found 14 suitable clinical trials, involving 1,761 participants of varying ages.

Writing in the journal BMJ Evidence Based Medicine, the researchers concluded: "When clinicians wish to prescribe for URTI, we would recommend honey as an alternative to antibiotics. Honey is more effective and less harmful than usual care alternatives and avoids causing harm through antimicrobial resistance."

• Honey is 80% sugars and 20% water.
• To make one pound of honey, the colony must:
  • Visit two million flowers.
  • Fly over 55,000 miles (the lifetime work of approximately 768 bees).
• A single honeybee produces about one-twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime.
• A single honey bee visits 50-100 flowers per trip.
• Honey is the only food that includes all the substances necessary to sustain life, including water.
• 
  

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 NLA Access Media Limited www.nlamediaaccess.com/

Source Citation  

  "Breath easy with the health benefits of honey." Express and Star [Wolverhampton, England], 29 Aug. 2020, p. 29. Gale OneFile: News, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A634305075/STND?u=uphoenix&sid=ebsco&xid=10fb4b9e. Accessed 23 Feb. 2022.     

 While pollinators are declining worldwide, Amsterdam has seen a 45% increase in wild bee and honeybee species since 2000. The city credits this to creating bee-friendly environments, including wildflower patches, “insect hotels,” and a ban on chemical pesticides in public spaces.

Amsterdam’s approach is nature-inclusive:

• Half of public green spaces are planted with native, flowering plants.
• Residents can plant flowers at home, consult city ecologists, and retrofit rooftops with greenery.
• Developers are encouraged to create green roofs and walls, providing food and habitat for bees, birds, and other wildlife.
   

Businesses like Zoku Hotel incorporate rooftop gardens that support pollinators while providing relaxing spaces for people. Surveys have even recorded 21 new bee species in the city since 2000.

While urban development and habitat loss remain major threats, initiatives like Honey Highway, led by Deborah Post, show individual action can make a difference. By planting native wildflowers along roadsides and involving schoolchildren, local bees thrive and pollinator awareness grows.

Amsterdam’s model demonstrates how urban planning, green infrastructure, and citizen engagement can reverse pollinator decline and support biodiversity, even in densely populated areas.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/bees-are-dying-alarming-rate-amsterdam-may-have-answer-n897856

By Leah Asmelash and Katherine Dillinger, CNN

Updated 12:55 PM ET, Mon July 8, 2019 

The winter of 2018–2019 saw the highest US honeybee colony losses in over a decade, with 37.7% of managed colonies lost—up 7 percentage points from the previous year, according to Bee Informed. Beekeepers consider a 22% loss “acceptable,” reflecting a more pragmatic expectation of winter die-offs.

Surviving winter is a key indicator of colony health, so this rise in losses suggests bee populations may be weakening. Overall, the US lost 40.7% of managed colonies in the past year, nearly 3 points above the average since 2010. Meanwhile, the USDA has suspended nationwide bee data collection due to funding cuts, slowing conservation efforts.

Pollinators like honeybees are crucial for food security, supporting 1 in 3 bites of food and contributing over $15 billion in crop value annually. Causes of decline likely include pesticides, parasites, and climate change, prompting scientists and nonprofits to study and protect bees worldwide, including in Africa where commercial beekeeping is less intrusive.

Honey is soothing, nutritious, and naturally healing—perfect for cold and flu season. Each fall, I prepare our winter supply of cough syrups, oxymels, fermented garlic, and other home remedies, using plenty of raw honey, which preserves its enzymes and nutrients. (Never give honey to children under one year.)

Quick Home Remedies:

• Spoonful of Honey: Simple, effective, and instantly soothing for sore throats or coughs.
• Cough Syrup: Simmer herbs like thyme or sage in water, add lemon and honey, and enjoy immediately or let flavors develop. Lasts up to a year in the freezer.
• Oxymels: Combine honey, apple cider vinegar, and herbs (sage, thyme, garlic, rosemary) for a flavorful, shelf-stable tonic.
• Fermented Garlic: Peel garlic, cover with honey, ferment a few days, then refrigerate. Use in tea or as a spread.

Why Honey?

• Contains natural enzymes and nutrients absent in sugar.
• Antibacterial properties can help ward off secondary infections.
• Makes herbs and remedies palatable—essential for getting family members to take them.

This winter, try keeping a jar of raw honey on hand to soothe throats, sweeten herbal remedies, and give your body a little natural support.