Browse evidence-based analysis of health-related claims and assertions
After three days, honey probably doesn't help coughs or sleep any better than cough medicine or a fake treatment, according to research.
Quantitative
Honey might help kids and their parents sleep better when they have a cough, compared to doing nothing. Studies show it makes a small but noticeable difference in how much sleep is affected.
Causal
Giving honey to kids might cause more stomach problems than giving them a fake treatment, based on some research with about 400 children.
Correlational
For kids with coughs, honey might work about the same as a common cough medicine called dextromethorphan, but we're not very sure because only a couple small studies have looked at it.
For kids with coughs, honey might work better than a common cough medicine called diphenhydramine at making them cough less often, but the evidence isn't very strong yet.
Giving honey to kids with a bad cough might help them feel better faster than a fake treatment, cutting about three-quarters of a day off how long the cough lasts.
Giving honey to kids with a cough for a few days helps them cough less than a fake treatment, according to good quality research.
A substance called NONS can kill many different types of viruses in lab tests, and it works by using nitric oxide to change the virus's proteins, which stops them from working.
Mechanistic
NONS is a disinfectant that quickly kills over 99.97% of a tough cold virus in a lab test, while regular alcohol only killed about 37% of the virus.
This says that a substance called NONS can quickly kill certain viruses that cause respiratory infections, making them almost completely harmless in lab tests.
A substance called NONS quickly kills flu viruses in a lab setting, making them almost completely gone in just a few seconds.
Descriptive
A nose spray with nitric oxide quickly kills over 99.9% of the COVID-19 virus and its variants in lab tests, working in as little as 30 seconds.
Taking 1000 mg of vitamin C plus 10 mg of zinc together is safe and doesn't cause bad side effects when used to treat colds, according to two medical studies.
Taking vitamin C and zinc together might help you feel better faster when you have a cold compared to taking a fake pill.
Taking vitamin C and zinc together works better than a fake pill at reducing runny nose symptoms when you have a cold, based on a review of 94 people across two studies.
Taking vitamin C and zinc together might help shorten how long your nose runs when you have a cold, but studies haven't proven it definitely works.
This claim says that zinc lozenges might help shorten colds, and the more zinc your body can use from them, the faster your cold might go away.
Zinc lozenges with a certain chemical property might make your cold last longer—specifically, about 4 extra days—instead of helping you get better faster.
Zinc lozenges that dissolve properly in your mouth can help you get over a cold faster, cutting down how long you're sick by up to a week.
Pelargonium sidoides, a plant-based supplement, might help make cold symptoms less severe and help you get better faster, according to some medical studies.
Taking vitamin C pills might help a little with colds, especially for people who are under a lot of physical stress or don't get enough vitamin C from their diet.
Black elderberry might help you feel better faster when you have a cold by reducing how bad your symptoms feel and how long you're sick.
Taking echinacea supplements might help you avoid catching a cold, according to scientific studies.
Taking zinc lozenges when you first start feeling sick with a cold might help you get better faster and feel less miserable.