How Do I Mix Honey & Apple Cider Vinegar for Cough Medicine?

If you're looking for a homemade option to help get rid of a cough, the simple folk treatment of a honey and apple cider vinegar mix might be for you. Thanks to the sweet taste of honey, taking it is just as easy. While this mix might be very helpful as a cough medicine, if your cough persists or worsens, do not rely on it. Pursue stronger measures or visit a doctor.

Ingredients

Buy apple cider vinegar and not one of the many other varieties of vinegar. DrCraigReese.com explains that locally cultivated honey is good for pollen allergies, so try to buy local honey if you think pollen allergies might be a factor in your cough.

Honey and Apple Cider Vinegar Cough Medicine

Information on DrCraigReese.com recommends that you mix your honey and apple cider vinegar with water. Combine 1 to 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar with 1 to 2 tsp honey in a glass of water and drink the mix one to two times a day. An alternative mix, from the book "Herbally Yours" by Penny C. Royal (1982), includes a few more beneficial ingredients. It calls for 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, and 2 tbsp water. The pepper and ginger are used to reduce pain and inflammation. According to an article on Pitt.edu by registered nurse Bonnie K. McMillen, there is no set dosage but taking up to three teaspoons at bedtime is effective.

Honey vs. Medicine

According to an article on MedicalNewsToday.com, a study at Penn State College of Medicine found that "honey did a better job reducing the severity, frequency and bothersome nature of nighttime cough from upper respiratory infection than DM or no treatment." DM is dextromethorphan, the commonly used cough-suppressant drug in over-the-counter cough medicine.

Warnings

According to McMillen's article on Pitt.edu, if your cough lasts for more than a week, is accompanied by a headache or a fever, or if the cough is producing a thick yellow or green mucous, you should see a doctor. Also, she warns not to give honey to children under 1 year of age; honey can be fatal to infants.