Honey Soothes a Cough and Sore Throat

One of the better-evidenced entries on this whole list. A Cochrane systematic review, medicine's highest standard for weighing evidence, found honey probably reduces cough symptoms more than both placebo and no treatment at all, and even outperforms some over-the-counter cough medicines for short-term relief, including improving children's sleep during a cough. The effect is thought to come from honey's soothing, coating texture plus its mild antimicrobial properties. It comes with one serious, separate safety caveat: honey should never be given to children under 12 months old, due to a real risk of infant botulism, entirely unrelated to whether it works as a cough remedy.