Natural remedies for coughs & colds
Direct answer
Honey is the best-supported option here for a cough in children over 12 months: the Cochrane review rated it Moderate (3), finding it probably eases cough more than no treatment or placebo, though mostly after a single night. Never give honey to a baby under 12 months.
Two more are Moderate (3) for adults: cineole capsules, a purified pharmacy extract of eucalyptus oil, for acute bronchitis and sinusitis, and daily vitamin C for shortening colds. Vitamin C shortens them only by about 8% and only if taken every day, since starting it after symptoms begin showed no consistent effect.
Inhaled eucalyptus oil itself is only Traditional (1), and elderberry, echinacea, marshmallow root, saline nasal rinsing with sea salt, liquorice and slippery elm are Limited (2) or Traditional (1) at best. The nasal rinse trials were small and mostly showed no difference from routine care; salt-water gargling is NHS self-care advice, not a trial result.
The other cautions that matter most: keep eucalyptus oil away from children (swallowing as little as 5 mL of pure oil can cause severe poisoning), and note that liquorice products that still contain glycyrrhizin raise blood pressure and lower potassium.
Compare the options
Of the 11 remedies for coughs & colds we have rated, 3 have Moderate or Strong evidence for this use (none Strong). See our evidence report.
Click a column heading to sort.
| Rated for | Typical form & use | Main caution | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eucalyptus oil Eucalyptus globulus (leaf essential oil) | Moderate | Acute bronchitis and acute sinusitis (cineole capsules, not the oil) | Cineole capsules, 600 mg daily | Toxic if swallowed; keep away from infants' faces | About a week |
| Honey Bee product (Apis mellifera) | Moderate | Cough in children with colds | Honey, 1–2 teaspoons (NHS advice) | Never give to babies under 12 months (botulism) | Same night |
| Vitamin C Ascorbic acid (water-soluble vitamin) | Moderate | Shortening colds, oral daily use | Daily tablet or capsule, 200 mg or more | Over 1 g/day: diarrhoea, and more stones in men | 4+ weeks |
| Echinacea Echinacea purpurea/angustifolia | Limited | Treating a cold once it starts | E. purpurea juice, 6–9 ml a day | Allergy risk, esp. with daisy-family allergy | About a week |
| Elderberry Sambucus nigra (ripe fruit, cooked) | Limited | Shortening common colds | Standardised syrup or extract, 5 days | Raw or unripe berries, leaves and stems are toxic | 2–3 days |
| Marshmallow root Althaea officinalis (root) | Limited | Mouth and throat irritation with dry cough | Root macerate, 0.5–3 g in 150 ml water | Not for children under 3 (cough use) | Same night |
| NAC (N-acetylcysteine) Acetylcysteine (amino acid derivative) | Limited | Flu-like illness (winter prevention) | Tablet, 600 mg twice daily | Asthma: can trigger bronchospasm; adds to nitroglycerin | 4+ weeks |
| Oregano oil Origanum vulgare (leaf and flower oil) | Limited | Sore throat, hoarseness and cough with a cold (spray blend) | Throat spray blend of five oils | Irritant: dilute on skin, and never give to children | 2 weeks |
| Sea salt Sodium chloride from evaporated seawater | Limited | Nasal saline irrigation for colds and sinus symptoms | Prepared saline nasal rinse | Nasal irritation and nosebleeds reported | About a week |
| Liquorice root Glycyrrhiza glabra (root) | Traditional | Cough with a cold | Whole root tea, 1.5–2 g in 150 ml | Glycyrrhizin raises blood pressure, lowers potassium | 2 weeks |
| Slippery elm Ulmus rubra (inner bark) | Traditional | Sore throat | Powdered bark; no dose established | No proven dose; safety in pregnancy unknown | About a week |
- Rated for
- Acute bronchitis and acute sinusitis (cineole capsules, not the oil)
- Form
- Cineole capsules, 600 mg daily
- Onset
- About a week
- Rated for
- Cough in children with colds
- Form
- Honey, 1–2 teaspoons (NHS advice)
- Onset
- Same night
- Rated for
- Shortening colds, oral daily use
- Form
- Daily tablet or capsule, 200 mg or more
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Treating a cold once it starts
- Form
- E. purpurea juice, 6–9 ml a day
- Onset
- About a week
- Rated for
- Shortening common colds
- Form
- Standardised syrup or extract, 5 days
- Onset
- 2–3 days
- Rated for
- Mouth and throat irritation with dry cough
- Form
- Root macerate, 0.5–3 g in 150 ml water
- Onset
- Same night
- Rated for
- Flu-like illness (winter prevention)
- Form
- Tablet, 600 mg twice daily
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Sore throat, hoarseness and cough with a cold (spray blend)
- Form
- Throat spray blend of five oils
- Onset
- 2 weeks
- Rated for
- Nasal saline irrigation for colds and sinus symptoms
- Form
- Prepared saline nasal rinse
- Onset
- About a week
- Rated for
- Cough with a cold
- Form
- Whole root tea, 1.5–2 g in 150 ml
- Onset
- 2 weeks
- Rated for
- Sore throat
- Form
- Powdered bark; no dose established
- Onset
- About a week
Quick picks
Rated Moderate (3) for cough in children over 12 months: the Cochrane review of six trials (899 children) found it probably reduces cough more than no treatment or placebo, and may work about as well as dextromethorphan. Most children were treated for one night, and it must never be given to a baby under 12 months because of infant botulism.
Gentlest optionMarshmallow rootRated Limited (2) for a dry cough with a sore, irritated throat. The EU regulator accepts it as a soothing demulcent on long-standing use alone and lists no known side effects, but there is no placebo-controlled trial; the evidence is uncontrolled pharmacy surveys. Take it 30 to 60 minutes apart from other medicines.
Traditional favouriteEucalyptus oilInhaled eucalyptus oil is rated Traditional (1) for cough with a cold: the EU regulator accepts it on long-standing use alone and states that there are no clinical studies of the oil. The Moderate (3) result belongs to purified cineole capsules, which beat placebo in two trials (242 people with acute bronchitis, 152 with acute sinusitis). The oil is dangerous if swallowed and is contraindicated for children under 2.
Key facts about coughs & colds
- US adults have an average of two to three colds a year, and children often have more; colds are one of the most frequent reasons for missed school and work.9
- More than 200 viruses can cause a cold, rhinoviruses most often, and symptoms usually peak within 2 to 3 days of infection.9
- Most people begin to feel better in about 1 to 2 weeks. You can spread a cold from a few days before symptoms start until they have all gone, and it can take longer in babies and young children.7
- A cough usually clears up on its own within 3 to 4 weeks. Most are caused by a cold or flu, and a cough lasting more than 3 weeks is a reason to see a GP.8
- In a US survey, 72% of people had a cold or other non-flu viral respiratory infection in the past year, averaging 2.5 each: about 500 million episodes a year across the country.10
- These non-flu infections were estimated to cost the US close to $40 billion a year: $17 billion in direct treatment costs and $22.5 billion in lost productivity.10
- See a GP if a high temperature lasts more than 3 days, cold symptoms do not get better after 10 days, or you feel short of breath or have chest pain.7
Talk to a doctor first if…
Who should avoid
- Babies under 12 months: never give honey (risk of infant botulism).
- Eucalyptus oil: never swallow it. The EU regulator contraindicates it for children under 2 and for children with a history of seizures, and does not recommend it in pregnancy.
- Liquorice containing glycyrrhizin: avoid it if you have high blood pressure, heart, kidney or liver disease, low potassium, or are pregnant.
- Echinacea: can cause severe allergic reactions in people with daisy-family allergies. The EU regulator does not recommend it for children under 12 or people with autoimmune disease or weakened immunity.
- Elderberry: never eat raw elderberries, leaves or stems.
- Children aged 4 or under: the NHS advises limiting added sugar, honey included.
- Marshmallow root: do not give it to children under 3.
- Told to limit sodium (high blood pressure, kidney disease): keep salt rinses and gargles in mind, since sea salt counts as salt.
- Children: do not let them gargle.
- Nasal rinsing: expect possible nasal irritation or nosebleeds.
- Vitamin C: keep it under 1 g a day, since more causes diarrhoea and stomach pain and, in men, was linked to kidney stones.
Known interactions
- Liquorice with diuretics, digoxin and other heart-rhythm drugs, corticosteroids, stimulant laxatives such as senna and blood-pressure medicines (severity 3): the EU regulator advises against the combinations.
- Liquorice and potassium: low potassium can trigger heart-rhythm problems, and liquorice can counteract blood-pressure drugs.
- Echinacea and immunosuppressants (severity 2): a theoretical concern.
- Vitamin C and warfarin (severity 1, monitor): large doses of vitamin C may block the action of warfarin.
- Marshmallow root: may delay the absorption of other medicines, so take it apart from them.
- Eucalyptus oil and sea salt: their entries list no interactions.
Before you reach for an ingredient
For a cold or cough, the simple measures below are what the NHS suggests first, alongside honey, which has better trial support for children's cough than any herb here.
- For a cough, the NHS advises rest, plenty of fluids, and staying at home if you have a high temperature or feel unwell; paracetamol or ibuprofen can ease any pain. A cough usually clears up on its own within 3 to 4 weeks. Decongestants and cough medicines containing codeine will not stop a cough, and some cough medicines should not be given to children under 12.8
- For a cold, the NHS advises rest, plenty of fluids, a warm lemon and honey drink or salt-water gargles for a sore throat (gargling is not suitable for children), and steam from a hot shower for a blocked nose. Paracetamol or ibuprofen from a pharmacy can ease aches and a temperature.7
- Antibiotics do not help colds, which are caused by viruses, and the NHS says there is little evidence that vitamin C, echinacea or garlic help you get better faster. See a GP for a cold that has not improved after 10 days, a temperature over 3 days, or a cough lasting more than 3 weeks; get urgent help if you find it hard to breathe, have chest pain or cough up blood.7,8
Questions people ask
Does honey really help a cough?
For children over 12 months with a cold, probably yes. The Cochrane review found moderate-certainty evidence that it reduces cough more than no treatment or placebo, though most trials lasted one night and the reviewers said there was no strong evidence either way. It is never for babies under 12 months.
Does vitamin C help a cold?
Only if taken every day. The Cochrane review (31 comparisons, 9,745 cold episodes) found that regular vitamin C at 0.2 g a day or more cut cold duration by 8% in adults and 14% in children, but starting it after symptoms began showed no consistent effect in 7 comparisons.
The gain is small, and doses above 1 g a day cause diarrhoea and stomach pain.
Does eucalyptus oil help a cough or a blocked nose?
Purified cineole capsules do, in two trials. In 242 people with acute bronchitis, 200 mg three times a day for 10 days improved symptoms more than placebo by day 4, with fewer cough fits. In 152 people with acute sinusitis a week of the same dose cut a symptom score from 15.6 to 3.0 against 9.2 with placebo.
The oil itself is accepted by the EU regulator for a cough with a cold on traditional use only, and swallowing as little as 5 mL of pure oil can cause severe poisoning, so keep it out of children's reach.
Do salt-water gargles or nasal rinses help a cold?
Saline nasal rinsing possibly helps, but only a little. Cochrane's review of 5 small trials in acute upper respiratory infections (544 children, 205 adults) found most results no different from routine care, with small gains for nasal symptoms in one larger children's trial, and the trials were at high risk of bias (rated Limited, 2).
The trials used prepared saline solutions, not a pinch of sea salt, and nosebleeds were reported.
The NHS suggests warm salt-water gargles for a sore throat, but that is self-care advice rather than trial evidence and children should not gargle.
Sources (10)
- Cochrane review Oduwole O, Udoh EE, Oyo-Ita A, Meremikwu MM. Honey for acute cough in children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018.
- Systematic review Hemilä H, Chalker E. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013.
- Randomised controlled trial Fischer J, Dethlefsen U. Efficacy of cineole in patients suffering from acute bronchitis: a placebo-controlled double-blind trial. Cough. 2013.
- Randomised controlled trial Kehrl W, Sonnemann U, Dethlefsen U. Therapy for acute nonpurulent rhinosinusitis with cineole: results of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Laryngoscope. 2004.
- Regulator monograph European Medicines Agency HMPC. European Union herbal monograph on Eucalyptus globulus Labill.; Eucalyptus polybractea R.T. Baker; Eucalyptus smithii R.T. Baker, aetheroleum, Final - Revision 1 (EMA/HMPC/320292/2023). 2024.
- Regulator monograph European Medicines Agency HMPC. European Union herbal monograph on Glycyrrhiza glabra L.; Glycyrrhiza inflata Bat.; Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., radix (EMA/HMPC/108399/2024). Final, revision 1, 2026.
- Health service guidance NHS. Common cold. National Health Service (page last reviewed 22 March 2024).
- Health service guidance NHS. Cough. National Health Service (page last reviewed 8 December 2023).
- Regulator/health agency CDC. About Common Cold. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (page updated 19 February 2026).
- National survey and cost analysis Fendrick AM, Monto AS, Nightengale B, Sarnes M. The economic burden of non-influenza-related viral respiratory tract infection in the United States. Arch Intern Med. 2003.
Reviewed by Healthy and Herbal editors · 10 October 2026 · Next review April 2027
Reader notes
Experiences and questions from readers, read by an editor before they appear. They are personal accounts, not evidence, and are not medical advice.