A study conducted by researchers from Oxford University states that honey is more effective in treating coughs and the symptoms of colds than even antibiotics.

Fox News reports:

The researchers from Oxford University said that antibiotics are associated with “significant adverse effects” in children and adults. They reported results from 14 studies of URTIs, though only two studies were placebo-controlled trials. In one study, patients ingesting honey reduced their duration of common cold symptoms by one to two days, compared to those receiving usual care. They also found that honey was particularly effective in improving cough frequency and severity.

“In the comparison with usual care, the reductions in cough frequency and cough severity remained statistically significant,” they wrote.

The researchers added that honey is not recommended for children under the age of one.

READ: Honey outperforms antibiotics for cough, cold symptoms, study says

ScienceDaily had this to say about honey:

Sweet news for those looking for new antibiotics: A new research published in the July 2010 print edition of the FASEB Journal explains for the first time how honey kills bacteria. Specifically, the research shows that bees make a protein that they add to the honey, called defensin-1, which could one day be used to treat burns and skin infections and to develop new drugs that could combat antibiotic-resistant infections.

READ: Honey as an antibiotic: Scientists identify a secret ingredient in honey that kills bacteria

Traditional recipes recommend honey dissolved in tea or hot water with a pinch of lemon juice and then sip it throughout the day.