Manuka Honey for Asthma: The Natural Anti-Inflammatory

EDUCATION

7 minutes

Essential Takeaways

Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the lungs and affects millions of adults and children throughout the world. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, many people wonder whether honey could be an effective asthma treatment.

There is some evidence that honey is good for the lungs and eases the types of symptoms, like coughing, that come with asthma. Manuka honey is particularly potent in these properties so is likely the best type of honey to use.

Asthma can be a life-threatening condition so make sure you get professional advice from your doctor before trying new medications or stopping your old ones. It's also worth being clear from the outset: no study reviewed for this article tests manuka honey directly in asthma patients or in models of airway inflammation. The interest in manuka honey for lung symptoms is largely an extrapolation from its general anti-inflammatory chemistry, not a body of asthma-specific evidence.

Almost 8% of Americans have asthma¹.

Since asthma is a chronic inflammation of the airways, anti-inflammatories are the most effective medications¹.

So it's no wonder why you might ask whether using manuka honey for asthma is a good idea.

With its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, manuka honey is proven to be a powerful healer for a wide range of medical conditions.

Let's explore if there's any evidence for using honey for asthma, who should avoid it, and how best to take it.

In this guide to using Manuka honey for asthma:

• Does taking honey help asthma?

• Which honey is the best for asthma?

• 6 ways to take Manuka honey for asthma

• Other natural asthma remedies

Does Taking Honey Help Asthma?

Research suggests that taking pure honey may help to ease asthma².

Asthma is a serious lung condition. An asthmatic person always has inflamed lungs and these can get better and worse depending on certain triggers³.

Asthma is often hereditary, though women are around 10% more likely to be diagnosed than men⁴.

The anti-inflammatory properties of honey are the reason for the interest in using it as a natural remedy for asthma. Many people regularly use honey for managing coughs, colds, and sore throats for similar reasons.

Although research is limited at the time of writing, there is promising evidence:

"In this study, aerosolised honey was used to effectively treat and manage asthma in rabbits, and it could prove to be a promising treatment for asthma in humans."

- Inhalation of honey reduces airway inflammation and histopathological changes in rabbits.

And this improves when honey is used in combination with other remedies:

"...when used in combination with other substances, [honey] showed a relatively high efficacy in patients with asthma. This finding may help in asthma control with lower-cost alternatives and better outcomes."

- Honey in bronchial asthma: From folk tales to scientific facts.

Honey has also been found to be more effective in easing night-time coughs compared with a common medical alternative:

"One study compared honey to dextromethorphan, the key ingredient in most cough suppressants. Honey came out on top in reducing the severity and frequency of nighttime coughs."

- Healthline.

NB: Since asthma can be a severe and life-threatening condition, it's best to get tailored advice from your doctor before using any new remedies or stopping your prescribed medication.

What the science actually shows (and doesn't)

It's worth being precise about what the underlying research does and doesn't demonstrate, since much of the enthusiasm for manuka honey and lung health comes from studies of its general chemistry rather than studies of asthma itself. Manuka honey's polyphenolic and methylglyoxal content has been described in laboratory reviews as having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties²¹. This is general compositional and mechanistic research, not a study of asthma or airway inflammation, and it shouldn't be read as evidence that the honey improves lung symptoms directly.

Similarly, a 2024 review of manuka honey's functional ingredients notes anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity reported across various in-vitro, in-vivo and clinical studies²². That review does not address asthma specifically, and the strength of evidence varies considerably by condition; it shouldn't be extrapolated to respiratory disease without direct study.

There is also some early cell-culture evidence that's tangentially relevant to airway immunity: in laboratory conditions, methylglyoxal derived from manuka honey has been shown to enhance activation of mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, immune cells implicated in mucosal and airway defence²³. This is an interesting immunological finding, but it's an in-vitro result only - it hasn't been tested in people with asthma or any airway condition, and it doesn't establish that consuming honey meaningfully affects airway inflammation in real life.

Putting this together: the available research on manuka honey overwhelmingly concerns antibacterial activity, chronic wound healing, oral and gut safety, and chemical composition²². No study identified here tests manuka honey in an asthma patient population, and aside from the rabbit inhalation study above, there is very little work in any animal model of airway inflammation. Claims about manuka honey easing asthma symptoms should therefore be treated as a reasonable extrapolation from anti-inflammatory mechanisms studied in other contexts - not as direct clinical evidence.

How to treat asthma without an inhaler

To calm an asthma attack without an inhaler, you can try slowing down and extending your breaths, sitting upright, removing a known trigger, and drinking a hot drink⁵.

Taking a spoonful of honey or adding it to a warm beverage can help to ease inflammation and increase saliva production to lubricate the airways and keep them clear⁶.

If your doctor has prescribed an inhaler to treat your asthma, you should not stop using this without their advice.

Is honey good for the lungs?

Yes, there is evidence that honey can help to heal serious infections in the lungs⁷, ease inflammation in the airways, and trigger saliva production which helps keep them moist and clear of nasties⁸.

All these things are important for maintaining good lung health and function. That said, as outlined above, this evidence base is thin and largely mechanistic rather than drawn from studies of people with lung disease, so it's best understood as supportive of general wellbeing rather than as a treatment claim.

Who shouldn't take honey for asthma?

Although there is evidence that honey can help manage diabetes, a diabetic person should check with their doctor before introducing sweet carbohydrates into their diet.

Children younger than 18 months should not be given honey. Anyone with an allergy to bees or pollen should also avoid it.

Is it safe to take Manuka honey daily?

For most healthy adults, taking a small amount of manuka honey daily appears to be well tolerated. A randomised, double-blind crossover trial of 20 healthy adults found that daily consumption of manuka honey (UMF 20+) for four weeks did not raise IgE levels, alter a marker of advanced glycation, or change gut microbial profiles, supporting general oral safety in this specific healthy population²⁴. It's important to note that this trial didn't involve asthma patients and didn't measure any respiratory or inflammatory lung outcome - it speaks only to general tolerability. It's also worth remembering that the honey used in this kind of research is food-grade, which is distinct from the medical-grade manuka honey used in clinically regulated wound dressings; findings about one shouldn't be assumed to apply automatically to the other.

How to calm an asthma cough at night

Studies suggest honey is an effective cough suppressant⁹. It's common to mix honey in warm water or tea for a calming drink before bedtime, but eating honey on its own can work well, too.

This is ideal for soothing asthmatic coughs at night and has been shown to help improve quality of sleep¹⁰.

Which Honey Is Best for Asthma?

Manuka honey has earned a global reputation for being particularly good for our health and wellbeing.

Compared with regular honey, Manuka honey contains more nutrients and much higher quantities of an antibacterial compound called methylglyoxal (MGO).

MGO has been found effective in easing infections and allergies, clearing and protecting wounds, boosting tissue regeneration, and even promoting hormonal balance.

Manuka honey also contains other unique elements that together, give it a powerful antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory kick:

• Leptosperin: This comes from the mānuka plant and is believed to boost the immune system¹¹.

• Methyl syringate: A plentiful antioxidant found in Manuka honey¹².

• Myeloperoxidase (MPO) and hypohalous acids: The combination of leptosperin and methyl syringate triggers an enzyme called MPO to produce hypohalous acids - effective, pathogen-removing antioxidants¹³.

This combination of compounds aren't found in other types of honey. So whilst other types might offer some benefits, Manuka honey is unique.

This antioxidant potential isn't just a marketing claim - it's a measurable chemical property. Assays show that manuka honey's antioxidant capacity, as measured in vitro using a standard test called FRAP, correlates with its UMF grade and phenolic content²⁵, meaning higher-graded honey generally does contain a greater concentration of these compounds in a laboratory setting. However, this describes a chemical property of the honey in a test tube, not evidence of any effect on inflammation or symptoms in a living organism, and certainly not in asthma specifically.

In fact, it's worth tempering expectations here: one cell-based study found that manuka honey provided only a modest reduction in oxidative stress in UV-exposed human fibroblasts (skin cells), and in some conditions appeared to interfere with normal cell metabolism²⁶. This is a useful reminder that the antioxidant chemistry measurable in a test tube doesn't automatically translate into consistent cellular or clinical benefit, and it has no direct bearing on lung tissue or airway health.

If you're looking for the best honey for asthma, Manuka honey will still give you the best chances of getting great results among honey varieties, given its unique and better-characterised compound profile - but this should be understood as a comparison between types of honey, not a guarantee of a therapeutic effect on asthma.

6 Ways to Take Manuka Honey for Asthma

The best way to get all the amazing health benefits that Manuka honey offers is to eat it straight off the spoon.

But if you'd rather get more creative, here are some delicious ways to incorporate Manuka honey into your diet and ease asthma symptoms:

1. Add it to coffee, tea, and other warm drinks.

2. Make a delicious smoothie and incorporate other natural wellness ingredients.

3. Use it in desserts for a delicious sweet treat packed with goodness.

4. Make a tasty raw marinade for vegetables, salads and side dishes.

5. Blend it into a warm soup for a nutrient-packed, home-cooked comfort meal.

6. Make your own chew snacks for wellness on the go.

There are plenty more ways to use your Manuka honey.

However you eat your Manuka honey, make sure to opt for the higher UMF™ grades.

The UMF™ grading system was created to verify the authenticity and freshness of Manuka honey and to rate its antibacterial potency.

The higher the grade, the more methylglyoxal in the honey. And this boosts its antibacterial levels.

We generally recommend a minimum UMF™ of 15+ for medical use, but the higher the better.

Other Natural Remedies for Asthma

When it comes to natural remedies for asthma specifically, there are lots of other ingredients that you could combine with Manuka honey for an extra wellness boost.

Just be careful as many don't have the same level of scientific backing as Manuka honey. You might need to do a little extra digging before giving them a try.

Here are a few of them.

​​Aleurites moluccana, or "candlenut"

This plant, native to Indonesia and India, has been used traditionally for treating asthma, pain, fever, and headaches¹⁴.

Recent studies have explored its anti-inflammatory properties, suggesting its potential in developing phytomedicines (plant medicines) for asthma.

This research is relatively new and candlenut isn't safe to eat raw. So make sure you do more investigating before trying this alternative remedy.

Nigella sativa

Known for its relaxant effect on smooth muscle tissue, Nigella sativa has demonstrated bronchodilatory effects¹⁵. In other words, it helps to relax the muscles in the airways and open them up.

Although less effective than conventional bronchodilators when given orally, it could be more effective if formulated as an inhaled therapy.

You could try mixing the seeds with Manuka honey¹⁶ and water for a soothing effect.

Solanum xanthocarpum and Solanum trilobatum

These herbs are used in the Sidda system of medicine in Southern India for respiratory disorders.

Studies have shown that they may promote bronchodilation (the opening of the airways) and possibly reduce bronchial mucosal edema; the secretions that can block them¹⁷.

Boswellia serrata, or "Indian frankincense"

Known as Salai guggal in the Indian Ayurvedic system, Boswellia serrata contains boswellic acids which can impact the body's responses to chronic inflammation¹⁸.

The gummy resin that comes off the tree is frankincense and this is often used for coughs, colds, wound healing and asthma¹⁹.

Tylophora indica

Widely used in India for asthma, several clinical trials have shown that Tylophora indica can provide relief from asthmatic symptoms.

One study reported that 62% of the participants had complete to moderate relief after consuming one Tylophora indica leaf daily²⁰.