How does honey relieve a sore throat/cough?

Question

It’s interesting how despite all differences, a great variety of cultures all share the same remedy for cough and/or sore throat: honey.
Whether they make you drink it in tea, or give it to you straight with a spoon.
The best thing: it works. But how does it work? And how did so many different peoples come to the same conclusion?

In: 2990

Answer 1

Tbh, I think a huge part of it is that it coats the throat, protecting it from further irritation.

Honey is too sugary for bacteria to live in. If you coat your throat with it, nothing bad can really live there and continue to irritate it