Does TikTok's Orange, Salt, Sugar, & Honey Cough Hack Really Work?
Photo Illustration by Amelia Manley for Verywell Health; Getty Images
Fact checked by Nick Blackmer
Key Takeaways
TikTok users swear by a recipe for a cough treatment that uses honey, salt, sugar, and orange.
Experts say that the ingredients in the warmed-up beverage could actually help soothe a cough and may offer some benefits for your immune system.
While a cough from a cold or flu can often be managed at home, you should talk to your provider about a chronic cough.
Whether it’s a persistent tickle in your throat that’s annoying you all day or an urge to cough right when you are trying to fall asleep, you’ve probably found yourself looking up “cough remedies that work” at least once.
If you’re looking for a cough solution for a hacking cough, TikTokers swear that a natural recipe of fresh orange, honey, salt, and sugar will do the trick. But could a simple drink you can make at home really be powerful enough to stop a cough? Or is it yet another TikTok trend that’s more likely to do harm than good for your health?
Here’s what experts say about trying the social media cough cure.
Learn More: Natural Ways to Cure a Cough
TikTok’s Viral Concoction for a Cough (Viral or Not)
One of the most popular versions of TikTok’s cough remedy was posted by @6o5ama. The simple recipe calls for honey, an orange, and a little salt and sugar. No measurements are given, but here’s the step-by-step process for making the concoction:
Slice a medium-sized orange in half.
Sprinkle one half—flesh side up—with salt and sugar.
Squeeze some honey on top of the mixture.
Place the second half of the orange on top of the honey-coated one (as if you’re making a sandwich with the two halves of oranges as the “bread”).
Place the orange in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 2 minutes.
Once it cools, squeeze the juice out of the orange.
Suck up the liquid with a syringe and drink.
Does It Work?
While experts are generally wary about social media posts that claim health benefits, this trendy fresh orange-honey-salt-sugar combo might actually help you find relief from a cough.
“While most TikTok trends make me cringe, there’s actually a little science behind this one,” Chrissy Carroll, MPH, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian and blogger at Snacking in Sneakers, told Verywell.
In fact, most of the ingredients in the remedy’s recipe are known to have immune-health and cough-suppressing benefits.
Learn More: Home Remedies for a Cough
Honey
According to Carroll, honey “has been passed down from generation to generation for coughs, and research supports its use.”
A 2020 study showed that traditional cough treatments like antibiotics and over-the-counter (OTC) medications may not be as effective as honey for relieving cold symptoms—which included lessening cough frequency and cough severity. Another study on children showed that taking acacia honey was associated with improvements in nighttime coughs and sleep trouble, but so was the honey-flavored syrup that was used as a placebo.
However, Carroll pointed out that you should not feed honey to infants under age 1 due to the risk of botulism.
Honey can also raise blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, it’s best to talk to your provider before trying a cough remedy that’s made with it.
Orange
Oranges are a known source of immune-supporting vitamin C, but citrus fruit is also a source of plant compounds that may play a positive role in chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. These effects may support immune health, too.
While there is not a lot of research that shows consuming oranges leads to less coughing, drinking it in juice form may help your body fight off an infection that is causing you to cough.
To lower your risk of bacterial contamination from the fruit, wash the orange first. You can also use 100% orange juice instead of cutting up a fresh piece of fruit for the recipe.
Learn More: Study: 100% Orange Juice May Fight Inflammation
Salt
Gargling with salt water (saline) is an age-old remedy many people turn to because it can help clear mucus from their throat and soothe the urge to cough.
The TikTok concoction is not a true saline gargle, but it could offer some relief since it does contain a little salt.
Sugar
Some research suggests that a sweet taste can help curb coughing. Even if sugar does not help lessen a cough, at the very least it can improve the taste of the recipe and make it more appealing to drink if you’re feeling sick.
If you’re trying to cut back on your added sugar intake or need to be careful about how much sugar you have a day because you’re managing a condition like diabetes, some TikTokers have made the orange cough remedy without sugar. If you’d like to add a little sweetness to improve the taste of the drink, you could try a non-nutritive sweetener.
Warmth
The mixture is warmed in the microwave before drinking, which could be another simple reason why people feel it works for a cough.
“Sipping warm liquids when you’re sick may help soothe a cough and can also increase nasal mucus velocity,” Carrol said. “This may provide some temporary relief of cold symptoms.”
Learn More: What to Do If You Can't Stop Coughing
What Else Can You Do for a Cough?
If you are not into this orange-honey TikTok remedy, there are some other solutions you can talk to your healthcare provider about to help you deal with a nagging cough:
Dietary changes, positioning, and medication management for coughs related to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Other tips like using a humidifier, sitting and sleeping upright, and drinking fluids may help with a cough, there’s just less research backing them up. They’re easy to do at home, don’t come with serious risks, and could make you a little more comfortable.
Remember that coughing is a natural response by your body. Sometimes, suppressing the cough reflex can actually have a negative effect on your recovery from an illness. It’s best to talk to your provider if you have a cough that isn’t getting better so you can figure out what’s causing it and find the right treatment.
And if you’re a caregiver for a child with a cough, know that The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning against the use of OTC products for cough and common colds in infants and children under 2 years of age because they can have serious side effects. If you’re not sure about the best way to treat a cough in kids, ask your pediatrician for advice.
What This Means For You
A viral TikTok recipe for a cough hack might actually be helpful and it’s easy to make at home—the warm beverage of sugar, salt, honey, and orange can be soothing for a cough. While a cough from a cold or flu should get better on its own, if you have a chronic cough, it’s best to talk to your provider to figure out what’s causing it and find out how to manage it effectively.
Read Next: What to Do About a Lingering Cough
