Honey garlic is latest trendy home flu remedy here's why

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Need a DIY cold and flu remedy?

Some experts — and many TikTokers — swear by this one.

Both honey and garlic have been praised for their health benefits for years, so some health boosters are combining the two to double up on their benefits.

“I learned you can capture the immune support and symptom-relieving benefits of both garlic and raw honey by allowing them to ‘ferment’ together,” Happy Mama Essentials blogger and wellness creator McKenzie Wheeler explained to “Good Morning America.”

“When garlic is fermented, its benefits are exaggerated,” said herb fan Rhian Stephenson, founder of health site Artah, in an interview with Vogue.

The hashtag #HoneyGarlic has 40 million views on TikTok as people try to ward off any sickness during the cold and flu season while they dive into the holidays.

Devotees call it everything from a life-changer to “liquid gold” — not to mention “your new favorite condiment.”

Honey has been found to offer antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, anticancer and antimetastatic effects, according to the National Library of Medicine.

The smooth, thick sweetener has long been touted as a cough suppressant and throat coat, too.

Its recipe mate garlic, when chewed or crushed, produces sulfur compounds such as alliin, which helps boost the response of disease-fighting white blood cells, plus diallyl disulfide and s-allyl cysteine, which boast antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antifungal prospects. 

Garlic — which can be ingested raw, as a supplement or fermented — has also been found to boost the immune system to help prevent or reduce the severity of illnesses, including the common cold, Dr. Raj Arora told Vogue.

“In addition to the medicinal properties of raw honey and garlic, you, of course, benefit from a natural probiotic food, which is great for gut health,” Arora added.

Devotees suggest fermenting honey and garlic together to take advantage of all the apparent health benefits.

Wellness guru Wheeler recommends putting two to three peeled cloves of garlic into a jar and covering them with raw honey, then stirring the sweet, sticky nectar.

Loosely seal the jar — you’ll need to open and close it daily, known as “burping” it, to avoid pressure build-up during fermentation — and place it in a cool, dry place for about three to four weeks before scooping out a spoonful.

Drizzle the delicious condiment-turned-cold-remedy over some vegetables or slather it on some cheese and crackers, Wheeler suggests.

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