Fact Check: Can Ginger and Honey Clean Your Lungs?

A viral Instagram reel claims that Ginger and honey can clean your lungs. The claim made in the reel is Misleading.

Claim

In an Instagram reel, it is claimed that Ginger and honey can clean your lungs. The reel by the user besthealthsutras is captioned "Some remedies." The user makes multiple health claims in the video which include, "Do you know honey and onion can boost immunity up to 200%? Carrots and lemon can flatten and clean your stomach, Ginger and honey clean your lungs, and Turmeric and orange can protect you from chronic diseases"

The viral video has racked up 67.3 million views, 1.6 million likes, 2,793 comments, and 2.5 million shares. The reel can be accessed here.

Fact Check

The claims in the video are Misleading. Ginger and Honey may help in managing certain lung conditions but these ingredients cannot clean your lungs.

What are Lungs?

The lungs are a pair of spongy, pinkish-gray organs located in the chest, essential for breathing and gas exchange. When you inhale, oxygen enters the lungs and moves into the bloodstream, while carbon dioxide, a waste gas, moves from the blood to the lungs and is exhaled. This critical process sustains life by supplying oxygen to the body and removing carbon dioxide. The lungs are central to the respiratory system, working alongside the trachea, diaphragm, chest wall muscles, blood vessels, and other tissues to facilitate breathing. The brain regulates breathing rate based on the body's oxygen needs and carbon dioxide levels. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, such as avoiding smoking and staying active, supports lung health and prevents diseases.

How can you clean your lungs?

As per the American Lung Association, The lungs are self-cleaning organs that naturally heal when no longer exposed to harmful pollutants. To maintain healthy lungs, avoid toxins such as cigarette smoke, vaping, and air pollution while adopting a balanced lifestyle. Quitting smoking, including e-cigarettes, is the most effective step toward minimizing lung damage. Keep indoor air clean by reducing chemical use, avoiding indoor burning, and managing dust with HEPA vacuums and air purifiers. Monitor outdoor air quality using tools like the Air Quality Index (AQI) and limit exposure to pollution on high AQI days. A diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and nutrients, along with regular exercise approved by a doctor, supports overall lung health and promotes natural restoration.

Dr Sujith Varghese Abraham, Specialist - Pulmonologist, KIMSHEALTH Trivandrum talked to Health Dialogues about cleaning lungs and he said, "Cleaning lungs in its classic sense is not possible. However, in selected conditions, bronchoscopy can be employed to clear the airways. If a person accidentally aspirates a foreign body, it can be removed via various bronchoscopic techniques. In a rare disease known as Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis where surfactant protein fills up the lung impairing lung functioning, a procedure named “Whole lung lavage” is done. In whole lung lavage, around 30-40 liters of saline is used to wash the lungs."

What are the nutritional benefits of ginger?

Ginger also known as Zingiber officinale is widely recognized for its numerous health benefits and medicinal properties. Rich in bioactive compounds, ginger is valued for its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, which help protect the body from oxidative stress and support the immune system. It plays a significant role in reducing inflammation and promoting muscle relaxation, making it beneficial for managing pain and discomfort. Additionally, ginger aids in boosting immunity and overall well-being through its immune-modulating properties. Its natural compounds provide therapeutic support, contributing to improved health and relief from various ailments, making it a valuable addition to a balanced diet.

What are the Health Benefits of Honey?

Honey also known as Apis mellifera, produced from flower nectar by honeybees, has been celebrated for its nutritional, medicinal, and industrial applications for centuries. Ancient cultures such as the Greeks, Egyptians, and Chinese valued honey for both nourishment and healing—a tradition that persists today. Widely used in beverages, honey is highly stable due to its low water activity (0.56–0.62) and slightly acidic pH (around 3.9), enabling long-term storage without refrigeration. Beyond its role in culinary delights, honey offers antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties, along with protective effects on the respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and nervous systems.

Dr. Srivatsa Lokeshwaran, Lead Consultant and Head of Department - Interventional Pulmonology and Lung Transplant, Aster Whitefield Hospital, Bengaluru in a conversation with Health Dialogues Team talked about the traditional use of honey and ginger where he said, "Honey and Ginger is generally used as natural remedy for people with cough and phlegm. Though there might not be strong scientific evidence for routine use there is no harm in using it as first first-home remedy for treating cough and phlegm. But nevertheless if you persist to have cough and phlegm I would advise you to visit your nearest chest physician."

Can Ginger and honey clean your lungs?

Honey and ginger may aid in managing respiratory conditions; however, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that Ginger and Honey can clean your lungs.

Emerging research highlights ginger's potential in managing respiratory conditions. According to a Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences study, ginger demonstrates protective effects against lung damage caused by hyperoxia and inflammation, positioning it as a potential alternative in treating bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Similarly, Elizabeth A. Townsend et. al.'s study discovered that ginger and its active components have bronchodilatory effects, promoting the relaxation of airway smooth muscle.

Honey is known to aid in managing certain lung and respiratory conditions. Findings from Hibatullah Abuelgasim et. al.’s study suggest that honey can help reduce symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections and potentially support efforts to curb antimicrobial resistance, though further high-quality trials are essential.

Another article published in the Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmacognosy Research reported that honey effectively alleviated symptoms of acute respiratory infections and could be recommended as a supportive treatment in adults.

While ginger and honey are known for their potential health benefits, including managing respiratory symptoms and reducing inflammation, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim by the user.

Responding to the claim Dr Indranil Banerjee, Consultant Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Apollo Spectra, Alwarpet, Chennai said, “Ginger is the root of the perennial plant Zingiber officinale. It is a natural expectorant and has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and mucoactive properties which helps in loosening up mucus in the respiratory tract and helps in phlegm clearance. Honey has good demulcent effect and anti-oxidant properties, and it increases cytokine release, which might have antimicrobial effects. It is helpful in providing relief from sore throat and chronic cough. It has a soothing effect on the respiratory tract and reduces the propensity of cough. One should be cautious of Botulism which may be associated with impure Honey.”

Dr Sujith Varghese Abraham, Specialist - Pulmonologist, KIMSHEALTH Trivandrum added, "It is a no is medical sense. Ginger and honey have medicinal effects to a certain level if consumed in the right quantity. But these are not approved sole therapy in any of the medical conditions. They are included as a supplementary therapy in some diseases. In cleaning lungs, it doesn’t have a proven role."

Health Dialogues Final Take

Ginger and Honey may help in managing certain respiratory conditions and provide health benefits but there is no scientific evidence or medical consensus to support the claim that honey and ginger can clean lungs.

Hence, the claim by the user is Misleading.