Singapore-based drinks manufacturer F&N has rejected claims shared online that a popular carbonated beverage it makes can be boiled and consumed to treat coughs. Healthcare professionals said any relief from the home remedy might be due to the placebo effect or the syrup coating the throat, and urged people with persistent coughs to seek proper medical assistance.
“SARSI CAN GET RID OF COUGH. Since then, whenever I cough, I don’t bother buying cough syrup anymore. I just grab some sarsi, boil it for a bit, let it cool down… then drink it.,” reads part of a Malay-language Facebook post on January 22, 2026.
Similar posts claiming the remedy can help relieve coughing have circulated since 2023 and resurfaced in 2025 on Instagram as well as on TikTok and Threads .
But F&N Sarsi is only intended for use as a refreshment in its original form and is not formulated, marketed or indicated for the treatment or relief of cough or any other medical conditions, said a representative from the Malaysian arm of F&N Holdings Bhd ( archived link ).
“F&N Holdings Bhd does not endorse or support the use of F&N Sarsi for any medical or therapeutic purposes,” the communications representative told AFP on December 18, 2025.
Health experts told AFP the drink does not have any medicinal properties.
Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh , a public health expert at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia told AFP via WhatsApp on January 27: “I don’t think it contains any medicinal properties, or relieves cough” ( archived link ).
She said the feeling of recovering after drinking the boiled soft drink could be a “placebo effect or accidental”.
“Taking Sarsi drink might present a false sense of security, when in fact the sufferer may need to have proper investigations and checks,” she added, urging people with prolonged coughs to get advanced tests including sputum, blood or body imaging as suggested by a doctor.
Dr Thurein Hlaing Win , country manager of the Myanmar healthcare website Hello Sayarwon, also urged people suffering from coughs for more than two weeks to seek proper medical diagnosis to find the root cause, which could be asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease or an infection ( archived link ).
“There is no medical benefit to this remedy. Any temporary relief felt is likely due to the syrup coating the throat (demulcent effect) or a placebo effect. It does not fight the infection or treat the respiratory issue,” he told AFP in an email on December 23, 2025.
He also warned that boiling the soft drink removes water and carbonation, resulting in a concentrated hot sugar syrup, and drinking it could lead to excessive sugar intake.
Britain’s National Health Service says most coughs clear up on their own within three to four weeks ( archived link ).
It recommends patients rest and drink plenty of fluids, and stay at home if a fever is present.
Home remedies to treat minor ailments often circulate in Malaysia, and AFP has previously debunked claims that an orange juice concentrate and onions could be used to treat coughs.
