12 teas for sore throat and sore throat

12 teas for sore throat and sore throat

Natural treatments

Some teas, such as lemon, garlic and ginger tea, star anise tea or pomegranate tea, are rich in anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antimicrobial substances, which help eliminate viruses or bacteria that can cause inflammation in the throat.

These teas help relieve sore throat symptoms such as pain, difficulty swallowing, itching or irritation in the throat. In addition to drinking tea, it is also important to keep your throat well hydrated and, therefore, you should drink small sips of water throughout the day, as this also helps the body recover and helps combat the feeling of an irritated throat.

Although they cannot replace medical treatment, teas are a good option to help alleviate the symptoms of sore throat and can be used to complement the treatment recommended by your doctor.

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12 teas for sore throat and sore throat

The best teas to soothe a sore throat and sore throat are:

1. Lemon tea with garlic and ginger

Lemon, garlic and ginger tea has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties due to allicin, present in garlic, phenolic compounds such as gingerol, chogaol and zingerone, from ginger, and vitamin C from lemon, which help fight inflammation in throat caused by flu or colds.

Furthermore, this tea helps to strengthen the immune system and shorten the duration of the cold.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half;
  • 1/2 cup of lemon juice;
  • 1 cm of ginger root or ½ teaspoon of powdered ginger;
  • 3 cups of water;
  • Honey to sweeten (optional).

Preparation mode:

Boil water with garlic. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, ginger and honey. Strain and serve afterwards. See how to prepare other ginger tea recipes.

Ginger should not be consumed by people who use anticoagulant medications or who have a stomach ulcer, as it has anticoagulant properties that can increase bleeding or hemorrhage, and therefore should be removed from the tea in these cases.

2. Star anise tea

Star anise tea helps to strengthen the immune system, reducing the symptoms of sore throat caused by flu or colds, as it is rich in phenolic compounds with antioxidant action that help neutralize free radicals that hinder the correct functioning of the immune system.

Furthermore, star anise has antiviral activity due to shikimic acid, a natural substance that is used to fight the flu virus.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon of star anise;
  • 500 mL of boiling water;
  • Honey to sweeten (optional).

Preparation mode:

Pour boiling water into a cup and add star anise. Cover, let it cool, strain, sweeten with honey and drink afterwards. Drink this tea 3 times a day as long as cold symptoms remain.

3. Pomegranate tea

Pomegranate tea is rich in polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids and triterpenes, which are substances with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action, which help fight a sore throat and relieve pain and discomfort.

Ingredients:

  • 10 grams of pomegranate peel;
  • 1 cup of water.

Preparation mode:

Add the pomegranate peels to a pan with water. When it starts to boil, leave it for another 5 minutes and turn it off. After this time, cover the pan and let the tea rest for another 5 minutes. Wait for it to cool down and then drink it 2 to 3 times a day.

Pomegranate tea should not be used by children under 2 years of age, pregnant or breastfeeding women, or people who have gastritis or stomach ulcers, as it may cause stomach irritation.

4. Pineapple tea with honey

Pineapple is a fruit rich in vitamin C that strengthens the immune system, combating various diseases, especially viral diseases, and is great for treating sore throats caused by flu, colds or straining your voice during a presentation, show or class, for example.

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices of pineapple (with skin);
  • ½ liter of water;
  • Honey to taste (optional).

Preparation mode:

Place the water in a pan and add the unpeeled pineapple slices and let it boil for 5 minutes. Then, remove the tea from the heat, cover the pan, let it cool and strain. This tea can be drunk several times a day, while still warm.

To make the tea more viscous and help lubricate the throat, you can sweeten it with a little honey. However, honey should not be used by people who are allergic to honey, propolis or pollen.

5. Sage tea with salt

​Another excellent homemade solution for a sore throat is gargling with warm sage tea with sea salt, as sage has astringent properties that temporarily relieve pain and sea salt has antiseptic properties that help in the recovery of inflamed tissue.

Ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons of dry sage;
  • ½ teaspoon of sea salt;
  • 250 ml of water.

Preparation mode:

Add the boiling water over the sage and cover the container, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then strain and add sea salt. Gargle the warm tea at least twice a day. Spit out the tea afterwards.

6. Plantain tea with propolis

Plantain has antibiotic and anti-inflammatory action and is useful to help combat the symptoms of inflammation in the throat and when taken warm its effects are even better because they soothe throat irritation.

Ingredients:

  • 30 g of plantain leaves;
  • 1 liter of water;
  • 10 drops of propolis.

Preparation mode:

Boil the water, add the plantain leaves and let it rest for 10 minutes. Wait for it to cool, strain and add 10 drops of propolis. This tea should be used to gargle 3 to 5 times a day. Spit out the tea afterwards. Discover other benefits of plantain tea.

Propolis should not be used by people who are allergic to propolis, honey or pollen, and therefore, in these cases, it should not be added to this tea.

7. Eucalyptus tea

Eucalyptus is a natural antiseptic and helps the body fight microorganisms that may be causing inflammation in the throat.

Ingredients:

Preparation mode:

Boil the water and then add the eucalyptus leaves. Let it cool a little and inhale the steam that comes out of this tea at least twice a day for 15 minutes.

8. White willow tea

The white willow, known scientifically as Salix alba, has strong analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties due to the presence of salicin, which is a substance similar to the main ingredient in aspirin. Therefore, tea made from the bark of this plant can be a good option for relieving symptoms of throat inflammation, such as pain, irritation or discomfort when swallowing.

Ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons of white willow bark;
  • 2 cups of water.

Preparation mode:

Bring the water to a boil and add the willow bark. Let it boil for 10 minutes, strain and drink up to 2 cups a day.

This tea should not be consumed by children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, people allergic to aspirin or using anticoagulants. Furthermore, the use of white willow bark tea is not recommended for people with gastrointestinal problems, such as ulcers, gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux, colitis or diverticulitis.

9. Barbatimão tea

Barbatimão tea is rich in alkaloids, flavonoids and sterols, which have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and analgesic properties, which help fight inflammation and soothe a sore throat.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon of barbatimão peel;
  • 1 liter of water.

Preparation mode:

Add the barbatimão peels and water to a container and boil over low heat for about 10 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Strain and drink this tea 3 to 4 times a day.

Barbatimão tea should not be used by pregnant or lactating women or by people with serious stomach problems, such as ulcers or stomach cancer.

10. Licorice tea

Licorice tea, made from the medicinal plant Glycyrrhiza glabrahas anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial action that can help relieve pain and inflammation in the throat.

Additionally, this tea can be used before throat surgery to help alleviate post-operative pain.

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon of licorice root;
  • 1 cup of water.

Preparation mode:

Add the licorice root to the cup of boiling water, cover and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then strain and gargle the tea. Spit out the tea afterwards.

Licorice tea should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women and by people with high blood pressure, heart problems or kidney disease.

11. Thyme tea

Thyme tea is a good home remedy option for sore throat and sore throat as it is rich in carvacrol and γ-terpinene with anti-inflammatory and antiseptic action.

Additionally, this tea helps eliminate excess phlegm from the respiratory tract, which helps relieve sore throats caused by the flu or colds.

Ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons of chopped dried thyme leaves;
  • 1 cup of water.

Preparation mode:

Boil the water and add it to the cup containing the thyme leaves. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes, strain and drink warm up to 3 times a day. If desired, it can be sweetened with honey, which also helps to moisturize the throat.

Thyme tea should not be used by children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, or by people with heart failure, enterocolitis or in the post-surgical period, as it can slow down blood clotting.

Furthermore, it should be used with caution during menstruation, gastritis, ulcers, colitis, endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome or in case of liver disease.

12. Eucalyptus tea

Eucalyptus tea is rich in flavonoids, triterpenes, tannins, phenolic acids, which help fight respiratory infections, as they have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and astringent action, which helps to relieve sore throats and combat inflammation.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon of chopped eucalyptus leaves;
  • 150 mL of water.

Preparation mode:

Put the water in a pan to boil. When it is boiling, turn off the heat, add the chopped eucalyptus leaves, cover and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then strain and drink 1 cup of tea warm, 2 to 3 times a day.

Another way to enjoy the benefits of eucalyptus is to inhale with the fresh leaves or use the tea as a mouthwash. See other ways to use eucalyptus.

Eucalyptus tea should not be used if you are allergic to this plant, during pregnancy or by people who have gallbladder problems and liver disease.

Other tips to combat sore throat

Another option to improve a sore throat is to eat a square of semi-sweet chocolate at the same time as 1 mint leaf, as this mixture helps to lubricate the throat, eliminating discomfort.

Chocolate must contain more than 70% cocoa because it contains a greater amount of flavonoids that help combat sore throats. You can also prepare a fruit smoothie by blending 1 square of the same 70% chocolate with 1/4 glass of milk and 1 banana, as this vitamin relieves a sore throat. See other options that help fight a sore throat.