When you have a cold, tea provides a healthy alternative to plain water and sugary fruit juices. A cup of hot tea helps warm and relax you, and certain teas contain compounds that may help calm your cough, soothe your scratchy throat and relieve other common cold symptoms. While you can benefit from plain tea, several common flavorings may make your tea even more effective against cold symptoms.
The Benefits of Tea
The steam from hot tea can help relieve the congestion that causes a cough and stuffy nose, while the warmth helps soothe your sore throat.Compounds called theophyllines give black, green, white and oolong teas an advantage over other hot drinks. These compounds temporarily stimulate your respiratory system and may help you breathe more easily. Staying hydrated is important for good immune function, but because the caffeine in tea can dehydrate you, opt for green or white tea, which are naturally lower in caffeine, or caffeine-free herbal teas.
Ginger Tea
Ginger tea helps to regulate the immune system, making it particularly good for treating cold symptoms, notes Alexandra Arkin in Northwestern University's Medill Reports of Feb 18, 2011. This tea also stimulates circulation, helping to warm you if you're experiencing chills. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine recommend drinking ginger tea until you begin to sweat, which may help to release disease-causing pathogens from your skin. To help ease your cold symptoms, steep 2 tbsp. freshly sliced or grated ginger in hot water and drink it two or three times daily.
Peppermint Tea
The aromatic menthol in peppermint helps break up phlegm, but can also alleviate dry coughs and sore throats. Peppermint tea helps to kill viruses and regulate the immune system, note researchers from a review published in "Physiotherapy Research" of August 2006. To make peppermint tea, steep 1 tsp. dried peppermint leaves in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes, recommend experts from the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC. Strain the leaves out and let it cool before you drink it. Drink this tea four or five times daily between your meals.
Flavoring Your Tea
Because sugar can impair your immune system, limit the table sugar you add to your tea when you have a cold. Instead, opt for honey, which can help to ease your sore throat and relieve your cough, Dr. James M. Steckelberg of the Mayo Clinic explains. Lemon juice, rich in immune-supportive vitamin C, is another beneficial flavoring. Tea with both honey and lemon may be particularly helpful for relieving cold symptoms, suggest UMMC experts. No research proves dairy increases phlegm production, but you may want to skip adding cream or milk to your tea if you find tea with dairy worsens your cough.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Colds and The Flu
- "Jet"; Five Steps to a Fast Recovery from Colds and Flu; Jan 6, 2003
- "Vegetarian Times"; Foods and News That Fight Colds and Flu: How to Shorten A Cold, Ease the Flu And Keep Your Home From Turning into a Germ Factory; February 2006
- Ohio Northern University; Northern Review; Cailey Williams; October 2008
- University of Michigan Integrative Medicine
- Northwestern University; Medill Reports; Debate on Health Benefits of Tea Still Brewing; Alexandra Arkin; February 18, 2011
