Ear, Nose & Throat

6 Safe and Natural Drinks For Sore Throat

Sore throat is a common occurrence in people of all age groups. Now, what exactly is a sore throat? A sore throat is when your throat feels itchy. You have difficulty in swallowing due to pain and discomfort in your throat. The leading cause behind a sore throat is a viral infection.

There might be other reasons too, like various infections, trauma, or in rare cases tumor.  In kids in the age group of 5-15 years, 70% of sore throat is caused by a virus and 30% by bacteria. There are various types of home remedies available which could help you to get some relief, which includes various best drinks for a sore throat.

[Also Read: Natural Remedies for Sore Throat]

Drinks for Sore Throat

1. Cinnamon Almond Milk

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Why Have It?

Cinnamon is a common spice found in parts of the world. It has antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Cinnamon has a strong fragrance and enhances the taste of food or drinks when added to them. Cinnamon almond milk not only acts as a cure but also acts as a tasty drink which soothes your throat.

How to Have It?

You could consume cinnamon as tea or mix it with any warm drink like almond milk. Cinnamon almond milk is probably the tastiest of the many drinks for sore throat. To prepare this, take half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon with a one-eighth teaspoon of baking soda in a saucepan. Add a cup of almond milk and mix them. Heat this mixture till it starts simmering. Now pour it in a cup and add one tablespoon of honey or any other sweetener as desired. Your yummy cinnamon almond milk is ready.

You could also take cinnamon with warm water and black pepper or just directly with honey.

How Much to Use?

You could enjoy one-two cups of cinnamon almond milk in day to soothe your sore throat. You should not consume too much of cinnamon as it has anti-clotting properties. Diabetes patients should consult a doctor before taking it regularly.

[Also Read: Best Teas for Sore Throat Relief]

2. Ginger Root Tea

Why Have It?

Ginger is a magic herb with excellent medicinal value. It has anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory properties. It is used for indigestion, cold, detoxification of the body. It improves your body’s blood circulation and immunity.

Ginger root tea is a natural drink for sore throat. Since ginger has a strong, pungent flavor, taking is as tea is an easy and effective way to consume it. The warm ginger root tea soothes your sore throat and has a comforting aroma. It also decreases your body pain, headache, and allergies, if any.

How to Have It?

In whichever way you use ginger root, the first thing you need to do is peel its exterior surface. To make ginger root tea, take one tablespoon of peeled and grated ginger in a liter of hot boiled water, cover and let it soak for 10 minutes.

After straining, you could add lemon juice and one tablespoon of honey to it. You could also chew raw ginger, or take it with cinnamon, or as seasoning with food or as a lozenge to ease a sore throat.  You could also try a combination of ginger-cinnamon-licorice tea which has proved beneficial for sore throat.

How Much to Have?

You could take two-three cups of ginger root tea in a day. You could include ginger seasoning in your food as a part of your regular diet.

[Also Read: Natural Herbs for Sore Throat]

3. Lemon Water

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Why Have It?

Lemon is rich in Vitamin C. Drinks rich in Vitamin C like lemon water and some fruit juices not only help to cure a cold but also boost immunity when taken regularly. However, some citrus-based fruit juices could aggravate sore throat, so it is better to avoid orange juice for sore throat.

While it is a good idea to take pineapple juice for sore throat because it contains Vitamin C, manganese, and bromelain, which is excellent for viral and bacterial infections.  Lemon water eases congestion and increases the production of saliva, which keeps your mucous membranes moist. Also, lemon water keeps you hydrated and is most refreshing among other drinks for sore throat.

How to Have It?

Take a glass of warm water and add a teaspoon of lemon juice to it. Drink it to get instant relief from sore throat. You could combine lemon water with honey for best results as honey will have a soothing effect on your sore throat.

How Much to Use?

You could drink a glass or two in a day for getting relief from sore throat. If you have a glass of warm lemon water empty stomach in the morning, it has numerous health benefits. To name a few, it keeps you hydrated, forms collagen in your body, improves digestion, and boosts immunity.

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4. Peppermint Tea

Why Have It?

Peppermint is quite popular and is used in various candies and even wafers. You already know about its distinct flavor; what you might not know is that it is used to make drinks for sore throat. Peppermint has anti-inflammatory properties. It soothes your throat and to a certain extent, numbs your throat, easing the pain. Peppermint tea helps to reduce the discomfort, pain, and inflammation in the throat.

How to Have It?

You could make your peppermint herbal tea by soaking a few fresh peppermint leaves in boiling water for around three-five minutes. Strain and enjoy as tea. The best part is you don’t even need to add any sweetener to it as it is naturally sweet. This tea is refreshing, tasty, and free from caffeine.

How Much to Have?

Depending on the severity of symptoms, you could drink four-five cups of peppermint tea in a day. It is not recommended for infants, pregnant, and breastfeeding women.If you are suffering from gastrointestinal reflux, you should avoid it.

5. Chamomile Tea

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Why Have It?

Chamomile is similar to a daisy and has been used for home remedies since ages. The flowers of this plant are used to prepare drinks for sore throat. Firstly, chamomile tea helps you sleep peacefully when consumed and prevents frequent coughing at night.

Secondly, it has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, which might help to fight infection and decrease pain. Thirdly, it has an excellent mild aroma which appeals to your senses and comforts you.

How to Have It?

Chamomile tea has natural lubricating properties. So you could use a cup of chamomile tea to ease your throat. To prepare this tea, take two tablespoons of dried chamomile flowers in eight ounces of boiling water. You can let it soak for five-ten minutes and strain. If you desire a strong flavored tea, you could let it soak for some more minutes. Add raw honey and sip it.

How Much to Have?

You should drink chamomile tea at least twice a day to help you get some relief.

6. Turmeric Milk

Why Have It?

Turmeric is a spice which contains curcumin, a powerful medicinal compound. Turmeric milk has always been in use as a drink for a sore throat in a few Asian countries. Traditionally it was given not only for cold but also after an injury as it has a lot of healing powers.

Turmeric milk, also known as golden milk, has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. It boosts brain functioning, improves mood, and might lower blood sugar levels. It might also reduce the risk of heart diseases and cancer.

How to Have It?

Add half a teaspoon of turmeric to a cup of hot boiled milk to enjoy your golden milk. You could also add ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, and honey to make a beneficial drink. This golden milk is a combination of many ingredients having their own distinct curative properties and flavor.

How Much to Have?

You can have two-three cups of turmeric milk every day to get relief from sore throat. You can include a cup of turmeric milk in your daily diet during the flu season. This will boost your immunity and help you overcome small health issues.

You should try to include food that boosts your body’s immunity in your daily diet. To increase your body’s resistance power, you should exercise regularly and avoid too much stress. You should take chewable foods, soups and warm instead of food difficult in swallowing.

There are several home remedies including some natural drinks for sore throat. You should go to a doctor if your sore throat doesn’t go away in a week or if you notice unusual symptoms like rash, joint pain, dehydration, pus or blood.


FAQs

1. What is sore throat?

Sore throat is an infection that causes itchiness, scratchiness, and pain in the throat. It is when your body’s immune system reacts to a viral or bacterial infection. You might feel irritation, pain, and have difficulty swallowing. Thankfully there are several remedies including some natural drinks for sore throat. You have to consider several of home remedies and drinks to find the best drink for a sore throat, which is perfect for you.

2. Which other remedies can be used for a sore throat?

There are various natural home remedies which can be tried for sore throat. There is a range of home remedies which could benefit you like salt water gargle, steam, herbs, and drinks for sore throat. If you are still thinking about what can I drink for a sore throat, then try one of the natural drinks for the sore throat like turmeric milk, lemon water, herbal tea, etc.

3. Which drinks are best for a sore throat?

There are several drinks that are believed to be quite beneficial for sore throat. It is essential that you must know what drink is good for sore throat and what drink is harmful. Drinks like cinnamon almond milk, turmeric milk, lemon water, herbal tea like chamomile tea, ginger tea, and peppermint tea help you get relief in sore throat. On the other hand, drinks like alcohol, orange juice, packaged fruit juices, etc., should be avoided as it might aggravate your sore throat.