Every year the cold and flu season in the UK is affecting millions of people and putting pressure on the NHS.
When you fall ill with a cold or the flu, one of the first recommendations from medical professionals is to drink more fluids.
While water and other drinks are crucial to your recovery, most people reach for tea to fight the symptoms and speed up the recovery.
But what is the best tea to fight cold and flu?
When you are ill you want something that work, soothes your pains and aches and tea can really be a very valuable helper in this process. The only thing is – which of the many herbal teas on offer is the best to aid your recovery from cold and flu like symptoms?
We are going to have a look at different herbal teas and how the aid your recovery process. But first a general look at how tea helps you through the cold and flu season.
As a warm liquid tea alleviates your throat and is mucus-dissolving. It also increases antibacterial properties that help curing colds. By adding some honey to your tea, it helps to soothe coughing and adding lemon in your tea, will give you a boost of vitamin C, and help you fighting your cold.
You may think all teas are the same when it comes to helping with recovery from a cold or the flu, this is not the case. Some teas contain properties that give the immune system a boost and get rid of bad germs.
In that case, these are the teas you should drink while you’re sick with a cold or the flu:
Peppermint Tea
Beside the refreshing taste from peppermint tea, you’ll also ingest menthol in the leaves which help if you have a cough and are mucus dissolving. It has the same properties as a cough drop and also helps with breathing by dissolving mucus and freeing up your throat. The tea also decreases pain, inflammation, and body aches.
Studies have found benefits from peppermint tea, with the antimicrobial as well as antiviral entities. You can read more on the medical benefits of peppermint tea on Medical News Today.
Chamomile Tea
Along with increasing the intake of fluids, medical professionals will recommend rest to get over your illness. Unfortunately, sleeping while sick with the cold or flu can be a difficult.
The flowers from chamomile tea are key in helping you sleep. Chamomile plants have flavonoids in the petals which have a tranquilizing reaction. The tea also has anti-inflammatory properties, so it offers extra benefits while drinking this tea.
More on the benefits of chamomile tea on the National Library of Medicine.
Echinacea Tea
Found in North America, this purple flower can half the likeliness of getting a cold if taken as a supplement. The anti-inflammatory properties in echinacea can help your immune system, shortening your time spent with a cold or flu.
Echinacea tea is one of the best choices of teas to fight an oncoming illness.
Ginger tea
Ginger tea will soothe a sore throat. Ginger contains anti-inflammatory ingredients as well as prohibiting microorganisms, which can result in infection.
If your stomach becomes upset along with your sickness, ginger tea can help with nausea. The tea can also clear up sinuses and congestion, while reducing vomiting and motion sickness.
Elderberry
Elderberries have been used for centuries to ease the symptoms of illnesses.
Full of antioxidants, elderberry offer help to the immune system. The syrups and extracts from the elderberry also have shown an ability to shorten time spent sick with the cold or flu.
Green tea
Green tea is kind of the Swiss Army knife of hot beverages. From improved brain function to fat burning green tea is good for a lot of things.
When it comes to the cold and flu, antioxidants in green tea help to battle bad bacteria and free radicals. Congestion and coughing are reduced when you drink green tea.
Hibiscus tea
Another tea loaded with antioxidants, hibiscus is also rich in vitamin C and iron. Both properties help the immune system stay balanced and fight bacteria, hibiscus tea helps you to recover from a cold or flu more quickly.
Nettle tea
The nettle plant may be used less now than it was in ancient times, but it has a renaissance among herbal tea lovers and the benefits from nettle tea haven’t gone away.
Nettle plants are rich in a lot of vitamin and minerals, but two of the most important are vitamin C and carotene. Both properties further help your immune system fight foreign bacteria.
Special Cold and Flu teas
There are far more herbs that aid the recovery from cold and flu. Especially in the traditional Asian medicine a lot of herbal mixtures are used to fight the symptoms of this illnesses.
You can buy very effective herbal teas against cold and flu like the Triple Leave Tea – Cold and Flu Herbal tea or Traditional Medicinals Orgnic Throat Coat.