Honey for a sore throat – Your ultimate source of natural health benefits
When you come down with a cold or flu, get ready for fighting a runny nose, fever, cough, sneezing and headache for the next week or two. In addition to those, it’s more than likely that you’ll also have a sore throat. This symptom can come from various ailments, including viral and bacterial infections. For the most part, you’ll experience painful swallowing because of inflammation, which may then lead to throat swelling, redness, scratching and burning.
Not all infections can be treated with antibiotics. Statistics say that a sore throat is among the most significant contributors to inappropriate antibiotic prescribing all over the world. That can be a threat to watch out for as your body can eventually lose its ability to resist germs if attacked by powerful drugs for no discernible reason. However, you can treat your cold in a different, antibiotic-free way. Remember, one of the best natural sore throat remedies is honey, and it can turn your treatment process into the sweetest experience.
How effective are honey and lemon for a sore throat?
You know about honey, right? Not only is it sweet, sticky, liquid gold in a glass jar, but also it is a one-of-a-kind source of health benefits. Many years ago, honey was mostly used to prevent wounds from getting infected. Today it is considered to be a super powerful bacteria-killing weapon. Apart from glucose and fructose, this healing substance contains a plethora of vitamins, minerals and immune proteins. This makes it recommended to use honey for a sore throat and other flu symptoms.
Lemon is another go-to remedy. It is loved by both patients and doctors thanks to its high level of vitamin C that is known to be the best immune system enhancer. So, combine honey with lemon for a sore throat, and see how all your inflammation-related symptoms disappear.
Benefits of honey tea for a sore throat
Before making an appointment with your doctor, take a closer look at positives that can be brought by alternative cold treatment methods. When regularly consuming tea, honey and lemon for your sore throat, you can expect:
- Immune system boost. These home remedies can be perfect cough and scratchy throat suppressants. Unlike anti-inflammatory medicines, they enhance your immune system, thereby contributing to faster recovery.
- Immediate relief. Although honey tea can’t always guarantee complete recovery, it will soothe a sore throat in a flash. Besides, other related flu or cold symptoms will be markedly reduced.
- Delicious taste. When you combine herbal tea with a spoonful of honey, your taste buds are going to be pleased. But if you add a slice of lemon with ginger or cinnamon to this mix, you will perfectly reward your inner connoisseur.
Pasteurised or raw honey for a sore throat?
Honey is one of the oldest and most natural sweeteners on Earth. Since ancient times, it has been used as both food and medication. The snag about it is that it now comes in an abundance of varieties, making it more complicated to choose the right one for your sore throat.
If you’re considering pasteurised or raw honey, you should realise that not both offer a range of therapeutic benefits, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, the former is filtered, pasteurised and heated after being harvested, whilst the latter is pure in its form, meaning that it’s straight from the hive and its nutritional value is unchanged. With that in mind, you better go for raw honey for a sore throat rather than the processed variety.
You can try raw bee pollen or raw forest honey from Bee Baltic. They are deemed to be excellent natural cures for the flu and other infections. Especially when you take them consistently.