Cold and flu season is here and, if you haven’t yet been bitten by the coughing bug, you probably will soon. But before you rush to buy that bottle of Robitussin, head to your kitchen because the best cough medicine is already there!
Many incredibly common natural remedies should be your first line of defense in fighting off that cough.
They will not only save you money but they’re just as effective – if not more so – than over-the-counter solutions.
In fact, the jury is still out about whether or not cough syrup works.
Read on to discover 7 amazing ingredients you already have in your home that will relieve your symptoms.
1. Salt
Another one of nature’s most dynamic products, a little salt goes a long way to restoring your health.
Combine about half a teaspoon of salt with warm water and gargle several times a day when you’re feeling sick.
The saltwater gargle will ease throat pain and inflammation, helping restore your body’s natural pH balance and keep your cough at bay.
Remember: you can’t overuse salt as a gargle but you can as a seasoning.
2. Water
Is it any wonder that water is high on this list when your body (and the Earth itself) is made mostly of it?
Water flushes out toxins, keeps you hydrated, and helps your immune system function properly. When you’re fighting an illness, it is even more important to drink plenty of water to allow your body to recover.
Hot tea and a warm gargle will soothe the throat. A steamy shower will break up mucus and ease your breathing.
Both internally and externally, most natural remedies begin with nature’s most basic element – good old H2O.
3. Honey
A spoonful of sugar won’t help you, but a spoonful of honey can make your coughing subside.
Mix it with hot water, spread it on bread, or eat it raw.
Honey is incredibly effective in suppressing coughs and in coating your throat so you can get relief.
If you’re feeling sick, pace your day with servings of honey.
4. Ginger
This suggestion will add spice to your arsenal of home cures. Ginger has incredible anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties.
And there are many ways to combine it with other ingredients from our list to gain maximum benefit.
Make tea by boiling sliced ginger in hot water and add a little lemon and honey to taste.
Use fresh ginger (along with the last item from our list) to enhance your soup broth.
Extract ginger juice and combine it with equal parts honey to make nature’s best cough medicine.
5. Lemons
Don’t sour on lemons! When it comes to relieving your symptoms, this citrus fruit is one of nature’s true miracles.
Lemon mixed with honey and water makes a deliciously simple and incredibly revitalizing tea.
You can also gargle with lemon water to help treat throat infections.
Keep a few lemons handy not just during the cold season but year-round. Their many uses may surprise you.
In fact, check out 8 more that we discovered.
6. Peppermint
If you’ve ever sucked on a cough drop or coated your chest in that gooey rub, you’ve already experienced the refreshing way that mint can open up your lungs and ease your cold.
Did you know that you can get much of the same effect without added sugars or smelling like a medicine cabinet?
Peppermint is an effective treatment for coughs resulting from a variety of causes – from the common cold to asthma.
Add peppermint to your tea or splash a few drops of peppermint oil into a hot, steamy bath and you will be feeling better quickly.
7. Black Pepper
Speaking of seasonings, black pepper is one of the lesser-known natural remedies for treating a cough, but it is nonetheless effective.
You’ve undoubtedly heard that chicken soup fights off illness. It is actually the spicy ingredients – like pepper, and ginger, combined with the hot broth – that put you on the road to recovery.
Pepper is a powerful expectorant (that’s one reason why it makes you sneeze if it goes in your nose) and can provide relief for sinusitis and nasal congestion.
Not in the mood for soup? Try combining hot water, honey, lemon, and a sprinkle of pepper for a zesty cough killer.
Fight illness naturally and inexpensively.
Give these ingredients a try before you spend unnecessary time and money on over-the-counter solutions that might not work.
