Fighting a cold feels like going into battle without armor. You set your foot on the frontline and all the bullets hit you without warning. Your body becomes exhausted and too weak.
However, there can also be some good things to come from having the flu. It can give you a chance to mend your body. Take a good rest, eat healthy foods, and drink herbal teas can help you heal your illness.
When it comes to teas, there are a lot of options to choose from. Some teas help in soothing sore throat while other teas have antioxidants that fight off free radicals. So, what kind of tea is good for a cold?
Benefits of Drinking Tea For A Cold
Many experts believe that the best tea for a cold has benefits for both the internal and external parts of our body. Receiving benefits for both internal as well as external, can speed up the healing process and recovery.
- Tea can increase the body’s immune system. One of the main reasons of having colds is a weak immune system. When our body’s defenses weaken, it is easier for bacteria and viruses to enter the body and cause trouble. Some herbal teas have nutrients our bodies need to eliminate these unwanted elements.
- Tea can relieve the symptoms. While there are certainly cases of colds that need more help than just drinking tea, if you do drink a nice herbal tea when you have a cold, it can help in relieving the body of annoying symptoms like headaches, muscle stiffness, and clogged noses to help you rest better and recover faster.
- Tea can reduce stress in the body. Having a cold is a stressful process for most people despite the constant need for bed rest. Some people are not used to staying in bed the entire day and missing out on work. Drinking a cup of tea is a good stress reliever. Most tea ingredients contain amino acids that have a calming effect in the body.
- Tea can relax the nasal passages. The warm and herbal aroma soothes the nostrils and aids in better breathing. For some people, it helps them sleep and reduces nasal congestion.
5 Best Herbal Teas for Colds
There are two ways to drink herbal teas. One is to buy a pre-packed tea bag that you can easily seep in hot water for three to five minutes. The other way is to prepare the tea from scratch. It requires more effort but most of the ingredients are commonly found in the kitchen.
- Ginger Tea
One of best natural ingredients to fight bacteria is ginger. A cup of ginger tea for cold can help in alleviating muscle soreness. It reduces the pain in your joints and can soothe a headache.
Ginger also has vitamins and minerals that prevent fevers in the body. It will decrease the chills in your body and help maintain the bodies normal temperature.
If you want to sweeten your tea, add a spoonful of honey instead of sugar. Honey helps in calming your cough and soothing the back of your throat. It contains nutrients like folate and vitamin C. A cup of hot ginger honey tea is perfect for irritating cough.
The video below will help you brew a wonderful Ginger Tea easily at home.
- Honey Lemon Tea
If you do not like ginger in your tea but love the sweet taste of honey, you can also choose honey lemon tea. Lemon is a popular and effective source of Vitamin C. It will fight the bacteria and reduces the production of phlegm.
Drinking more lemon tea also balances the pH level of the body. It stabilizes the acidic and alkaline properties aiding in the repairing and healing of the body during sickness. Because of the sweet taste of honey lemon tea, it is a more popular choice of tea for colds.
- Green Tea
A lot of people love to drink green tea because of its ability to help you lose weight. But, did you know that green tea is one of the best sources of antioxidants in the body? When you have a cold or flu, free radicals continually damage the cells in your body therefore weakening your capacities. Antioxidants protect your cells from these free radicals and reduce the damages they cause.
Green Tea leaves, also inhibit bacterial growth, so your body can continue to heal. They also can lower the risk of infection and stimulate your immune system.
However, green tea contains caffeine. Studies show a dose of 25 milligrams per 8 ounces of green tea. So if you love to drink green tea, make sure you limit your intake to less than 200 milligrams.
- Rosehip Tea
Rosehip tea is not always a popular tea choice for people. Still, if you want a drink that will give you loads of vitamin C, rosehip tea is the perfect choice. It has a significant amount of vitamin C, equivalent to what you could get by drinking almost a gallon of orange juice.
You can also find more vitamin A in rosehip tea. Vitamin A helps in fighting infection and healing your body.
Another excellent source of vitamin C is hibiscus tea. A cup of rosehip and hibiscus tea blend will give you a good dose of vitamin C that your body needs to feel better. Unlike green tea, rosehip and hibiscus tea has no caffeine.
- Elderberry Tea
Not a lot of people have heard about elderberry tea. But, it is also a great tea for a cold. Elderberry is made either from flowers or berries and sometimes called Elder Flower. It is sweet tasting and can also complement other tea ingredients.
Studies show that elderberry lessens the inflammation in the mucous membrane. It helps in reducing nasal congestion and relieves your nasal path. A cup of elderberry tea also increases your immune system. It contains anti-viral properties and fights the flu bacteria.
Conclusion
Being sick is not a laughing matter. In fact, it can affect your life significantly. Our best defense to sickness is prevention. Make sure your body stays healthy and is packed with a strong immune system.
However, when a cold does hit you, don’t stress yourself! Brew a cup of delicious hot tea, snuggle in your bed, and enjoy the peace and comfort. Use the down time to catch up with the things you love to do. Maybe even check out these fun and tasty tea facts.
What do you love to eat or drink most when you have a cold? Do you have a favorite tea? We would love to hear about it in the comments below.
