Traditional Chinese Medicine Teas and Foods for Sore Throat Relief

In winter, the weather is cold and dry, and sore throat is a common problem. Many people choose Western medicine for treatment when their throat is sore. However, we can also drink some traditional Chinese medicine tea to relieve the symptoms. Below, we will introduce several medicinal teas that can help relieve sore throat.

Medicinal Teas to Relieve Sore Throat

1. Throat-Clearing Tea

Honeysuckle and Hang Ju flowers, 15 grams each; Balloon flower, Ophiopogon, Isatis root, Scrophularia, and licorice, 10 grams each. Boil in water and drink the decoction as a tea. This tea helps clear heat, detoxify, and reduce swelling in the throat. It is used for pharyngitis, sore throat, and hoarseness.

2. White Radish Juice

Take 200 grams of white radish, juice it, add rock sugar, and drink as a tea. This tea clears heat, moistens the throat, and relieves thirst. It is used for fever with dry throat and thirst.

3. Ginseng and Plum Drink

Take 3 grams of ginseng (sliced) and 10 grams of black plum, steep in boiling water, add white sugar, and drink as a tea. This drink nourishes qi, nourishes yin, generates body fluids, and relieves thirst. It is used for dry mouth and throat, irritability, and fatigue.

4. Jade and Orchid Drink

Take 15 grams of jade bamboo and dendrobium, steep in boiling water, and drink as a tea. This drink clears heat, nourishes yin, promotes digestion, and generates body fluids. It is used for dry throat, hoarseness, dry mouth, and bitter taste.

5. Sea Coconut and Winter Melon Seed Drink

Take 2 sea coconuts and 15 grams of raw winter melon seeds, boil in water and extract the juice, and drink as a tea. This drink clears the throat, relieves hoarseness, reduces swelling, and promotes bowel movement. It is used for dry throat, thirst, sore throat, and constipation.

3 Foods to Relieve Sore Throat

1. Pear

Pears are soft, juicy, and have a sweet taste. They have the effects of clearing heat, resolving phlegm, producing body fluids, and relieving thirst. They are especially effective in relieving dry throat in autumn. Pears can be eaten raw or cooked. The juice can be consumed or used to make porridge or soup. Pear syrup made with pear, honey, and water, as well as sugar-fried pear water, are simple and effective drinks to clear the throat and soothe the voice.

2. Water Chestnut

Water chestnut, also known as caltrop, is referred to as the "underground pear". Water chestnut has a sweet and cold nature and has the effects of clearing the lungs, benefiting the throat, dispelling dampness, and resolving phlegm. It has a certain effect in preventing dry cough, throat discomfort, and dry mouth and thirst. In addition to eating raw, it can also be cooked, stir-fried, stewed, or braised.

3. White Radish

White radish is known as the "little ginseng". According to traditional Chinese medicine, eating raw radish can clear heat, generate body fluids, promote diuresis, dissolve phlegm, and relieve cough. When cooked, it can strengthen the spleen and stomach, aid digestion, and relieve gas. In autumn, radishes have a thick and juicy texture, with a sweet and refreshing taste. Eating them raw can be helpful for people with cough, excessive phlegm, pharyngitis, and hoarseness.