What teas to drink when you are sick

With changing weather, it’s not uncommon for people to start feeling under the weather. Especially with the regular flu season occurring in conjunction with the pandemic, the illnesses are omnipresent. Making sure you stay hydrated is an important step to feeling better. So, if you feel a scratch in your throat, stay home, heat up the kettle, and sip on these teas to feel better.

Teas to drink when you’re sick:

1. Ginger

Ginger helps soothe the throat, so it’s a great choice when you are sick. The anti-inflammatory effects of it help fight off the infections that can make your throat feel scratchy. Plus, ginger helps with nausea. So, ginger is bound to help with at least a few of your symptoms (1).

2. Green

Green tea is known to help with quite an array of things when it comes to health. Even when you’re feeling your best, green tea is still a good beverage of choice. Green tea can help you focus, burn fat, fight congestion, eases coughing, and can even reduce the risk of certain cancers (2).

3. Elderberry

Have you ever had elderberry? This purple berry isn’t as well-known as others, but it has plenty of health benefits to count on when you’re not feeling your best. Elderberry is known to shorten the duration of the flu (3). 

4. Peppermint

Peppermint tea is a great tea choice when you have a cough. This tea can help suppress coughs due to its anesthetic properties, so it has the same effect as a cough drop. Plus, peppermint becomes even more enjoyable as we approach the holiday season.

5. Chamomile

Many people think of chamomile as a tea to have right before bed, and that is for good reason. The tea has a slight tranquilizing effect, which helps you fall asleep. When you have a cough keeping you up all night, something that helps you get to bed is crucial.

7. Lemon 

When you’re sick, getting enough vitamin C is a great way to get back to your usual self. Lemons are full of it, so it’s a great choice to add to tea. It’s easy to add lemon to a variety of drinks, which makes it an easy addition to your daily routine. You can even just add some lemon to your water to squeeze some extra vitamin C into your diet.

8. Licorice root

Licorice root tea is a great choice for a sore throat. You can drink it like a traditional tea, or you can gargle some to soothe your throat. 

9. Hibiscus

Hibiscus tea is a great alternative for coffee when you’re sick. Not only is it chock full of vitamin C, but it also has caffeine. You can stay awake through your workday, while also helping your immune system.

No matter which teas you choose to fight off your cold, make sure you drink plenty of water, too. It’s important to stay hydrated when you’re healthy, too, but it becomes even more crucial when you’re under the weather. Drinking a few extra glasses per day, in addition to your teas, will help make sure all of your organs and muscles can work properly (4).