When cold and flu symptoms start to show up, the first thing I do is reach for a mug of hot turmeric tea. Turmeric tea is a natural anti-inflammatory that is also a powerful antiviral, antibacterial remedy for colds and flu. With more and more people seeking out natural cold remedies, turmeric is becoming a staple in the home herbalist’s apothecary. What are other health benefits of turmeric? Does turmeric lower cholesterol?

If you don’t have turmeric, you can also get relief from a nasty sore throat using other kinds of herbal tea recipes using more common ingredients like ginger, honey, lemon, and cloves. All of these ingredients are readily available at the local grocery store, or even from your own backyard gardens. Using herbal and natural remedies for treating the symptoms of colds and flu also reduces the chance of side effects from over-the-counter medications, and provides added benefits of trace minerals and vitamins that your body needs to stay strong.

Turmeric tea is a fast and easy remedy for a sore throat that you can make at home and take with you, even if you need to head out for the day. Of all the home remedies for sore throats that I use during the winter months, turmeric tea gives me the best results when I’m trying to relieve my cold symptoms and keep my family healthy.

Look for fresh turmeric root in your local grocery store or natural foods store starting in December when it’s in season. Buy it up in bulk and dry it, storing the root whole or grinding it into a powder using a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. Store dried turmeric root in an airtight container at room temperature, or freeze it.

Basic Turmeric Tea

• 4 cups water
• 1” fresh turmeric root, peeled or 1 Tablespoon turmeric powder
• Lemon and honey to taste

If you’re using fresh turmeric root, place the root in a pot with the water and bring to a boil. Allow it to simmer for at least 20 minutes. For turmeric powder, add the powder after the water has come to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

Strain both versions and add lemon and honey to taste. You can also add a small amount of fresh ginger while the water is boiling for an added boost.

Coconut Milk Golden Turmeric Tea

• 3 cups coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder or grated fresh turmeric root
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon or 1 whole cinnamon stick
• ½ teaspoon fresh ginger root, peeled
• Raw honey to taste
• Pinch of black pepper (optional)
• Pinch of cayenne powder (optional)

Place all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. Pour combination into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until warm. Don’t allow the mixture to boil! Drink right away.

Other Herbal Teas For Sore Throat

Ginger tea can be used to treat a whole host of cold symptoms. It’s one of my favorite ingredients when I’m creating natural cold remedies for family and friends. Fresh ginger root can be found in grocery stores and natural foods stores year-round, so it’s easy to find when you need a quick herbal tea. Other ginger tea benefits include pain relief, fever reducer and mild sedative properties that help you rest.

When making ginger tea, be sure to allow the ginger root to steep in the hot water for at least 20 minutes before drinking. You can add other ingredients like fresh lemon juice and raw honey for more throat-soothing properties.

Basic Ginger Tea Recipe

• 2 cups water
• 1” chunk fresh ginger root, peeled
• Fresh lemon juice and honey to taste

Place the ginger root in a pot and add water. Bring to a boil, and then lower heat to a simmer. Allow ginger root to simmer for at least 20 minutes, and then pour. Add fresh lemon juice and honey to taste.

You can add optional whole cloves and turmeric root while you boil the water, but be sure to strain the cloves and turmeric before drinking.

Cloves For Herbal Sore Throat Remedies

Cloves and clove oil are a key ingredient in the well-known Thieves Oil, the essential oil combination that was reportedly used by grave robbers during the Plague years in Europe. Some of the cloves benefits that make it a useful ingredient in herbal tea for treating sore throats is that it is antiviral and antimicrobial, along with analgesic properties that treat the pain and cause of your sore throat.

You can add whole cloves to any herbal tea recipe for a sore throat while boiling the water, but make sure you strain the cloves out before drinking. Cloves pair well with lemon and orange, and also make a nice herbal steam to help you beat a sore throat caused by a cold or flu.

Other additional ingredients for herbal teas that treat sore throats include licorice root or powder, cinnamon, sage, and oregano.

When you’re making herbal teas using fresh herbs, always look for organic or homegrown options. If you have a diverse herb garden, you can probably whip up a pot of homemade herbal tea as a sore throat remedy in no time.