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Health: what to do if I have a sore throat? Will drinking tea soothe the pain? Which teas to drink?
- There are few things more annoying in winter than a scratchy sore throat. And it’s painful too
- But there’s a cheap and easy way to soothe the pain, as multiple articles in medical journals confirm
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Why you can trust SCMP
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Yes, tea does ease a sore throat. Ginger, camomile, peppermint and black teas, and masala chai, all do the trick, studies show.
So, if you are feeling under the weather and need a cure for that scratchy sore throat, read on.
1. Ginger tea
Widely consumed in various cultures, ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a well-loved aromatic and a medicine traditionally used to remedy sore throat symptoms.
A 2022 Spanish study published in the journal Molecules reports that ginger’s bioactive compounds make it a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent.
Among these compounds, gingerols also reduce the risk of bacterial and viral infections, and prevent your sore throat from worsening over time, according to a 2020 study published in the International Journal of Health Sciences from Qassim University in Saudi Arabia.
Since sore throats are often caused by inflammation, consuming ginger in the form of tea may provide relief from the associated pain.
2. Camomile tea
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