If you are into herbal treatments or home remedy, you may be wondering is ginger good for a sore throat. Ginger is mostly known as a spice, but it’s also popular as a natural medicine that is potent enough for cold, sore throat, and flu. That’s why it’s common to find people mix in ginger in their tea or even in their soup, where they mostly say that they feel warm instantly. Not to mention that this spice is also good to add in a unique flavor to your dish.
Is Ginger Good for a Sore Throat? What Is Ginger?
It’s basically a flowering plant. It has rhizome (or root) that can be used for spices as well as home remedy. It has this distinctive and unique spicy flavor along with fibrous texture. It thrives and grows well in humid environment where the soil is moist and rich. It can also survive in warm surroundings and weather.
Ginger and Sore Throat
As a herb, ginger has its own special traits. For a starter, it has high level of anti inflammatory. You see, when you suffer from a sore throat, it means that there is an inflammation in your throat. When you consume ginger, its anti inflammatory nature can soothe the inflammation and relieve the pain. Not only ginger can make you feel better, but it also reduces the pain and discomfort.
Moreover, ginger has tons of antioxidant and anti inflammatory compounds that include shogaols, zingerone, paradols, sesquiterpenes, and gingerols. These compounds would be able to neutralize the dangerous free radicals that are responsible for your ailments. That’s why ginger is believed to strengthen immune system naturally.
Ginger can also fight off toxins, pathogens, and bacteria. These microbes can be responsible for strep throat as there are some harmful microbes that cause throat issue. When you consume ginger, you can inhibit the bacteria and microbes.
Ways to Consume Ginger
There are many ways to consume ginger to relieve sore throat. The simplest and rawest way is to chew it. You should be able to find already packaged ginger roots, which you can cut into several pieces. Chew them as if you were eating candy.
You don’t mind the spiciness? Have a small ginger and cut it off into several thin pieces. Chew on them. You will immediately feel the spiciness followed by warmth effect on your throat.
If you don’t really like the spicy taste, you can mix it up with tea. You can use a fresh ginger or the dried one. Here’s how you can prepare it:
- Put the dried ginger in the cup and pour hot water on it. If you choose the fresh ginger, smash it and put it in the cup before pouring hot water.
- If you dislike hassle and fuss, there is a ginger tea product out there. Just like the regular tea, you only need to put the bag in the cup and pour hot water.
- Let it be for a while for steeping. Once the tea is warm enough, you can drink it. Or you can add a little bit of honey before consuming it. Let’s not forget that honey is a natural pain reliever. Plus, honey is also great for the immune system as honey can strengthening it.
Final Words
Consuming ginger tea regularly isn’t only good to prevent sore throat, but also other diseases, like cold, cough, or flu. If you can include ginger in your daily intake, that’s even better. So, is ginger good for a sore throat? You know the answer.