The Best Kinds of Tea to Drink When You Have a Cold and Why

Next Time You’re Sick With a Cold, Be Sure to Drink Some Tea

There are a few tried and true home remedies for a cold, and one of the best known is drinking tea. Whether it’s a sore throat, a stuffy nose, a nagging cough, or a combination of these and other symptoms, many people will tell you that a nice hot cup of tea will soothe whatever ails you.

But what kind of tea should you drink when you have a cold? And what is it about tea that makes it such a magical remedy for curing the common cold? Here are some ideas on the best kinds of tea to drink when you have a cold, and what properties tea has that make it work so well.

Green Tea

This is the obvious one: green tea is loaded with antioxidants and destroys pathogenic bacteria in your body. Green tea is something of a superfood, with evidence that it boosts the immune system and helps with a wide variety of ailments. You should be drinking green tea all the time to stay healthy, but it can come in especially handy when you’re feeling under the weather.

We recommend: Bigelow's Green Tea

White Tea

White tea has many of the same properties as green tea; it also is full of antioxidants and can help to boost the immune system, making it an ideal remedy for anyone with a cold. If you’re looking for an alternative to green tea when you’re not feeling all that well, be sure to try drinking white tea instead.

Herbal Tea

The benefits of herbs in healing have long been known by cultures all around the world. People have been using herbs to heal ailments since the beginning of civilization, if not before. Breathing in the steam from herbal tea can soothe your lungs and sinuses, while the liquid can relax and soothe the throat.

Once ingested, the herbs can help break up chest congestion and support your immune system, on the road back to health. Some herbal teas to try when you are sick include:

• Yarrow Tea – known to relax you while inducing sweating, which can help reduce a fever.
• Ginger Tea –warms the body as it soothes upset stomachs.
• Cinnamon Tea – Among other benefits, soothes the aches and pains that may come with a cold or flu.
• Clove Tea – An expectorant that helps clear chest congestion and open sinuses.
• Elderberry Tea—Made from the Elderberry flower or from its berries, compounds within this concoction can reduce inflammation in mucous membranes to reduce nasal congestion. This type of tea may also have anti-viral properties like Echinacea, below. If you’re making your own Elderberry Tea, take note of the color of the berries. Black elderberries are the best for fighting colds and flu. Purple elderberries are fine but don’t feature as many health benefits, and red elderberries are poisonous.

Echinacea Tea

Echinacea tea is another herbal tea, but deserves its own entry as it is notable for its effectiveness as a flu remedy. Echinacea has been found to shorten the length and reduce the severity of viral infections. If someone in your home comes down with the flu, then everyone in the home should begin drinking Echinacea tea immediately. This can help family members ward off contracting the flu and help the patient recover more quickly.

Listen to Your Doctor

When your doctor tells you to drink plenty of fluids when you’re sick, she knows what she’s talking about. Make sure to have plenty of tea on hand for when colds and flu strike, and take advantage of any of the selections on this handy list. We at CoffeeForLess.com sure hope you feel better soon!