What to drink to protect your throat
Dec 20, 2024
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Lu Cheng
Introduction
When protecting the throat, you may choose to use ingredients such as Siraitia grosvenorii (Luo Han Guo), Sterculia lychnophora (Pang Da Hai), aged tangerine peel (Chen Pi), honeysuckle (Jin Yin Hua), and mint (Bo He) to prepare herbal teas. These ingredients have various effects including clearing heat, moistening the lungs, relieving throat discomfort, and improving voice. They can help alleviate discomfort caused by external pathogenic factors, such as sore throat, red and swollen throat, and hoarseness. It is recommended to select the appropriate beverage based on your individual condition and the cause of throat discomfort to reduce symptoms.
Generally speaking, the term "throat" refers to the pharynx. You can choose to drink water infused with ingredients such as Siraitia grosvenorii (Luo Han Guo), Sterculia lychnophora (Pang Da Hai), aged tangerine peel (Chen Pi), honeysuckle (Jin Yin Hua), mint, and others to help protect the throat. Detailed explanations are as follows:
1. Siraitia grosvenorii (Luo Han Guo)
Siraitia grosvenorii has effects of clearing heat, moistening the lungs, benefiting the throat, and improving voice. When used for infusion, it can help relieve symptoms such as sore throat and phlegm cough caused by internal heat.
2. Sterculia lychnophora (Pang Da Hai)
Sterculia lychnophora has a sweet and cold nature and enters the lung and large intestine meridians, with functions of clearing the lungs, resolving phlegm, benefiting the throat, and improving voice. Drinking Sterculia lychnophora-infused water when experiencing throat discomfort can help alleviate symptoms such as hoarseness due to lung heat and sore throat.
3. Aged Tangerine Peel (Chen Pi)
Aged tangerine peel has a warm nature and possesses functions of regulating qi, strengthening the spleen, drying dampness, and resolving phlegm. It helps relieve discomfort caused by qi stagnation in the spleen and stomach or dampness in the middle jiao, such as poor appetite, nausea, and vomiting. At the same time, it can help alleviate symptoms such as cough with excessive phlegm and red, swollen throat.
4. Honeysuckle (Jin Yin Hua)
Honeysuckle has a cold nature and functions to clear heat, detoxify, and dispel wind-heat. It can be used to treat conditions caused by external wind-heat invasion, such as dryness, itching, redness, and painful throat.
5. Mint
Mint has a cool nature and functions to dispel wind-heat and refresh the head and eyes. It is commonly used to treat discomfort caused by wind-heat感冒 (common cold), such as dizziness and fever, and can relieve symptoms such as throat pricking pain and difficulty swallowing caused by invasion of wind pathogen.
It should be noted that one should choose appropriate herbal infusions according to individual conditions and the cause of throat discomfort to reduce symptoms. In addition, improvements should be made in terms of diet and lifestyle, avoiding frequent late nights, fatigue, and consumption of spicy or irritating foods, which may hinder recovery.
