Can patients with a heat-type cold drink ginger and brown sugar water?
Feb 24, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Zhang Xiuhong
Introduction
Heat-type cold usually refers to a wind-heat cold. Generally speaking, patients with wind-heat cold should not drink ginger brown sugar water, as it may worsen their condition. Ginger brown sugar water is a beverage made primarily from ginger and brown sugar. Ginger is warm in nature and has functions including relieving surface symptoms, dispersing cold, warming the middle jiao to stop vomiting, resolving phlegm, and relieving cough; brown sugar can replenish blood, moisturize, and provide energy to the body.
A heat cold usually refers to a wind-heat cold. In general, patients with wind-heat cold should not drink ginger brown sugar water, as it may worsen the condition. Detailed explanation is as follows:
Ginger brown sugar water is a beverage primarily made from ginger and brown sugar. Ginger is warm in nature and has functions of relieving superficial symptoms and cold, warming the middle jiao to stop vomiting, resolving phlegm, and relieving cough; brown sugar can nourish blood, moisturize, and supply energy to the body. Wind-heat cold mainly presents with obvious fever, sore throat, yellow nasal discharge, cough with yellow phlegm and other symptoms, caused by pathogenic wind-heat invading the body. At this time, there is already heat pathogen in the body, so treatment should aim to clear away heat and relieve superficial symptoms. Since ginger brown sugar water is warm in nature, it is suitable for wind-cold cold. Wind-heat cold is caused by wind-heat pathogen, and consumption of ginger brown sugar water may intensify internal heat symptoms, further elevate body temperature, and be detrimental to fever reduction.
If wind-heat cold occurs, drinking ginger brown sugar water should be avoided. Meanwhile, sufficient rest, increased water intake, and avoiding excessive fatigue are recommended to help speed up recovery.
