Which Tea Can Help Ease Cold and Flu Symptoms?
When you’re sick with a cold or the flu, one of the first recommendations from a doctor is to drink more fluids.
While water and other drinks are crucial to your recovery, many people reach for tea to battle their illness. For employees around the world, tea can also help soothe the symptoms of an illness while on the clock.
And one of the only downsides of using tea to get over an illness is the plethora of options. There is an abundance of teas to help you, depending on your illness or need.
The tea’s warm liquid alleviates your throat and helps with congestion. It also increases antibacterial properties that aid in promptly curing colds. When you add some honey to your tea, it helps with coughing and if you use a lemon in your tea, the body will receive a boost of vitamin C, weakening your cold.
While you may think all teas are the same when it comes to helping with a cold or the flu, this is not the case. Some teas contain properties that give the immune system a boost and get rid of bad germs. Herbal and true teas benefit colds as well as flu symptoms, so you’ll be back to your healthy self in no time.
Just keep in mind, the right tea is in no way a substitute for the antibiotics or medication prescribed to help with your illness. But, since most employees continue working while sick, we often need some help dealing with symptoms while at the office.
In that case, these are the teas you should drink while you’re sick with a cold or the flu:
Peppermint
Beyond the distinct taste from peppermint tea, you’ll also ingest menthol in the leaves which help if you have a cough. It has the same properties as a cough drop and also helps with breathing by getting rid of your congestion. The tea also decreases pain, inflammation, and body aches.
Even the USDA has found benefits from peppermint tea, with the antimicrobial as well as antiviral entities.
Chamomile
Along with fluids, doctors will recommend rest to get over your illness. Unfortunately, sleeping while sick with the cold or flu can be a difficult task.
The flowers from chamomile tea are key in helping you sleep. Chamomile plants have flavonoids in the petals which have a tranquilizing reaction. The tea also has anti-inflammatory properties, so it offers extra benefits while drinking this tea.
Echinacea
Found in North America, this purple flower decreases the risk of you getting a cold by 58% if taken as a supplement. The anti-inflammatory properties in echinacea can also help your immune system, shortening your time spent with a cold or flu.
When you brew echinacea tea, it is the best choice of teas to fight an oncoming illness.
Ginger
If you have a sore throat, ginger tea will soothe it. Ginger contains anti-inflammatory ingredients as well as prohibiting microorganisms, which can result in infection.
If your stomach becomes upset along with your sickness, ginger tea helps with nausea. The tea can also clear up sinuses and congestion, while reducing vomiting and motion sickness.
Elderberry
Elderberries have been used for centuries to ease the symptoms of illness.
One key ingredients in the berries is the antioxidants. Loaded with those antioxidants, elderberries offers help to the immune system. The syrups and extracts from the elderberry also have shown an ability to shorten time spent sick with the cold or flu.
Green
It can be hard to focus on one area where green tea affects health. From improved brain function to fat burning, green tea is kind of the Swiss Army knife of hot beverages.
When it comes to the cold and flu, antioxidants in green tea help take away bad bacteria and free radicals. Congestion and coughing are reduced when you drink this tea.
Hibiscus
Another tea loaded with antioxidants, hibiscus is also rich in vitamin C and iron. Both properties help the immune system stay balanced and fight bacteria, helping you ditch a cold or flu more quickly.
Nettle
The nettle plant may be used less now than it was in ancient times, but benefits from the tea haven’t gone away.
Nettle plants are rich in a lot of vitamin and minerals, but two of the most important are vitamin C and carotene. Both properties further help your immune system fight foreign bacteria.
Drinking the right tea may help us while sick, but there are many actions you can take to avoid the illness altogether. The flu shot is modified every year to fight the most prominent strains in that season. An on-site flu clinic can also go a long way in preventing an outbreak at your office during the flu season.
Do you have any other questions about the cold and flu in your office? Passport Health can help! Give us a call at or fill out a contact form for more information.
Written for Passport Health by Cheryl Brite.
