Adults have an average of two to three colds per year. For children, the number is even higher. Typically, a cold causes symptoms like sneezing, runny and stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing, water eyes, and post-nasal drip.
Drinking tea or other warm liquids often helps alleviate cold symptoms. It can help keep you hydrated, relieve congestion, and soothe your throat. Here are the 10 best teas for a cold and why they’re good for you.
If you’re experiencing nausea, peppermint tea is a great option. Research has shown that peppermint is effective at reducing nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy. Alyssa Smolen MS, RDN, a New York/New Jersey-based registered dietitian nutritionist and content creator, recommends this tea for gastrointestinal symptoms, since it helps ease nausea.
It may also act as an expectorant, clearing mucus from your airways. Krutika Nanavati, a Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist practicing in New Zealand and a medical advisor at Clinicspots, told Health that oils in peppermint tea can not only help alleviate congestion but also sore throat. Preliminary research shows that it may also have antiviral and antioxidant activity.
Does Peppermint Help With Nausea?
Lemon Tea
Lemon tea contains vitamin C, which could be good to have throughout cold and flu season. Vitamin C doesn’t prevent colds, but it may reduce the duration and severity of a cold. To reap these potential benefits, be sure to consume adequate vitamin C regularly. Taking vitamin C after you already have a cold doesn’t improve symptoms.
To get the vitamin C boost from lemon, you can have lemon tea or you can add lemon to your favorite tea. It goes especially great with ginger tea or green tea.
Chamomile has been used medicinally for thousands of years. Still today, many people rely on chamomile tea for relaxation. Unfortunately, the research on chamomile’s benefits is minimal. However, some studies show it may help reduce anxiety and soothe an upset stomach. What’s more, a 2019 review found that chamomile may improve sleep quality in people without insomnia. An older study found that inhaling steam with chamomile extract helps ease cold symptoms.
So, the components in chamomile tea may not ease specific cold symptoms, but there’s a chance it can help improve your sleep to recover quicker. Plus, side effects are uncommon so it can be a soothing warm liquid to ease a sore throat.
Echinacea Tea
Echinacea is a flower native to North America that has purported benefits on immune health. You can find it in various preparations, including tea. Overall, the research on its benefits is mixed, but some studies have found benefits related to the common cold and the flu.
Some research shows that echinacea may reduce your chances of catching a cold, so it’s another kind of tea you’re best drinking throughout cold season rather than waiting until you get a cold. It doesn’t seem to shorten the length of a cold.
That being said, a study with almost 500 participants found that echinacea tea was effective at reducing the risk of complications and adverse events from the flu virus.
We still have more to learn, but taking echinacea may help prevent colds or ease symptoms. Plus, it’s typically safe for most adults. The most common symptoms are digestive ones like nausea or stomach pain.
Ginger is rich in a type of plant nutrient called gingerols, along with other phenolic compounds like quercetin and zingerone. It’s often used to ease uncomfortable digestive symptoms like nausea.
These benefits are backed by research. Inhaling or consuming ginger has been shown to alleviate nausea caused by various drugs or medical procedures.
It’s also been used traditionally in China and Africa to ease cold symptoms. These cultures have used it an as expectorant to relieve congestion that comes with colds and bronchitis.
While there isn’t that much research on ginger’s effectiveness in alleviating cold symptoms, a 2020 study found that ginger was just as effective as the medication loratadine for treating allergic rhinitis. Specifically, it improved nasal symptoms.
So, if you’re experiencing nausea or nasal symptoms, ginger may help.
Green Tea
Green tea is an earthy-flavored tea that may help with colds and the flu. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis found that green tea catechins effectively prevent flu infections. Each cup of green tea contains about 150 milligrams (mg) of these antioxidant, anti-inflammatory phytochemicals. Consuming 1–5 cups of green tea per day appears to be an ideal amount to help prevent the flu.
“Green tea contains epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) which is one of the most powerful compounds in tea," Tara Tomaino, RD, Nutrition Director at The Park in New Jersey, told Health. "This powerful antioxidant makes green tea an excellent choice to sip throughout cold and flu season.”
Keep in mind that green tea does contain caffeine (about 30–50 mg per cup). Nanavati recommends consuming caffeine in moderation during a cold since it can act as a diuretic. Be sure to also hydrate with water. “Hydration is crucial for mucous membrane health and your body's defense against viruses,” said Nanavati.
Elderberry supplements and teas are often marketed for their cold and flu benefits but are these claims rooted in science?
Some research shows that elderberry may relieve cold and flu symptoms. For example, a 2016 study found that air travelers who took elderberry extract had shorter colds with milder symptoms than those who took a placebo. These benefits are likely related to elderberry’s anthocyanin and flavonoid content, which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-modulating properties.
A more recent systematic review from 2021 also found that elderberry may help treat viral respiratory illnesses like colds and the flu. This study found that elderberry may help reduce the duration and severity of a cold, but it probably won’t prevent the development of a cold.
Ultimately, elderberry may help alleviate cold symptoms but we need more research to confirm and better understand elderberry’s impacts on illnesses like the common cold and flu.
Ginseng Tea
Ginseng has been used to treat various ailments in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, including respiratory disorders.
Research has yielded mixed results on ginseng’s efficacy in preventing and treating cold and flu infections. A couple of studies found it to be ineffective, but two others found that ginseng extract reduced the duration, severity, and frequency of upper respiratory tract and flu infections.
At the very least, it appears to be safe for short-term use in most people. However, be careful if you have diabetes because it may affect your blood sugar. It may also interact with certain medications, so it’s best to speak with your doctor before consuming ginseng.
Guava tea may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of treating the common cold, but it’s worth trying. It’s made using guava leaves, which are packed with vitamin C to support your immune health. Guava leaves are also rich in antioxidants, including flavonoids and quercetin, which can also support immune health.
Test tube studies have found that guava tea may help control the spread of flu infections, but these are just test tube studies, so we can’t be sure that the results translate to humans.
Licorice Root Tea
Licorice root is another ingredient that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Sometimes, it’s used in lozenges to help treat sore throat after surgery.
Modern research has demonstrated that licorice contains flavonoids and triterpenoids with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral activities. The main active ingredient is glycyrrhizin, which may help prevent and treat the flu virus.
Licorice root may also help relieve digestive symptoms.
When you have a cold, it’s generally best to prepare tea at home or purchase freshly steeped tea. Premade teas you buy in the store, usually iced teas, may have a lot of added sugars which can increase inflammation—something you don’t want when your body’s already fighting an infection, said Smolen.
To prepare tea at home, bring water to a boil and steep the tea in the water. For most teas, 3–5 minutes is sufficient, but follow the package instructions as the optimal steeping time can vary based on the type of tea you’re having.
Honey can help alleviate coughing in adults and children over 1 year, per the CDC, so you may want to add honey to your tea.
A Quick Review
When you have a cold, hot tea can help clear up congestion and soothe your throat. Ginger tea, peppermint tea, and licorice root tea may help alleviate digestive symptoms, while options like elderberry tea, guava tea, and lemon tea can support immune health.Adding lemon and honey to any tea can add benefits for immune health and cough suppression.
