By Bonnie K. McMillen, RN, BSN |
It soothes an irritated throat and relieves chest congestion and phlegm. The bad news: it tastes terrible – it really does – but if you have a persistent cough, it’s worth a try, unless you know you cannot tolerate one or more of the ingredients:
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons water
Mix and take by the teaspoon.
NOTE: The recipe didn’t indicate how much to take. I took 3 teaspoons the first time because I had a bad dry cough for over three weeks, and I was desperate for some relief. It worked and I got a good night’s sleep. I have been recommending it to others ever since, and many have confirmed my positive results.
Consider the beneficial effects of the individual ingredients:
Ginger (zingiber officinale) has long been used and recommended for arthritis and bursitis, because it is a natural anti-inflammatory. According to Home Herbal, by Penelope Ody, D.K. Publishing, June 1995, ginger is a natural antihistamine. It has also been used for motion sickness and nausea, and in addition, it’s known for relieving chest congestion, according to Dr. Andrew Weil, Herbal Medicine Chest, http://cgi.pathfinder.com/drweil/herbal/medchest.
Cayenne (capsaicin) reduces pain, according to Herbs for Health and Healing, by Kathi Keville, Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA, 1996. The same substance that makes cayenne peppers hot relieves the pain by suppressing a chemical that carries the pain message from nerves in the affected area to the brain. According to Home Herbal, by P. Ody, cayenne is warming and stimulating, it is a good cold remedy and eases chills and will even ease the lingering pain from shingles.
Vinegar has so many healthful uses. See my article, Vinegar: Ancient Medicine and Popular Home Remedy http://www.pitt.edu/~cjm6/s98vinegar.html.
Honey according to Home Herbal by P. Ody, will draw pus and poisons out of wounds and it is useful for relief from colds.
Water is probably added to make it less strong tasting but it is still strong!
Bonnie K. McMillen is a College Health Nurse, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, Bradford, PA.
