Icon Celebrity Journal
updates /

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

If you have been suffering from cough, you might be taking over the counter medications that have undesirable side effects like nervousness, nausea and drowsiness. So, why not go with a natural home remedy like honey, ginger and lemon for curing cough?

Cough is a common voluntary and involuntary action that clears the throat off the mucous and foreign irritants. Coughing the throat clearly is a voluntary action, although there are a number of conditions that can cause cough.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

Generally, a cough that lasts between 3 and 8 weeks is a subacute cough and a persistent cough that lasts for more than 8 weeks is a chronic cough.

What Are The Causes Of Cough

  • Bacteria and virus
  • Smoking
  • Asthma
  • Medicines
  • Other conditions

How To Treat Cough With Ginger, Honey And Lemon

Ginger, honey and lemon can be used to prepare a cough syrup instead of going for the over-the-counter medications. This combination has been used as a traditional home remedy for treating coughs and has earned a fair reputation in the medical community as well.

Each of these ingredients has its own potent properties to treat cough and when used in combination, the benefits double.

What Are The Properties Of Ginger

Ginger contain chemical compounds such as gingerols, zingerone and shogaol which have medicinal qualities that can actually reduce your cough. The spice is also often used to soothe sore throats and reduce coughing due to its natural analgesic properties. [1] Ginger has medicinal components which include essential oils, antioxidants and oleoresin [2] . Oleoresin is known for its antitussive abilities, which means it can relieve and suppress cough.

What Are The Properties Of Honey

Honey has antibacterial properties that help in eliminating the cough causing bacteria [4] . That’s the reason why honey is considered a very good medicine to relieve cough more effectively than the over-the-counter medicines that contain dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant [5] .

What Are The Properties Of Lemon

Lemon is a citrus fruit which is packed full of vitamin C which strengthens your immunity and keeps cold and cough at bay. Lemons have strong antibiotic, antibacterial and antiviral properties that can ward away the bacteria and virus causing cough [3] .

When all the three ingredients are combined together, the effect increases as ginger, lemon and honey stimulate the salivary glands and triggers the release of mucous through the airways. This remedy reduces the mucous as well as the antimicrobial and antioxidant effect of honey inhibits the formation of mucous, thereby bringing relief from coughing. It loosens the mucous, soothes the irritating throat and clears the passage ways.

How To Make Ginger, Honey And Lemon For Cough

Ingredients

  • 1 cup honey
  • 2 lemons
  • 2.5 inch ginger
  • 1 cup water

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Quantity: 1 jar

Method

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

Step 1: Peel the ginger root and chop it into small pieces.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

Step 2: Grate the peels of the lemon until you get 1-1.5 teaspoons of lemon zest.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

Step 3: Take a saucepan and pour 1 cup of water into it. Then, add the chopped ginger and lemon zest into the water and stir.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

Step 4: Boil the liquid and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

Step 5: Strain the liquid into a bowl until the saucepan only contains the ginger bits and lemon zest. Keep this aside.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

Step 6: Take another saucepan and pour 1 cup of honey into it. Allow this to heat over low flame for the next 8-10 minutes.

Caution: Make sure the honey does not boil, as that will destroy its medicinal properties.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

Step 7: Once the honey is hot, pour the previously prepared lemon zest and ginger liquid into it. Then, squeeze out the juice of the 2 lemons and pour it into this mixture. Mix everything well.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

Step 8: Over a low-medium flame, keep stirring this mixture for the next 10 minutes, until the liquid starts to bubble and boil.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

Step 9: Once the mixture has boiled over, take it off the flame and allow it to cool, until it is just warm to touch. Then, pour it into a glass jar.

Caution: Don’t pour hot syrup into a glass container, as that can cause it to crack and shatter. And don’t store this syrup in a plastic container.

Storage instructions: Keep it in a cool, dry, and hygienic place, out of direct sunlight, in an air-tight glass container.

Expiry: Use within 3 weeks.

Instructions for use

  • Warm up one teaspoon of the syrup before consuming it.
  • Don’t drink water for the next half an hour.
  • Have this syrup three times in a day for at least 3 days to see visible effects.

Who Can Consume Ginger, Honey And Lemon For Cough?

Adults and teenagers both can have this concoction as it’s completely safe. For pregnant women and babies, it’s better to consult a doctor before having the ginger, honey and lemon drink.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

Today we’re going to ditch the commercial cough syrup and trade it for a natural remedy that works even better. This recipe is made with all-natural, food-based ingredients that provide instant cough relief – and it tastes amazing, too!

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

The truth is, we reach for over-the-counter remedies because we don’t know there’s an easy, natural alternative.

I wanted to give you the easiest possible remedy to grab when you need help with a cough:

Pineapple juice.

You can sip on pineapple juice for a super easy, effective home remedy for a cough. You don’t even need to make a full cough syrup recipe if you don’t want to.

One study found that pineapple juice alone is effective for suppressing a cough and reducing mucus.

So, while I include an awesome cough syrup recipe below, just know that pineapple juice by itself works wonders.

Why is pineapple juice the best homemade cough remedy?

Between artificial dyes, alcohol, corn syrup, and all the other ingredients in store-bought cough syrup… let’s just say I’m not a huge fan.

Pineapple juice helps you avoid those ingredients, but that’s not the only benefits it provides.

Pineapple juice not only gives you cough relief, it also supports your overall wellness:

  • It’s high in vitamin C.
  • It’s a good source of calcium and magnesium.
  • It’s rich in the anti-inflammatory enzyme bromelain.
  • Research has shown it’s amazingly effective as a cough remedy.
  • It also tastes delicious – so it’s much easier to get your kids to drink it!

Terry Graedon

Terry Graedon

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

What do you do for a nasty cough? You might smear Vicks VapoRub on the soles of your feet; many readers find that approach helpful. Or you might look for an over-the-counter cough syrup. In the US, these mostly contain dextromethorphan as the active ingredient. Researchers have questioned its effectiveness,В especially for young children. Can you make your own cough syrup at home?

Thymol for Calming a Cough:

Q. I had a hideous cold with a racking cough on a layover at the Amsterdam airport about 20 years ago. I went to the pharmacy for help and was given a cough medicine that tasted exactly like a thymol-based cough syrup that worked well on chronic bronchitis when I was a kid. This Dutch elixir worked just as well. I’m guessing oil of thyme may be the magical ingredient.

Making Thyme Cough Syrup at Home:

A. Thymol, essential oil of thyme, is an effective cough suppressant. To make your own thyme cough syrup at home, here is Dr. Low Dog’s recipe:

Add two tablespoons dried thyme to one cup near-boiling water and steep for ten minutes. Strain and add one teaspoon of lemon juice and one-half cup organic honey. Take one tablespoon as needed. Store in the refrigerator.

Try a Cup of Thyme Tea:

If you haven’t made your cough syrup, you might want to try a nice hot cup of thyme tea. Steeping thyme in hot water seems to release thymol that can reduce the urge to cough. To make tea, use a half-teaspoonful of dried thyme leaves for a cup of hot water. Steep it for about five minutes. Then strain the tea and sweeten it to taste.

Do you have a favorite home remedy to quell a cough? Tell us about it in the comment section below.

Home » Grandma’s Homemade Cough Syrup

Home » Grandma’s Homemade Cough Syrup

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

We are talking about liquor. Medicinal liquor. The stuff that generations of sick folks depended upon before the invention of dextromethorphan.

I decided, after waking up yet again with a fully congested head and ears along with an inflamed painful throat, that I’m not taking any more drugs for this stuff.

I’ve been on an anti-biotic for 7 weeks along with various cough suppressants, expectorants, and heavy doses of ibuprofen for rib pain. Obviously, nothing is working or else my body has built up resistance to them.

And the “nighttime” prescription narcotics keep me wide awake with itching skin and weird states of in-between sleep.

It’s time to handle this the all natural way. What did our ancestors do when a head cold/flu/sinus crap got ahold of them? They used what the Good Lord gave them. Honey, lemon, peppermint (for flavor) and whiskey.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

I vividly remember a jar that sat on top of my grandmother’s refrigerator before it was either used up or it disappeared.

I remember seeing various members of my family take a spoon and dip out of it. . . some only once. Some certain family members needed a little more healing than one spoon could give.

But I remember the big peppermint stick and that is what I found myself holding in the checkout line at the grocery store. You can usually find these around the holidays.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

What do you need to make this?

Grandma’s cough medicine is 4 ingredients: peppermint, honey, lemon, and liquor/whiskey. I don’t think it really matters which liquor you use. My family always used a dark whiskey/ bourbon. The point is NOT to get so drunk you can’t stand. Why these 4 things?

  • Honey coats the throat, is anti-bacterial and builds the immune system. It can also be used for burns and keeps infection away. Honey also draws pus out of wounds and sores.
  • Whiskey works as an anesthetic to the cough response so you can sleep. If you can’t sleep, your body can’t rejuvenate. Whiskey is also higher in antioxidants than red wine so it fights free radicals too.
  • Lemon provides Vitamin C and helps the liver cleanse the body. Lemon is one of the best foods for the liver because it cuts through mucous which often accompanies colds. It is also alkaline once it’s ingested which is especially good while fighting flu and coughs.
  • Peppermint flavors the syrup and stops coughing. Spices such as cayenne pepper, ginger and cinnamon can be added for flavor and extra healing. Just make sure they are thoroughly mixed.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

What is a “Big Peppermint Stick”?

The big peppermint sticks may not be as easy to find as years ago. I find them every year at walmart or the grocery store.

If you can’t find one around the holidays in the gift basket or specialty candy sections of the grocery store, just use regular peppermint sticks or the candies. The sugar and peppermint is for flavor only.

When I saw the peppermint stick as soon as I walked in the store and had the revelation to ditch the meds, I also decided to fill my basket with flu-fighting foods.

I loaded up with a whole chicken for soup with bone broth. Salmon for Omegas, spinach for fighting free radicals, asparagus to clean out the bladder/kidneys, and nuts for clean protein.

If I’m going all natural with the cough/congestion medicine, I’m sticking to real foods, too.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

The Verdict: I slept great last night. I have a lot of congestion but I got some good sleep.

Home » Grandma’s Homemade Cough Syrup

Home » Grandma’s Homemade Cough Syrup

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

We are talking about liquor. Medicinal liquor. The stuff that generations of sick folks depended upon before the invention of dextromethorphan.

I decided, after waking up yet again with a fully congested head and ears along with an inflamed painful throat, that I’m not taking any more drugs for this stuff.

I’ve been on an anti-biotic for 7 weeks along with various cough suppressants, expectorants, and heavy doses of ibuprofen for rib pain. Obviously, nothing is working or else my body has built up resistance to them.

And the “nighttime” prescription narcotics keep me wide awake with itching skin and weird states of in-between sleep.

It’s time to handle this the all natural way. What did our ancestors do when a head cold/flu/sinus crap got ahold of them? They used what the Good Lord gave them. Honey, lemon, peppermint (for flavor) and whiskey.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

I vividly remember a jar that sat on top of my grandmother’s refrigerator before it was either used up or it disappeared.

I remember seeing various members of my family take a spoon and dip out of it. . . some only once. Some certain family members needed a little more healing than one spoon could give.

But I remember the big peppermint stick and that is what I found myself holding in the checkout line at the grocery store. You can usually find these around the holidays.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

What do you need to make this?

Grandma’s cough medicine is 4 ingredients: peppermint, honey, lemon, and liquor/whiskey. I don’t think it really matters which liquor you use. My family always used a dark whiskey/ bourbon. The point is NOT to get so drunk you can’t stand. Why these 4 things?

  • Honey coats the throat, is anti-bacterial and builds the immune system. It can also be used for burns and keeps infection away. Honey also draws pus out of wounds and sores.
  • Whiskey works as an anesthetic to the cough response so you can sleep. If you can’t sleep, your body can’t rejuvenate. Whiskey is also higher in antioxidants than red wine so it fights free radicals too.
  • Lemon provides Vitamin C and helps the liver cleanse the body. Lemon is one of the best foods for the liver because it cuts through mucous which often accompanies colds. It is also alkaline once it’s ingested which is especially good while fighting flu and coughs.
  • Peppermint flavors the syrup and stops coughing. Spices such as cayenne pepper, ginger and cinnamon can be added for flavor and extra healing. Just make sure they are thoroughly mixed.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

What is a “Big Peppermint Stick”?

The big peppermint sticks may not be as easy to find as years ago. I find them every year at walmart or the grocery store.

If you can’t find one around the holidays in the gift basket or specialty candy sections of the grocery store, just use regular peppermint sticks or the candies. The sugar and peppermint is for flavor only.

When I saw the peppermint stick as soon as I walked in the store and had the revelation to ditch the meds, I also decided to fill my basket with flu-fighting foods.

I loaded up with a whole chicken for soup with bone broth. Salmon for Omegas, spinach for fighting free radicals, asparagus to clean out the bladder/kidneys, and nuts for clean protein.

If I’m going all natural with the cough/congestion medicine, I’m sticking to real foods, too.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

The Verdict: I slept great last night. I have a lot of congestion but I got some good sleep.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

INGREDIENTS

zest of 2 lemons (approx. 1 1/2 T)

peeled, sliced, or 1/2 tsp. of ground ginger

In a small saucepan, combine lemon zest, sliced ginger and 1 cup of water. Bring mixture to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes, then strain through into a heat-proof measuring cup.

Rinse the saucepan out and pour in 1 cup of honey. On low heat, warm the honey, but do not allow it to boil. Add the strained lemon ginger water and the lemon juice. Stir the mixture until it combines to form a thick syrup.

Pour into a clean jar with a lid.

Note: This can be refrigerated for up to 2 months.

For children ages 1 to 5, use 1/2 to 1 tsp. every 2 hours. For children ages 5 to 12, use 1 to 2 tsp. every 2 hours. For children 12 and older and adults, use 1 to 2 T every 4 hours.*

* Remember, honey is recommended for children after the age of one.

For Nurse Barb’s Honey Lemon Coughsicles Recipe, click here.

Recipe courtesy of Nurse Practitioner Barbara Dehn, RN, MS, NP.

  • Home
  • About Honey
  • Bees & Sustainability
  • Recipes
  • Locator
  • Industry & Partners
  • Consumers
    • About Honey
    • The bees
    • Recipes
    • Locator
  • Food Processors
    • Bakery & Snack
    • Beverage
    • Beer
    • Spirits
  • Foodservice
    • Trends
    • Inspiration
    • Resources
  • Retail
    • Information
    • Merchandising
    • Inspiration
    • Resources
  • Industry
    • Statistics
    • Research
    • Regulation
    • Reporting
  • Nutrition
  • About NHB
  • Blog
  • FAQs
  • Newsroom
  • Contact
  • E-newsletter
  • NHB Store

© 2020 NATIONAL HONEY BOARD. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy

How to make a natural cough syrup: 3 homemade recipes

After the arrival of the low temperatures the annoying consequences of the refriados also arrive. The cough, of course, is among the first to become one of the most uncomfortable symptoms, annoying and how not also usual. At all hours of the day or even when we sleep, it does not give us a break.

But why are we coughing? We must take into account something fundamental in the first place: even if we think otherwise, the truth is that cough is a completely normal reaction of our body. It is an involuntary reflex whose main objective is to keep the airway clear. It is activated for example in order to eliminate mucus, pathogens or other secretions.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

This stimulus is in many cases caused by the presence of mucus, or by the presence of a foreign body located in the respiratory tract. Nor can we forget that it can actually be a symptom of certain diseases, such as asthma, bronchitis or the cold itself.

And how is the cough reflex activated? When for example there is an excess of mucus or we breathe involuntarily a particle of dust or a piece of food without waiting, the receptors present in the mucous membranes of the trachea and bronchi are irritated, appearing the cough that incidentally we can not stop voluntarily.

For those cases in which the cough is due to a respiratory disease there are natural remedies that can help us such as homemade cough syrups. In this case we bring you a few recipes of syrups so they can relieve cough.

3 natural cough syrups to make at home

Flaxseed syrup for cough

When we have dry cough, a good natural alternative to syrups with drugs is flaxseed syrup.

Ingredients:

  • 2 or 3 tablespoons of flax seeds (linseed)
  • 1 cup of water
  • The juice of 1 lemon
  • Honey

preparation:

For this we are going to boil linseed seeds (2 or 3 tablespoons) together with a cup of water and leave it until the water has a slug consistency. Then we strain it to remove the remains of seeds and add the two essential ingredients: lemon juice and honey in equal parts. Take a spoonful of syrup at a time, and remember that because of its honey content can not be used in children under one year.

Onion syrup for cough

Another natural remedy for cough that you may have already known is onion. This is because the onion has astringent properties. Its preparation will not present you major inconveniences and it can be a good solution for the cough and – besides – natural.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups of onion
  • 4 cups of water
  • 2 and a half cups of brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons of honey

preparation:

First cut the onion into very small pieces, you will need about 4 cups full of chopped onion. We put them in a pot with 4 cups of water, two and a half cups of brown sugar and honey (about 6 tablespoons will suffice). Cover the pot and let it boil over low heat for 4 hours. Then we will strain the preparation and place it in a clean glass jar with a tight lid. With that you will have this ideal syrup to relieve the cough that you can take a spoonful when you need it.

Herbal syrup to relieve cough

If you like spices and aromatic herbs to incorporate into food, in this case we suggest using them to relieve cough.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon of chamomile
  • 1 teaspoon of linden
  • 1 teaspoon crushed green anise
  • 1 teaspoon of sweet cloves
  • Water
  • The juice of 1 lemon
  • Honey

preparation:

For this we place in a pot, chamomile, lime, crushed anise, sweet cloves, pour water and boil for 3 minutes. We let it sit for 5 minutes and we strain it. Finally we add honey and lemon juice. We also place it in a tightly capped glass jar and leave it in the fridge. To relieve the cough you should eat two tablespoons of this herb syrup, three times a day.

As you will see there are different options, depending on the ingredients that each of you has at hand at home. We hope that these natural syrups will serve to remove that annoying cough. And remember that there are multiple natural remedies that can replace or complement traditional medicine and that will help you to fight against cough or other flu symptoms either in the form of juices or shakes or as infusions. This article is published for informational purposes only. It can not and should not replace the consultation with a Physician. We advise you to consult your Trusted Doctor. Themes Syrup

Natural At-Home Remedies : How to Treat Bronchitis Without Antibiotics (November 2020)

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

Bet ya thought you wouldn’t get a recipe today. it HAS indeed been a busy day in Canning Granny world. Mr. G and I have our youngest granddaughter, Carissa, for our annual weekend before she starts school next week. she’s going into first grade. Today we went on an adventure to the Carolina Raptor Center near Charlotte to see all the birds of prey. Had a fun dinner at BobbeeO’s BBQ, a little “hole in the wall” BBQ joint that was so yummy. We’re back home watching Narnia and tomorrow we’re going school supply shopping and plan to make tutus, homemade pizza, and maybe cookies and homemade peach ice cream. A fella Mr. G works with gave him some fresh peaches. not enough to can, but just enough for ice cream!

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice
Yup! As grandparents we get to do the fun stuff. starting
the weekend with slushies and candy!

Carissa told Mr. G last night. “Papa, YOU are the little boss and Nana is the BIG boss. we both hafta listen to her for the serious stuff!” (smart girl! LOL!)

And now for the recipe. not really a canning one, but I suppose you could can it if you wanted!

First you need a gallon glass jar or a half gallon depending on the size of your family or how bad your cold is. I used a gallon jar because we have had such bad colds that this has been a ‘good thing’ – not to quote someone who totally doesn’t need my help. My mom came over last night and saw the ‘jar’, tested it and said ‘Grandpa used to call this ‘snakejuice’. Come to find out my grandpa used to make this very thing and I never new it. SO from now on its going to be ‘snakejuice’

First you cut up 3-4 lemons – I had BIG ones and used 3.
I then cut up 2 large onions into slices.

Then the onions.
Then I layer them – first lemons then onions until I have about the same amounts.

Then you take a jug of honey and pour that over the top.
THEN. the booze – a bottle of blackberry brandy and a bottle of peppermint schnapps.
Yes use the whole thing if you are making a jug like this.
We take about a Tblsp as adults and 1/4 tsp of it IF we give it to the boys. There is no more alcohol in this than there is in ‘boughten’ cough syrup – just none of the synthetic stuff that they stick in it. My Amish friend said that she keeps hers in a cool place and that it will last. are you ready – over a year. I suppose with all the booze the lemons are ‘pickled’ – *snort*

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

  • Total: 20 mins
  • Prep: 5 mins
  • Cook: 15 mins
  • Servings: 8 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
57Calories
0gFat
15gCarbs
0gProtein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories57
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g0%
Saturated Fat 0g0%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 1mg0%
Total Carbohydrate 15g6%
Dietary Fiber 1g3%
Protein 0g
Calcium 8mg1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Lemon syrup is a lemon-infused syrup that adds tons of flavor to anything it’s stirred into or drizzled over. It’s super easy to make—lemon juice, sugar, and some lemon zest are all you need—and it adds both sweetness and a lemony kick to cocktails and desserts. (It’s slightly different from the kind of simple syrup you might make for cocktails, insofar as you’re using lemon juice instead of water.)

When covered and chilled, lemon syrup keeps almost indefinitely. It’s mainly sugar, so unless something truly funky happens, you’re likely to use it up well before anything about it “turns.” (Technically, people might say the syrup lasts up to six months, but it’s possible for a jar of the stuff to last well over a year in the fridge.) Having a party? Go ahead and make as big a batch as sounds good, and be ready to use it in all kinds of cocktails—use it instead of simple syrup in a lemon drop martini for another layer of lemon zip or to sweeten a margarita.

Best of all, use it to sweeten lemonade or iced tea for the best versions of those summer thirst-quenchers you’ve ever had.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process.

What is an expectorant?

A cough can affect your work and sleep, and it can disturb others around you, too.

An expectorant is something that helps loosen mucus so you can cough it up. It does this by increasing the water content of the mucus, thinning it out, and making your cough more productive.

An expectorant won’t treat the infection that’s causing your symptoms, but it will help you get a good night’s sleep and make you feel a little better while your immune system does its job.

Over-the-counter expectorants aren’t always effective, so many people turn to natural treatments. Generations of grandmothers have sworn by their own natural cough remedies, but how effective are they?

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

A simple and all-natural way to loosen up chest congestion is to take a hot, steamy shower. Warm and moist air can help relieve a stubborn cough by loosening mucus in the airway. You can also try using a humidifier to add moisture to the air you breathe. There are many options available for purchase online.

Keeping your body hydrated will help it function at its best. Increase your fluid intake when you have a cough or cold. Drinking water or herbal tea is a great way to get more fluids.

Try to avoid drinking caffeine and alcohol while you have a cough. Instead, choose water or juice. Moderate use of caffeine is not a problem when you are healthy, as long as you drink enough water.

Honey is delicious, natural, and soothing. It may even loosen up the gunk in your chest.

However, few studies have been done to test the effectiveness of this sweet bee product on treating a cough. One study in children with upper respiratory infections found that honey relieved cough and improved the children’s sleep. However, the study collected data from questionnaires taken by parents, which can sometimes be biased or inaccurate.

Try mixing a teaspoon of honey with a cup of warm milk or tea or just down a teaspoon of it before bed. Honey shouldn’t be given to children younger than 1 year of age due to the risk of botulism.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is used often as a flavoring for gum, toothpaste, and tea, but it also could be just what you’ve been looking for to treat your cough. Peppermint contains a compound known as menthol. Menthol may help thin mucus and loosen phlegm.

Peppermint tea is widely available in stores or online and is considered safe. You can also simply add a few fresh peppermint leaves to hot water to make your own tea. It has no side effects and poses no danger unless you’re allergic. Allergic reactions to mint are not uncommon, according to one study .

Pure menthol is considered poisonous and should never be ingested. Menthol or peppermint oil applied to the skin can cause a rash in some people. If you decide to apply a diluted oil to your skin, test a small area first and wait 24 to 48 hours to see if there’s a reaction.

How to Make Cough Medicine with Lemon Juice

Honey-based treatments cough remedies are commonly used across the world. Folk medicine recommends honey for many ailments, and lime has been listed in Indian traditional medicine as a cough treatment. Currently, there are no scientific studies to support the combination honey and lime as a cough remedy. However, properties of these substances may contribute to the anecdotal claims of benefit.

Physical Properties

Lime is a citrus fruit, and contains beneficial compounds such as vitamin C, beta-carotene, flavonoids, limonoids and folic acid. Lime and lemon juice have more citric acid than other citrus fruits. As an acid, it has the proposed ability to break up mucus, if the cough is productive.

Honey is also acidic. It has a thick consistency and is full of moisture, two aspects that assist wound healing. The consistency of honey may offer relief for a cough-irritated throat. In an Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine December 2007 study, parents rated honey over cough syrup or no treatment for symptomatic relief of their child’s nocturnal cough.

Antimicrobial Properties of Lime & Honey

The recommendation for lime and honey for a cough may go beyond cough relief and point more to the germ-killing attributes of both foods. In a November 2006 study from the African Journal of Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine, various bacteria and fungi were inhibited by an extract from the juice and rind of the fruit. A March 2011 study in the Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Microbiology tested plant extracts such as ginger, garlic and lime in E. Coli contaminated water. Only lime inhibited bacterial growth.

An April 2011 review in the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine found significant scientific support of the antimicrobial properties of honey.

Cough Management

The British Thoracic Society Cough Guideline Group’s September 2006 clinical guidelines includes the possibility of citrus fruit and honey as a home remedy for an acute viral cough in an adult.

It is important to note that the studies done have been minimal and limited in their population. Only one study was done on humans, and that was with children. No studies were done on lime in humans. Additional studies supporting honey and lime’s antimicrobial properties were not done on people and may not relate to organisms that cause coughs.

Warnings

For most populations, honey and lime have little to no risk of harm. However, children 2 and under should never be given honey, as there is risk for botulism.

Because of the wide variety of conditions that can cause a cough, including cancer and heart failure, do not attempt to treat a chronic cough on your own. New coughs in children and adults should be monitored for other symptoms, as these can develop into serious conditions as well. If you have green, yellow or bloody mucus, make an appointment with your primary care physician. If your cough produces blood or a coffee-ground substance, comes with high fever or causes problems breathing, seek emergency care.