Turmeric Paste for Sore Throats: Home Remedies
When I was a kid, Mum used to see this wonderful Indian G.P who also happily practiced ayurvedic medicine, which she was always willing to adopt because it made sense to her. When we moved to the coast, we found another GP who also practiced ayurveda as well as studied Chinese Medicine and practiced acupuncture too. I've been searching for doctors like that for a long time now, and they do seem few and far between.
The home remedy both doctors prescribed was a kind of cough elixer - simply honey and tumeric mixed into a paste. We've been using this as an altnerative to cough medicine for over forty years now and swear by it. It's the simplest thing - get a huge spoonfull of honey, mix in enough turmeric to form a paste, and consume, letting it slide gently down your throat. Take as often as needed. We never, ever used cough drops - those sugary useless lozenges that only seem to soothe you momentarily.
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For years, I thought it was just 'good for the throat' - but it's a far more effective remedy than that. It helps fight cold viruses, ease phleghm, helps with sneezing and a runny nose, and reduces the frequency of colds. And it's not just the turmeric, as I thought - it's the honey too. I always just presumed it was the spoonful of honey that made the slightly bitter, dusty turmeric go down - but it's the honey that soothes the throat more than the turmeric, easing irritation by coating the throat.
And it's also safe for children - check this research out here where they found that curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, prevented the replication of Respiratory Syncytial Virus - a virus common in kids under two. This one further backs that honey is good for children with coughs.
I'm also fascinated by turmeric oil - I've never come across it, have you? Here's a study that suggests it's good for upper respiratory tract infections - something that I often got as a kid as I suffered from asthma.
I would presume it goes without saying that if you're going to use honey or turmeric, only the highest quality will do. Imported, pasteurised honey is just like consuming sugar - there's really not much benefit to it. Have a read of this article if you don't know much about the difference between raw and pasteurized, heat treated, filtered and often watered down honey - here's an extract for you from Permuculture News
I'm always told that black pepper helps with the absorption of turmeric - given I usually make myself a big lentil dahl (with lots of turmeric, pepper and garlic) when I'm ill, I don't feel the need to put it in my cough syrup either. And as far as the convenient 'cough lozenge' goes? I just mix it in a little tupperware container to take to work, with a teaspoon.
Have you ever had this mixture for a cold?
Would you try it?
This post is in response to a challenge by @naturalmedicine, who asks us to post on our natural home remedies. It's also sponsored by @theinnerblocks, and there's over 40 steem in prizes - entries due Friday 17th, so post about your home remedies to win! Check out the guidelines here.
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Two days ago I had to go to Portland for work. A couple hours after I got home, I noted one of my lymph glands was greatly swollen and my throat hurt. I've been abed for two days now, and using salt water gargles, hot compresses, and Ibuprofen to reduce the inflammation.
I'm going to go right now and mix up some turmeric and honey, as I've noticed a lymph gland on the opposite side beginning to feel tender.
Thanks!
Edit: Well, if nothing else, it's tasty! Sure tastes better than Ibuprofen =p
Oh, I hope it helps!!! I do similiar - salt water and sage gargle, ibuprofen, soup with lots of garlic, and this paste. Oh, and ZINC!!! Hope you feel better soon!
I am feeling better, thanks!
Love this recipe and love even more that your family has such a long history with it. Perfectly pure just the way I like my medicine to be!
I have used turmeric essential oil for all sorts of things. This site has a great description of the various uses for it: https://www.livinglibations.com/ca/turmeric-essential-oil
and I've made a turmeric oil infusion that I recently added to my pain relief salve. On the up side you know exactly where you've applied it, on the down side, you know because it turns your skin and everything it touches orange.
I have never been able to see how people use it for face treatment or teeth!!!! What the!!! Whenever I use it I coincidentally am wearing white... ooops. Thanks for the link!!
I am going to look into the essential oil, thanks for the link beautiful xx
I will have to remember this. I know the feeling when you have a sore throat and you just wish you could peel the pain away. It is a horrible feeling. Luckily I have a friend that keeps bees so I have a decent supply of honey!
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Oh awesome! We have bees in the garden, but they are from a friend who keeps two hives there. He's such a stoner though I think he's forgotten, must remind him to come and check the honey stash.
Thanks - I've bookmarked
Cool. It's a good one to remember - just turmeric and honey!
I eat cinnamon and honey paste on toast...so this is a slight twist to that...except I should leave out the toast
:))
haha - yum. I made a turmeric, cinnamon, star anise, cardomon milk drink with honey last night - like a chai really - a golden latte as they call them! So good. Cinnamon and honey go so well together!
Thank you @riverflows, I love this natural remedy for sore throats. I haver esteemed your post because it is a great post to share but also it is easy for me to find. 😀
Why thankyou sweetheart!!!! Its a good remedy!
I sure have not, but it makes a lot of sense. Thanks for writing on this topic - that's a very useful remedy.
Tamil wife, turmeric cures everything!
Me: OK I'm in
It's never failed me yet
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Ha!!! Yes, it's a great one! Lucky you have a Tamil wife!
No I havent tried it, but hell yeh I would defo give it a go! Thanks for this especially coming into the winter months.
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It truly is a winner - I haven't just made it up for a steem post. And you know, bears like honey xx
Wow I have been having some throat issues and I’m going to try this. Thanks for sharing, so simple and so easy to make. Stoked to try this and hope it helps, I’m missing my singing voice. I threw up everyday of my pregnancy lol! It was intense
Turmeric the golden spice has many healing properties, a very good antiseptic. As kids when we use to get hurt while playing the first thing our granny use to do was give us a spoonful of turmeric and honey paste. I never like it then, but now I also use it for many things. Thank you for sharing your therapies @riverflows