12 Nov Best teas for flu season: backed by science
Ah, the flu season is never fun! 😓
Luckily, there are a few natural herbal remedies (aka teas) you can drink to boost your immuni-tea and alleviate the symptoms.
We’ve looked at a wide variety of studies and picked the teas with most evidence for their effectiveness.
We divided them into 3 categories:
1. Teas to help prevent you from getting sick
2. Emergency teas for first signs of symptoms
3. Teas to alleviate symptoms and shorten the duration of the cold
Let’s dive right in!
Immuni-tea boosting teas 🤩
The best way to prevent getting sick is to give your immune system as much support as possible.
Research shows that hibiscus is a great tea to boost your immunity, not only due to high level of Vitamin C, but also thanks to the antioxidant “anthocyanin”.
Camellia sinensis teas (green, white, black, oolong, matcha) have also proven to have anti-viral properties thanks to the polyphenols EGCG, theaflavin and L-theanine.
Whilst all teas can be effective, green tea and matcha have the highest concentration of immune-boosting L-theanine.
first signs of symptoms 😵💫
If you’re starting to feel under the weather, immediately brew yourself a cup of elderflower tea!
According to Dr Golnoosh Torabian, compounds from elderflower can directly inhibit viral entry and replication in human cells, alongside strengthening the immune system.
Another well-tested tea is turmeric and ginger! You can even make it yourself by cutting fresh ginger and steeping it in hot water with a dash of turmeric and honey.
Elderflower tea is also my personal favourite.
Of course each person is different, but in my case it helped me countless times when I felt the first symptoms of flu coming in.
(By the first symptoms I mean that gentle scratching in your throat sometimes accompanied by sore muscles, sneezing and general weakness.)
However, once you’ve missed the boat and have more prominent symptoms like cough, runny nose and fever – other teas might be better to alleviate the symptoms.
Quick flu relief 🤒
Even with the best immunity-boosting methods, sometimes we’re just exposed to too many viruses. 🤷♀️
So here are a few teas to help you alleviate the flu symptoms.
According to this study of 95 people with early symptoms of cold and flu (such as runny nose, scratchy throat, and fever) who drank several cups of echinacea tea per day for 5 days had less severe symptoms which were gone much quicker than in the placebo group.
Peppermint tea contains menthol which can help you free a blocked nose, whilst chamomile tea has the soothing properties to help you get some sleep.
Which teas do you usually reach for when you start feeling under the weather? Share in the comments below!
Happy sipping and stay healthy!
Tatjana
A cup of butterfly pea tea a day keeps the doctor away. Communication and Media Student. I cook, dance, travel and watch a lot of films and musicals.
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Evelyn Phamhttps://teapro.co.uk/author/evelyn-pham/
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Evelyn Phamhttps://teapro.co.uk/author/evelyn-pham/
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Evelyn Phamhttps://teapro.co.uk/author/evelyn-pham/
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Evelyn Phamhttps://teapro.co.uk/author/evelyn-pham/
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