Home Remedies for Cough

     Home Remedies for Cough

     There are nearly as many variations of home remedies for cough as there are grandmothers. But there are several ingredients that are common to many recipes. Garlic, lemon, honey, and ginger are the most common. Garlic and ginger are both more effective when used fresh. Store bought honey is still good stuff, but a local, unprocessed honey will contain many antibacterial and antifungal agents that are very beneficial to your health.

     Grapes and raisins are also prominent in many recipes. Fresh grapes should be washed just before use to remove any chemicals left from the fields. This rule applies to any produce that you may use for any reason.

     If you have a dry, unproductive cough you may want to consider an expectorant to help you produce mucus. We will not cover that subject in this article except to say that dairy products help your body produce mucus. This article will be concerned with suppressing coughs.

     One simple trick many people swear by is to put a mentholated creme on your feet, and then put socks on. This method, as with all methods listed below, will not "cure " a cough, but may suppress it long enough for the irritation causing the cough to clear up. Not all methods will work for all people, but don’t give up. There is sure to be a natural recipe that will work for you.

     Your Favorite Tea

     Brew a cup of your favorite tea. Add a teaspoon of honey, a teaspoon of lemon juice, and a teaspoon of ginger. Don’t worry that you will  cool it down with the additives. The sooner you drink it down, the sooner you will get relief.

     These three additives can be taken without the tea if you prefer. Just add them one at a time to a large mixing spoon, but not one so large you can’t get it in your mouth. The antibacterial agents found in these ingredients may actually cure whatever ails you along with suppressing your cough.

     Lemon Pepper

     There are many recipes that use pepper to suppress a cough. One method suggests coating a cut lemon with pepper and salt and sucking on it to suppress your cough. If you need to add some honey to this to make it palatable, that would be consistent with the basic folklore. In fact, another recipe calls for adding a pinch of pepper to a teaspoon of honey. Though various recipes will call for white pepper or black pepper, either is probably as effective. As with ginger and garlic, fresh ground is the most effective.

     Another variation to this recipe calls for mixing a teaspoon of lemon juice, a teaspoon of honey, and a teaspoon of pepper. Salt can be added for flavor, and for effectiveness.

     Grapes and Raisins

     Some folk cures say to eat grapes for several days to cure a cough. An alternative to this is to mix honey with grape juice and drink daily. Most coughs will cure themselves in several days, but grapes are good for you. They help tone the lungs and may help you prevent future cough episodes. Grapes are also a natural expectorant.

     You can grind raisins in water, add sugar equal to the amount of raisins used. Heat this until it becomes a sauce. A dose of 20 grams (3/4 of a liquid ounce) should be taken daily before bedtime. If you wish to replace the sugar with honey, make sure to use gentle heat to avoid destroying the antibacterials in the honey.

     The Other Pepper

      This recipe will not be for everyone. Take a quarter teaspoon of ground ginger, a quarter teaspoon of red pepper, one tablespoon of honey, a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, and two tablespoons of water. Take one teaspoon any time you need to suppress a cough.

      Apple cider vinegar has been in the natural health news lately as having many beneficial properties. It could be used in place of lemon juice in any recipe. Or lemon juice could be used in this recipe instead. The vinegar will not have as much vitamin C as lemon.

      Garlic and Onions

     One of the simplest methods for cough reduction is to eat garlic in a meal at least twice a week. The antibacterial and antiviral properties of garlic are well accepted by the natural health community. It could be added to any recipe that you could consider palatable.

     Onions also have many beneficial properties. One of the many home remedies for cough that include onions, calls for extracting the juice from an onion. Mix this with honey and take a teaspoon 3 times a day or as needed.

      Again, a variation on this theme calls for adding lemon. First, crush an onion and squeeze a lemon to heat together in one cup of boiling water. Add honey as the mixture cools.

     Herbs

     There are many herbs that are considered beneficial for a cough. Aniseed, Holy Basil, and Marjoram can all be made into teas, separately or in combination. Eucalyptus and mint make a fine infusion. Boil them together and breath the vapors. Essential oil of Juniper is also good for this purpose and may be added or used alone. Mint can also be used in a tea.

    Hot carrot juice is another suggested remedy for coughs. it could be used alone or in many of the recipes given earlier.

     You may notice some consistent themes in these recipes. The recipes themselves are not terribly important to follow exactly. The variations suggest that certain ingredients work well. Don’t be afraid to come up with your own recipe, using the ingredients mentioned above. There is nothing here that will harm you. In fact, most of these ingredients could be part of your normal diet. Have fun with the process and find something that works well for you.