Dry coughs cannot eliminate mucous, phlegm, or irritants from your lungs or nasal passages which is why it is also sometimes called unproductive cough. Dry cough’s effects can range from mild discomfort to a painful throat and airways.
Below are 7 foods to help you combat dry cough:
1. Capsaicin
Capsaicin, a substance discovered in chili peppers, has been shown to minimize persistent coughing. While capsaicin can be taken as a capsule, you can make tea from cayenne pepper hot sauce and warm water.
Cayenne is a type of chili pepper. Add drops of cayenne hot sauce into the water, tasting as you go, so you don’t surpass your threshold for how much heat you can take. You can also steep whole peppers in warm water. Capsaicin-based treatments aren’t advised for children.
2. Masala Chai Tea
Chai tea has become popular in the United States in recent years. In India, chai is used to deal with conditions such as aching throat and dry cough. Masala chai consists of several antioxidant ingredients, including cloves, and cardamom. Cloves might likewise be useful as an expectorant.
Chai tea likewise includes cinnamon, which has anti-inflammatory attributes.
3. Peppermint
Peppermint has menthol, which assists to numb nerve endings in the throat that gets inflamed when coughing too much. This might provide pain relief and decrease the urge to cough. Peppermint also helps reduce congestion, plus, it’s been discovered to have antiviral and antibacterial qualities.
Try drinking peppermint tea before bed to ease nighttime coughs. You can also use peppermint essential oil as an aromatherapy treatment.
4. Marshmallow Root
Marshmallow root is a type of herb. It’s an ingredient used in cough syrups and in tablets to soothe a dry cough. A research study found that marshmallow root is an effective treatment for relieving throat pain and reducing the inflammation caused by a dry cough.
Marshmallow root also has antibacterial characteristics that may help with other issues you may be having with your throat.
5. Ginger
Ginger has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory attributes. It has likewise been shown to eliminate discomfort from dry cough and improve the immune system. Ginger is an ingredients in a lot of teas. You can also make ginger tea from its root by steeping the peeled or cut root in warm water.
Adding honey to ginger tea might make it a lot more beneficial for dry cough. You can also take ginger pills or chew on the ginger root to minimize dry cough.
6. Turmeric
Turmeric contains curcumin, a compound that has anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial characteristics. It might also be advantageous for numerous conditions, including dry cough. Curcumin is best taken in turmeric tea form and the addition of black pepper to the tea might help make it more effective.
You can add one teaspoon of turmeric and 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper into a beverage, such as cold orange juice, to consume. You can also make it into a warm tea. Turmeric has been utilized to deal with upper respiratory conditions, bronchitis, and asthma in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. You can get turmeric in its spice-form, as well as a pill.
7. Honey
Honey can be used to deal with day and nighttime dry coughing. Honey has antibacterial properties and can likewise help in coating the throat, alleviating irritation. A study found that honey was more successful than dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant ingredient, in lowering irritating bouts of nighttime coughing in children.
You can take a teaspoon of honey several times daily or add it to tea or warm water to drink. To prevent infant botulism, a rare issue in infants, never offers honey to a child under one year of age.
