Ginger for cough

Ginger has long received well-deserved recognition as a healing agent: traditional Chinese medicine calls it a “drug against vomiting,” and Indian doctors have used ginger for coughs since ancient times.

Spicy and hot in taste, it has antimicrobial effect, improves blood circulation, is a preventive measure against colds and flu, has a certain anticancer activity. It is especially recommended to add it to fish and seafood dishes, and also to use it in the cold season.

Does ginger help with cough?

Essential oil, polysaccharides, organic acids, macroelements (potassium, calcium, manganese, iron), microelements (magnesium, copper, zinc, cobalt, chromium, aluminum, vanadium, selenium, nickel, strontium, lead, boron, iodine, zingerol) and starch - the combination of these biologically active substances in the ginger root gives it many healing properties.

Pharmacological properties of ginger:

• expectorant, antipyretic, bactericidal, disinfectant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic effect;
• has hypotonic, sedative, antispasmodic properties, slows breathing.

In addition, it stimulates appetite, promotes digestion and boosts immunity.

This is far from a complete list of ginger properties, and all of the above are convincing arguments in favor of the thesis that ginger helps with cough. Moreover, it is directly indicated for use in pharyngitis, laryngitis and bronchitis - colds and inflammatory processes caused by infectious lesions of the upper respiratory tract.

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Treating cough with ginger

Ginger drink, so easy to prepare, can serve as an excellent preventive measure during an epidemic of acute respiratory viral infections, because it strengthens the immune system. Ginger root tea not only reduces the risk of "catching the flu", but also warms you up in the cold season, thereby leaving it no chance to overcome your body.

For those who are not lucky enough to get a cold or bronchitis, ginger will help to significantly alleviate the symptoms, including quickly eliminating an annoying, severe cough.

Let's dwell on the essential features that are worth remembering when treating with ginger. Firstly, despite the fact that any drink from the "miracle root" helps with cough, the most effective recipe will be one selected in accordance with the indications for the corresponding type of cough. Thus, a dry cough will be softened by a ginger-honey drink, and a wet cough will be relieved by milk-ginger tea, but we will talk about them a little later. Secondly, when choosing ginger as a medicine, you should remember the contraindications. It is not recommended to use it for: gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, hepatitis, esophageal reflux, high body temperature, arrhythmia and taking cardiac and diabetic drugs, as it enhances the effect of the latter. Before preparing a cough medicine from ginger, also make sure that you do not have an allergic reaction to it. It is impossible to accurately diagnose it at home, so if you are susceptible to other types of allergies and/or are trying the root for the first time and do not know what your body's reaction will be, start with a very small amount of ginger.

How to prepare ginger for cough?

To prepare a ginger drink, you need to buy a high-quality fresh product. When choosing, pay attention to the peel: it should be even, smooth, undamaged, beige with a slight golden hue. Old ginger is easy to identify by thickenings, bumps and the presence of eyes, very similar to potato ones. Such a root is not suitable for medicinal purposes. Take it in your hands: the ginger should not be too light and dry to the touch. The fresher and younger the root, the tastier and healthier the ginger will be. Fresh ginger spoils easily. Smell the root - it should not smell musty. And, of course, there should be no mold on it. Do not buy too much - fresh, and especially cut root will not "live" for long. It is recommended to store ginger no longer than 4-5 days in the lower vegetable compartment of the refrigerator, during this period it will not lose its medicinal properties.

Ginger should be peeled carefully, cutting off a minimal layer with a knife, in the direction of the fibers. Such caution is important in order to preserve the greatest amount of useful substances.

Ginger for cough is most often taken as a drink. To prepare ginger tea, fresh root should be finely chopped. Other useful components are also added to the drink: honey, lime, lemon and orange.

Ginger for cough for children

Year after year, statistics show that children are more susceptible to colds than adults. This is because children's immunity is weaker, it is still in the development stage, like the child himself. Such "immature" immunity does not know how to cope well with viral infections, so one of the main tasks of parents is to help strengthen it. Effective methods such as hardening, healthy nutrition, medicinal vitaminization and mineralization have been known for some time. But many mothers are still cautious about such a powerful immune-boosting agent as ginger. And in vain. Of course, ginger should not be given to children under two years old, but if your child is older, then the root not only can, but should be used in baby food to strengthen the immune system. Moreover, it rarely causes allergic reactions and sensitivity, which is another argument in favor of a healing natural remedy.

There are several ways to prepare ginger for children:

Ginger tea

The special advantage of the drink is that it is quite easy to prepare, and, due to the presence of other tasty components, does not cause disgust in the child. 4 tablespoons of finely grated fresh ginger root should be poured with two liters of boiling water. If you use ground dry ginger, the amount of ginger should be 2 times less, and it should be boiled for 20 minutes on low heat. The drink should be boiled for 10 minutes. Ginger is quite hot - sweeten the child's tea with honey (6 tablespoons), orange juice (4 tablespoons) and fresh mint. If desired, you can also add any herbal tea. Mix everything and let it brew for another 5 minutes. The resulting ginger tea should be drunk warm. The proportions of the ingredients can vary depending on the taste preferences of your child. For younger children, it is better to make the drink weak and, if there are no contraindications, it can be diluted with milk.

Ginger inhalations for cough and runny nose

Grate the roots and pour hot water over them. Under the supervision of an adult, with a towel over the head, the child should breathe in the ginger vapors for a few minutes. It is better to do inhalations before bedtime. This remedy is suitable if the child is already sick – to relieve cold symptoms and strengthen the immune system weakened by it.

Gingerbread cookies

Of course, you won't cure a cough or cold with this recipe, but children really like the cookies, which gives mom the opportunity to unobtrusively accustom her child to the special taste of ginger root. In addition, the beneficial properties of the latter are not lost during heat treatment. One of the most delicious recipes that your child will definitely like is American ginger cookies. Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup candied ginger,
• 3/4 cup sugar,
• 6 tablespoons butter at room temperature,
• 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses. Unfortunately, it is very rare to find molasses in our grocery stores, but perhaps your local hypermarket sells it. If not, make its analogue by mixing 5 tbsp. brown sugar and 1 tbsp. honey, and then heating them in a water bath until the sugar is completely dissolved. Molasses can also be replaced with maple syrup;
• 1 egg,
• 2 cups of flour,
• 2 teaspoons baking soda,
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger,
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon,
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg,
• powdered sugar (optional).

Finely grind the candied ginger and 1/3 cup of sugar in a food processor (or use a blender). Pour the mixture into a bowl. Without rinsing the bowl, add the butter and 1/3 cup of sugar and beat until smooth: the resulting mass should be light and airy. Then add the contents of the bowl, molasses, and egg. Beat until smooth. In another container, mix the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, pour all this into the bowl of the food processor, mix. You will get cookie dough: wrap it in cling film and place it in the refrigerator for an hour. Meanwhile, mix the sugar with the powdered sugar. When the dough has cooled, form balls out of it, approximately 2.5 cm in diameter, sprinkle each of them with sugar. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the dough balls on it at a distance of 5 cm from each other. Bake the cookies in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 12-15 minutes. As you can see, they cook quickly, and, believe me, they are eaten even faster!

In baby food, it is recommended to use fresh ginger, not in the form of dry powder, since the use of fresh root is twice as effective. It is also worth noting that pickled ginger is a good accompaniment to Japanese cuisine, but not a medicinal product: it should not be given to children.

Ginger for cough during pregnancy

It is known that during pregnancy, most medications for treating colds are contraindicated. A contradictory situation arises: letting the disease progress is dangerous for the fetus, but treating it with conventional medications is not allowed. This is where folk medicine recipes come to the rescue, which can be easily prepared at home.

One of the most effective and at the same time safe means of treating cough and other symptoms of acute respiratory viral infections in pregnant women in the early stages is ginger. As already mentioned above, this natural product, a storehouse of vitamins and microelements, has many healing properties. It has an antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effect, and the antioxidants included in its composition will help strengthen the immunity of the expectant mother, which will have a positive effect on the baby.

Ways to treat cough with ginger during pregnancy:

1. Inhalations. At the first symptoms of a cold, inhalations can quickly achieve a therapeutic effect even when treating a severe cough during pregnancy. At the same time, inhalations are probably the safest way to treat colds and coughs in pregnant women (see recipe above)
2. Ginger drink. Healthy and tasty, it will relieve not only cough but also other cold symptoms. Drink it several times a day, warm. Women who drink ginger tea in early pregnancy are less likely to get colds and infectious diseases.

By the way, light tea made from fresh ginger root helps to alleviate toxicosis, relieving nausea that often plagues pregnant women.

However, when using ginger as a remedy, it is important to remember that it has a strong effect. Due to its warming properties, it is not recommended to take it in large quantities, as well as at high temperature and bleeding. Despite the fact that ginger in "reasonable" doses is harmless to the expectant mother and fetus and provides important assistance to a woman during pregnancy, experts still recommend that pregnant women exercise certain caution with the "miracle root": women who have previously had a miscarriage, as well as women in the late stages of pregnancy, are prohibited from using ginger.

Ginger Cough Remedy Recipes

There are quite a few different ways to prepare ginger for coughs. All you need to do is choose a recipe that suits your taste preferences. This section is dedicated to the author's favorite ways to prepare drinks from fresh ginger.

Lemon Ginger Drink

Using a juicer or by hand, squeeze the juice out of two lemons. Mix it with a liter of water, add grated ginger and lemongrass (dried lemon grass). Boil the resulting mixture over low heat for ten minutes, then let it steep. Add a little more lemon (or lime) juice to the strained drink.

Mulled wine with ginger

Mulled wine has a healing warming effect, so it is better for a person with a cold to drink it before going to bed, lying under a warm blanket. You will need: 250 g of dry red wine, 2 tangerines, fresh ginger root, ¼ lime, a pinch of ground nutmeg, the same amount of ground nutmeg, 1 head of dried cloves, a quarter of a fresh pear, a tablespoon of raisins and honey. Pour wine into a cauldron. Squeeze the juice from one tangerine and add to the wine. Cut a small piece of ginger into thin strips, a quarter of a pear - lengthwise and in half, and a tangerine - any way you like, and it is better to cut straight with the skin. Throw the fruits, raisins, spices and ginger into the cauldron with the wine. Heat the mixture over low heat until steam begins to rise from it and a thick aroma appears. Make sure that the mulled wine does not boil. Turn off the heat and let the drink steep for about 10 minutes. When the mulled wine cools down a little, add honey. It should only be drunk warm for medicinal purposes.

Tea with ginger and cinnamon

Ginger goes well with cinnamon in this drink, which has an antipyretic effect and stimulates expectoration. Ingredients: per liter of water - a cinnamon stick, a tablespoon of honey and pine nuts (to taste). Pour water into a thick-walled saucepan, add cinnamon and ginger cut into thin strips, bring the mixture to a boil, and then cook over low heat for another half an hour, remembering to stir. After this time, remove the saucepan from the stove and take out the cinnamon stick and ginger. Honey should be added to the cooled drink. Place the pine nuts directly into the cup before drinking. This tea should also be drunk warm.

Ginger root for cough

To treat a cough, ginger root can be used as a basis for the following, less popular, but also effective, remedies for colds:

1. ginger bath. It is prepared in the following simple way: grated ginger root is placed in gauze and lowered into a bath full of water. Wait 10 minutes, let the ginger "give up" its useful substances. Such a bath will warm and relax the body before sleep, but remember: it is not advisable to take it at high temperature and low pressure;
2. ginger tincture. Finely chop 250 grams of peeled ginger, place it in a half-liter glass jar, then fill it with vodka. Put the jar in the kitchen cupboard for two weeks, but do not forget about it - shake the tincture every three days. Two weeks is enough for this drink to infuse. Be sure to strain the medicine and add honey to it. You need to drink ginger tincture for cough in small doses: 1 teaspoon after breakfast and lunch, diluted in a glass of clean water. Children aged 3-5 years - 5 drops 2 times a day, and from 5 to 12 years - 10 drops. If the patient is contraindicated in alcohol-based drugs, pour the required amount of tincture into a tablespoon, and then add boiling water: the alcohol vapors will evaporate.

Tincture is one of the most effective ways to fight a cold with ginger. However, it takes time to prepare. If the disease suddenly came and there was no ready-made medicine at hand, use one of the recipes described below.

Ginger, Lemon and Honey for Cough

Dry cough is a dangerous symptom of upper respiratory tract diseases: repeated attacks shake the whole body, while harmful viruses, bacteria and their decay products remain on the surface of the bronchi. In order to prevent the patient's health from worsening, it is necessary to achieve a softening of the dry cough. A ginger drink made from 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger juice, 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice will help with this task. Mix the ginger and juice and let it brew for half an hour. Pour 1/2 cup of boiling water and cover with a lid. Honey can be added when the drink has already cooled down a little, so as not to ruin its beneficial properties with boiling water. Drink the resulting ginger remedy for dry cough, 1 teaspoon every half hour. This tea will also be beneficial for a healthy person, because it relieves fatigue and stress, increasing the overall tone of the body.

Milk with ginger for cough

An effective remedy for eliminating respiratory diseases is milk with ginger for cough. Ginger has many useful properties, the main ones being:

• Anti-inflammatory.
• Immunostimulating.
• Antibacterial.
• Expectorants.

Recipes with ginger:

• Take two spoons of thinly sliced fresh ginger root, ½ cup of milk, a spoon of honey, a couple of lemon slices and a pinch of mint. Put the lemon, ginger and mint in a saucepan or large cup, pour boiling liquid over it. Let it brew for 10 minutes and add honey to taste. Take the drink warm 1-2 times a day.
• Prepare 500 ml of milk, a teaspoon of dry ginger root, a tablespoon of honey and turmeric. The liquid should be well heated, but not brought to a boil. Add ginger and mix well, then honey and turmeric. The remedy should be taken immediately before bedtime.

Before using the above-mentioned medicinal recipes, you should make sure that there are no allergic reactions to their components. This will help avoid many painful symptoms, including intoxication of the body.

Ginger tea for cough

Make it a habit to always have ginger on hand during the cold season. At the first signs of a cold, after hypothermia, or if you accidentally wet your feet in puddles, brew your favorite tea and put some ginger in it.

Green tea with ginger and cloves: pour green leaf tea, dry ginger and three heads of cloves (1 teaspoon each) into the bottom of a teapot or French press, pour boiling water over everything. Let the tea steep for half an hour.

Black tea with ginger and freshly ground black pepper: add thin slices of ginger to boiling water, simmer over low heat, adding a little ground black pepper. After 10 minutes, add black leaf tea, turn off the heat and cover the drink with a lid. Let it brew, then strain, pour the tea into a cup and drink in small sips. If desired, you can add lemon, honey and even milk.

Ginger with lemon for cough

Lemon, like ginger, is the strongest weapon against colds that nature has given us. As is known, it contains phytoncides - plant components that can negatively affect viruses. Ginger strengthens the immune system, so a drink that combines both of these products helps to avoid the use of medications at the first stage of a cold, and also allows you to relieve irritation of the mucous membrane and soothe a cough.

It is very easy to prepare. Fill a cauldron or thick-walled saucepan with clean water. Grate a piece of fresh ginger root and add to boiling water. Without covering, cook the drink for 15 or even 20 minutes, add lemon juice. Strain the finished tea, pour it into a cup, and when it cools down, add a spoonful of honey: this will make the drink even tastier and healthier. There are no exact proportions in this recipe, you can vary them based on your taste preferences. If you are just “getting to know” ginger, start with a small amount, because it has a rather specific smell and a sharp taste. Ginger tea is drunk two or three times a day, so it is very convenient to prepare it in a French press: it will be enough for a day. Just do not forget to heat it up.

Ground ginger for cough

Ginger is an essential ingredient in the so-called "Bengal mixture" - a drink long known in northern India as a remedy for colds and hypothermia. To prepare this exotic tea, you will need: dry ginger, cloves, green cardamom, cinnamon, mint and turmeric.

Pour 6 cups of water into a saucepan with a spout or a cauldron and place over high heat. Add 1 small cinnamon stick, 3-4 green cardamom (it is better to use slightly open seeds), 2-3 cloves, 2-3 small pieces of dried ginger (or 1 teaspoon of dry ground root), 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric and some mint. Bring the water to a boil and turn off the heat as soon as the water begins to boil noticeably. Wait 2 minutes, then stir the contents of the saucepan thoroughly. Using a sieve, pour the drink into a cup. Add hot milk, let the tea cool, and then dissolve honey in the cup. Drink the "Bengal mixture" little by little, slowly, 4 times a day. Just a few sips of this tea - and you will feel how your throat warms up, getting rid of painful sensations.

Dry ginger can also be used as a base for warming mustard plasters: it must be diluted with warm water to a mushy state and rubbed into the skin of the feet and calves, then put on woolen socks. You can make a small cake from the same gruel and put it between the shoulder blades for 7-10 minutes. If you have sensitive skin, first lubricate your back with a rich nourishing cream.

Ginger decoction for cough

You can relieve a sore throat and cough with another remedy - a decoction of ginger root. It is very easy to prepare: pour 2 teaspoons of dry root into a saucepan and pour a glass of water. Cook for 15 minutes, no more. Cool the resulting mixture a little, because it is better to gargle with a warm decoction.

In case of sore throat, keep in mind that the proportion should be "weaker": half a teaspoon per glass of boiling water. Cooling the decoction in this case is also necessary.

Gargle 3 times during the day and 1 time before bed. Quite aggressive for a sore throat, gargling with ginger should be alternated with soothing ones, such as chamomile decoction. The finished product can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly closed with a lid. Before use, the decoction should be heated to room temperature or even slightly more. Ginger decoction can be added to herbal teas.

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How to drink ginger for cough?

Ginger for coughs must be prepared and consumed in accordance with several simple recommendations:

1. If you are preparing tea to treat colds, boil water with ginger for 10 minutes in an open container;
2. if the recipe calls for grated fresh ginger, but you only have ground dried ginger, you can determine the amount by simply dividing by 2 (for example, a tablespoon of grated fresh ginger - a teaspoon of ground ginger), and you need to heat the drink for 20 minutes on low heat;
3. in field conditions, you can brew ginger in a thermos, leaving it to infuse for several hours;
4. You should start drinking ginger tea when the first signs of a cold appear;
5. The patient is recommended to drink ginger tea only warm, in small sips; at least 3 cups should be drunk throughout the day;
6. Ginger is added to the tea at the time of brewing, after which it should be left to steep in a teapot or thermos for at least 5 minutes.

Also, remember that consuming ginger in large quantities can cause heartburn, so it is best to take it in moderation, with or after meals.

Reviews of ginger for cough

Reviews of ginger's properties for coughs are very flattering. Below are some quotes from forums about the benefits of the "miracle root".

"I got sick in India: when I went to court, I didn't have any cold medicine with me, I thought I wouldn't need it there. But nevertheless, I got pretty sick, I lost my voice. I was cured in three days with a ginger drink with lemon, honey and black pepper! This remedy gets you back on your feet very quickly, and also restores your voice. Now I'm sick too and I'm treating myself with it. I recommend it to everyone."

"I know from my mother about this method of treatment: if you have a sore throat or cough, you can put a piece of ginger root under your tongue. In the cold, it's hard to think of a better remedy than ginger tea."

"When I feel like I'm getting sick, I immediately brew ginger in a big thermos and drink a lot of it! It helps me."

“My mother, who is over 50 years old, says that her general well-being has become better, more energetic, and her general well-being has improved after the ginger root drink appeared in her life.”

"When I have a sore throat and cough, this is the only thing that saves me. I add honey and lemon to the cooled drink, because they lose their properties at temperatures above 40 degrees."

"I've recently become a real fan of ginger. It's hard to imagine, but when I first tried pickled ginger, it seemed to me that it tasted like soap. Now I eat it with pleasure, and not only with sushi. I recommend ginger tea to everyone for colds. It's elementary! I put regular black tea in a teapot. I take a little ginger root, chop it and throw it in the teapot. I brew and drink ginger for coughs, like regular tea. Very tasty and healthy!"