Let’s talk about natural sore throat remedies. A sore throat lets you know that your body’s immune system is not only working hard but having a difficult time fighting off an underlying sickness. Your body is more capable of fighting off whatever nature throws at it if you are taking a few simple steps to strengthen your immune system.

Discover The Best Natural Sore Throat Remedies

Fortunately, some natural remedies for a sore throat can help relieve your pain while strengthening your immune system.

So let’s get into some home remedies for sore throats

If you are suffering from a sore throat, the natural solutions outlined in this article are the top seven ways to treat most sore throats.

Sore Throat Remedy #1: Salt Water

You may recall from your childhood days your mother making you gargle salt water when you had a sore throat. Although it may have seemed like pure torture (or some quack placebo, in hindsight) at the time, this remedy involves some sage advice. Salt water has a few unique properties which can relieve the swollen mucous membranes that are causing your sore throat.

The physical action of gargling the water causes inflammation to go down, which can help to relieve the pain you experience when you have a sore throat.  A benefit of the salt – if you use sea salt – is that it can extract mucous containing harmful microbes and allergens that may contribute to your illness and weaken your immune system. It also can also decrease pain – as described by the mayo clinic. (1)

For even more effective gargling, add a teaspoon of birch xylitol, which can alleviate the biofilm in which illness-causing bacteria, thereby assisting your immune system in fighting off sickness.

2. Antiviral Dieting

If you are suffering from a sore throat that has been caused by a virus, even antibiotics cannot cure what ails you. A carefully designed antiviral diet, however, can help. Perhaps unsurprisingly, sugar is the main thing that nourishes viruses (and bacteria alike), so limiting the amount of sugary foods you eat when you are sick can strengthen your immune system.

Although it is always best to consult with your health care provider before starting any diet plan, switching to a paleo diet can help you to avoid sugars as well as other allergens, such as soy, nuts, and gluten.  The main thing to keep in mind is that your antiviral diet will have to avoid fruit, as most of those nummy foods contain high quantities of sugar. In either case you should be limiting the amount of sugar you’re consuming on a daily basis. One teaspoon is equal to four grams of sugar… (2)

3. Probiotics

Because many sore throats have bacterial causes, it is advisable to consume some hearty quantities of probiotics.

A great probiotic to help alleviate the bacterial causes of sore throats is coconut kefir. Dairy-free coconut kefir is preferable for treating a sore throat. Be careful when using dairy kefir because dairy can cause further bacterial coating of the throat. Coconut kefir is also more hydrating than dairy, which in turn supports your immune system more effectively.

4. Mucilage

Flax and chia, as well as marshmallow and licorice roots, are all herbal foods that can cause a mucilage effect to occur when soaked in water. Creating, for example, a tea from a blend of these herbs will not only taste delicious, but it will soothe the inflammation in your throat and likely fight the virus that may be causing your sore throat.

5. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has many healthful properties. Other than regulating blood sugar levels, apple cider vinegar is one of the most effective natural sore throat remedies. (3) It is one of the best home remedies for sore throat. Long thought of as a remedy for various conditions such as diabetes and acnes, apple cider vinegar can also be used as a natural remedy for a sore throat. The electrolytes and probiotics contained in apple cider vinegar are antibacterial in nature, which can help to alleviate your symptoms. Apple cider vinegar is, however, acidic so the best advice is to dilute it in water, to not burn your already sore throat. If you take the extra step of warming up the vinegar, though, the mixture can have a soothing effect as well as help to eliminate mucous.

6. Herbal Remedies

Some common herbs can help to relieve your sore throat as well. It’s almost like they were meant to be natural sore throat remedies. Herbs happen to be one of the best home remedies for strep throat. Herbs such as cinnamon, cloves, and ginger have anti-inflammatory properties as well as anti-bacterial ones. Try making yourself a hot tea with herbs such as these. As part of an antiviral diet, you will likely see relief for your sore throat more quickly.

7. Sleep and Relaxation

A good night’s rest can work wonders for all sorts of ailments. One good night of sweet dreams and very few sheep to count can absolutely qualify as one of the best natural sore throat remedies. A sore throat is no exception to this general rule.  Your body does its restorative work while you sleep and you should give it the chance to do so the next time you have a sore throat. Although you may have to sleep by day, if you work the graveyard shift, night sleep has been shown to be the best form of rest, so a solid seven or eight hours of rest at night is ideal.

Relaxation can also help relieve a sore throat. The most important thing to rest, of course, when you have a sore throat, is your vocal cords. If you have a job that involves lots of public speaking, this can be hard to do. To plan ahead, if you have sick days, take them when you have a sore throat. Whether viral or bacterial in nature. Talking on the phone more than is necessary can also put additional strain on your throat. It’s a good idea to try to limit the amount of time you spend talking to your friends and loved ones while you have a sore throat.

You owe it to your throat to give your vocal cords a chance to heal. Start using these natural sore throat remedies.

Conclusion

We are all afflicted with sore throats from time to time. However, as the above list tells you, there are (thankfully) some natural remedies that you can undertake to help your throat heal faster. Ideally, even when you do not have a sore throat and are not sick you can consume some natural herbs and probiotic-enriched foods, while limiting sugar intake, to help strengthen your immune system. A healthy immune system stems from good diet and lifestyle choices. Check our full list of recommendations for a healthier life for more tips on maintaining a strong immune system.