Home » Health Conditions » Viral Infections » Flu

Hot Drinks that your cold and flu virus don’t want you to know about

The Flu virus loves it when the temperature around it is somewhere around 90°F, as this is ideal for the virus to grow and multiply fast. However, the virus quickly gets stressed and is much less likely to replicate with such speed when its surroundings suddenly heats up. By drinking lots of hot fluids, you can effectively impair viral replication, and this is the key to helping your body overcome a viral illness. A further advantage of hot drinks to fight colds and flu is that hot fluids have a decongestant effect which can help you to relieve nasal stuffiness.

So what are the hot drinks that your colds and flu really don’t want you to know about?

According to a report by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Chamomile tea is a particularly powerful cold remedy. This hot drink elevates your hippurate levels, a substance which is a natural by-product of plant compounds and which has strong antibacterial properties. Drink this at least 3 times a day when you are ill and show your cold who is boss.

In traditional Chinese medicine, ginger is considered as the single most powerful home remedy that you can take for colds and flu. Ginger tea contains a complex of anti-viral compounds, and is simple to make – just put one full teaspoon of grated ginger into a mug of hot water, and give it 10 minutes to infuse. Dried ginger powder is even simpler and quicker; put half a teaspoon of powdered ginger into a cup and add hot water. When you have a cold or the flu, for maximum effectiveness it is recommended to drink a hot and tasty cup of ginger tea at least 3 times a day. Your cold and flu virus is guaranteed a bad time.

Chicken soup has been a favorite folk medicine for more than 800 years. It was around that time when an Egyptian physician called Moses Maimonides researched into its effects and recommended it as a cold and flu remedy. However, as more modern studies have proved, the soup’s medicinal powers to ease congestion are a result of the vegetables that are usually part of the soup, and not because of the chicken. Enjoy hot drinks before and after meals, and prepare some soup for the meal itself. Your cold will hate you!

If you really want to put your cold in its place, then possibly the most effective hot drink is garlic lemon tea. Crushed garlic releases a compound called allicin sativum, which is a natural antibiotic that fights viral and bacterial infections. It is documented that this has been used against colds and flu by various peoples for 3000 years. Combine this with the powerful properties of lemons, and you have one of the most powerful cold remedies out there. Simply boil some water, add to it a couple of cloves of chopped up garlic, and let it steep for 30 minutes, squeeze in some lemon, add some good quality honey, and treat your body to this powerful drink.

For more info on colds and flu, go to: emedicinehealth,

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.

No Responses to “Hot Drinks that your cold and flu virus don’t want you to know about”

  1. 1
    Ashley Says:
    Some good hot drink ideas here. Also I like to brew ginger in warm water with lashings of honey – its really effective. Does anyone else have any good drinks against the flu?