Effective Remedies for Sore Throats

Sore throats are usually due to excessive “heat” or yang chi energy. Chinese medicine looks at root causes of illness and treats the causes, not the symptoms.

Laryngitis and other throat infections, certain types of headaches, a deep red tongue and canker sores are all common manifestations of excessive “heat” or yang chi. Remove the “heat” and the throat infection will heal itself. SnowPear

For excessive yang chi, try the Chinese Tianjin xueli, translated literally as “snow pear,” or better known in the Western world as the pear apple or Japanese pear.

The Japanese variety is rounder, whiter and juicier, but less effective for our purpose.

YaPear Even more effective is the yali or ya pear, which is also very “cooling” and therefore will help remove the “heat” or yang chi and thus, any resulting throat infection.

However, for some people, especially women and the elderly, it is too “cooling”. Especially when eaten in large quantities at night, it can cause diarrhea, cramping, dry cough with transparent phlegm and frequent urination.

Nevertheless, it is because of its “cooling” quality that it can provide instant soothing relief for sore throats.

For all kinds of throat infections, including laryngitis, caused by excessive “heat” or yang chi, drink luohankuo herbal tea. Not to be confused with the southeast Asian mangosteen, you can buy the dried Chinese mangosteen fruit in your local Chinatown herbal store. Better known by its Chinese name luohankuo or luohan guo (meaning “Arhat fruit”), it is less sometimes translated as monk fruit or goes by its Latin name Siraitia grosvenorii.

Honeysuckle The fresh luohankuo is also available in some markets that sell imported fruit. However, you want the dried one.

Crush the entire fruit into small pieces (including shell and seed), and add boiling water to steep for one or two minutes before drinking. To get more out of the fruit, you can bring to boil and let simmer for a few minutes before consuming.One fruit can last for two or three steepings. Drink as much of this until the infection disappears. It is supposed to be 300 times sweeter than sugar and is often used as a low calorie sweetener, as well as in Chinese medicine. It has a rich sweet flavor, not unpleasant to taste. Depending on the severity, you might have to consume this beverage for one to a few days

For added effectiveness, you can add equal amounts of honeysuckle and chrysanthemum to your luohankuo tea.Both of these flowers make good herbal teas in hemselves, and when added to mangosteen, also have the “cooling effect” that will soothe and heal sore throats and infections.

My mother, from whom I acquired most of my herbal knowledge, grows her own honeysuckle that she dries and keeps alongside her other herbs and Chinese medicine.

If you live in a region that has a temperate or subtropical climate, you can grow many of the herbal flowers and other ingredients yourself. If not, these ingredients should be readily available in your local Chinatown herbal stores.

So even though sore throats may not be a thing of the past, at least you can say goodbye to them much more quickly with these herbal beverages!

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