10 Best Natural Remedies for Soothing a Sore Throat

Turmeric

Posted by Ellen D. (USA) on 01/10/2008
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Turmeric: An Indian friend of mine gave me a recipe for sore throat, colds, flu, sinusitis: Take about a teaspoonful of turmeric powder, a teaspoon full of grated fresh ginger (or equivalent of dried ginger powder), a pinch of ground black pepper, honey or sugar to taste, and put it into about half a cup of water and bring to a boil. Then add about half a cup of milk, heat to just below boiling point, and drink the mixture slowly, while hot. I also supplement this treatment by inhaling steam and keeping a hot water bottle on my head, throat or chest. I used to have colds that lasted two weeks; now I can get over them within three days.

Hot Sauce

Posted by Bob (Monroe, LA) on 12/31/2007
★★★★★

I didn't have any Tabasco but I had some habanero sauce. I swallowed a spoon full and my sore throat ceased immediately. I'm sweating a little from the heat of the sauce but it is a welcome relief from my sore throat.

Vinegar, Salt, Pepper

Posted by Elizabeth (Orangeville, Canada) on 11/30/2007
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I mix salt, black pepper and vinegar together. The salt helps to dry up phlegm, the black pepper appears to cling to lose phlegm and pulls it out and the vinegar appears to kill the germs. Mix together in a strength you can handle (you can mix in warm water if vinegar is too strong) and gargle about a half a cup for the first time then again before bed or if throat bothers you during the day. It's a very old remedy my mom used on me as a child.

Vinegar

Posted by Ryan Preston (Leicester, England, UK) on 11/09/2007
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I can't really give much of a different song here, but what I done to cure my unbearable sore throat and runny nose (I'm still doing it) is by mixing up a concoction of malt vinegar (ACV is hard to get here), honey, lemon juice and water. That, within the last 10 mins of commencing this note has soothed my throat a lot. Now, to cure the runny noise, I made myself hot tea (NO MILK) and added honey and lemon juice, I mixed, then drank whilst it was hot. The runny nose problem is virtually abundant. And the sore throat should be, too. So... hot water, lemon juice, vinegar and honey do the trick!

Chicken Soup

Posted by Nick (Poughkeepsie, NY) on 10/21/2007
★★★★★

A good remedy for sore throat is a hot bowl of chicken broth. One bowl is usually enough but for more serious strep throat two. chicken noodle soup works best for kids.

Chicken Soup

Posted by Joe (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) on 12/30/2008
★★★★★

Chicken broth works like magic! 2 Thumbs up!

Corn Liquor and Lemon Juice

Posted by Margaret (Andrews, north carolina) on 10/01/2007
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OK, I've not gotten around to trying any of the remedies posted on this site, nor have I looked at ALL of them. But I do have a temporary cure for soothing a sore throat that I would like to share. I have a sore throat right now, now I was trying something that I have to get rid of it. What I did was this:

2 table spoons of corn liquor
1 table spoon pure lemon juice (mine was freshly squeezed).

Mix the corn liquor and lemon juice for about thirty seconds so it is well blended. Down half of it, wait fifteen seconds and down the other half. the taste, unless you like the liquor or lemon juice is horrible, but it numbs te pain almost immediately and depending on how quiet you are able to stay depends on how long it works. For me, I had to start getting after my kids and it got kinda loud so it only worked 15 to 20 minutes. I'd try some more but my tolerance for alcohol is really low and corn liquor is the strongest I've ever drank. I hope my remedy works for others though, I don't recommend any one using it for kids.

Tomato Paste

Posted by Ninorine (Tampa, Florida) on 09/21/2007
★★★★★

An old family remedy that has been in my family for years is to boil four tomatoes with a teaspoon of salt until cooked then mash them up to form a paste. Then apply this paste to your neck area and quickly rap your neck around with warm moist towels, then lay down for thirty minutes. If you have a vaporizer place it near your head. This should clear your sore throat in about two day. The remaining juice from the tomatoe paste can be used as a soothing throat drink mixture, be sure to add a hint of salt. It works like a charm. Most say it works best on children.

Honey

Posted by Karla (Cleveland, OH) on 08/30/2007
★★★★★

I know I can remember reading about taking honey for a sore throat but can't remember where I read it. When I'm in a situation where I can't gargle, I take a teaspoon of honey for instant relief for a sore throat. The effects generally last for several hours.

Zinc

Posted by Lucy (Athens, GA) on 08/07/2007
★★★★★

No mention of it anywhere. For shame. I found that cure here and now its no where to be found ACV sounds aweful. But really zinc powder in the back of the throat has relieved the worst cases of sore throat I have ever had consistently.

Vinegar

Posted by Patricia (Port Dover, canada) on 08/02/2007
★★★★★

I JUST SHOT A MOUTHFUL OF MALT VINEGAR INTO MY MOUTH FROM THE BOTTLE AND VOILA THE PAIN IS NEARLY GONE.. I READ SOMEWHERE YEARS AGO THAT IT GOES AFTER THE BACTERIA IN THE INFECTION..NOT SURE IF THATS TRUE BUT IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM!! give it a try..and vinegar really!! the first ten seconds are pretty intense but it is worth it.

Soup

Posted by Joe (Congleton, england) on 07/13/2007
★★★★★

I got back from college with a sore throat and found your site and so i used some of the recipes like the Miso soup and garlic one (eugh) and just blitzing it with these cures proved amazing results! Thanks!!

Hot Sauce

Posted by Barb (phila, pa) on 07/11/2007
★★★★★

I fill a spray bottle with cayenne and water/honey/lemon, and I don't have the problem of burning lips, mouth etc. I squirt it down my throat (i'm using an old Cloraseptic bottle), and I avoid that unpleasant feeling in and around my mouth.

Epsom Salt

Posted by Lena (Seattle, Washington) on 06/24/2007
★★★★★

Epsom salt foot baths really work for sore throats. Soak your feet in a tub of water with about a cup of epsom salts, hot as you can stand for about 20 mins. Then dry your feet and put on two pairs of socks, woollen socks if you have them over a pair of thin cotton socks and go to bed. Each time I've done this my sore throat is gone by morning. Persistent sore throats can return though, so it's good to do the cayenne pepper gargle/ACV cayenne tea during the day if it comes back, and the espsom salt footbath at night before bed.

Mouthwash

Posted by KIM (LAS COLINAS, TEXAS) on 05/14/2007
★★★★★

SORE THROAT REMEDY EITHER TRY A SHOT OF BACARDI 151 OR SWALLOW A BIT OF LISTERINE EVERY FEW HOURS THIS HELPS EASE A SORE THROAT.

Mouthwash

Posted by 1kennb (Long Island, Ny) on 03/03/2012
★★★★★

Acknowledging the fact that it could be bacterial or viral, I needed to try something quick last night and checked out the many suggestions on this site. Not having many of the ingredients to some "cures, " I tried the warm salt water two different times to no avail. I then tried gargling (do NOT swallow! ) Equate (Walmart) "anticavity mouthwash" (active ingredient: sodium fluoride.0221%) before going to bed. Woke up with no pain at all, feeling much better. Used same twice today with very slight soreness persisting when swallowing but much better than it's been. If it gets worse or doesn't go away, will see a doctor this week.

Mouthwash

Posted by 1kennb (Long Island, Ny) on 03/05/2012
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A follow up: after only a couple of days of gargling with mouthwash (Equate anticavity) only a few times a day, the sore throat is gone and hasn't come back for two days now. Just sayin'...