There are many spices and foods that are used in Ayurveda to treat cough, such as almond, turmeric, onion, ginger, garlic, black pepper, honey, milk and ghee (butter).
1. Almond, Honey and Ghee
– Almonds 8-9
– Honey 1 tablespoon
– Ghee (butter) 1/2 tablespoon
– Make them into a paste
– Consume it 3 times a day for 3 days
– This remedy is said to cure dry cough
2. Turmeric, Honey or Milk
Recipe 1 – Turmeric and honey:
– Turmeric powder 1 tablespoon
– Honey 1 tablespoon
– Take them 3 times a day
Recipe 2 – Turmeric and milk:
– Turmeric powder 2 teaspoons
– Milk 1 cup
– Heat milk warm, add turmeric powder, mix well and drink it
– 3 times a day
3. Onion and Honey
Take 3-4 onions, chop them into small pieces. Extract the juice from the chopped onions and store it in a bottle or cup. Mix the juice with honey to make a cough syrup.
– Onion juice 2 teaspoons
– Honey 2 teaspoons
– Lemon Juice 2 teaspoons (optional)
– Mix them well, leave for 5 hours, then give it to the patient
– 1 teaspoon per time, 3 times a day
4. Ginger and Garlic
– Fresh ginger (cut into very small pieces) 1 tablespoon
– Garlic 3 cloves (cut into small pieces)
– Boil ginger for 5 minutes
– Add garlic and boil for 1-2 more minutes
– Strain and pour to a cup
– Add some honey and lemon juice (optional)
– Drink it, 3 times a day
5. Black Pepper, Milk and Honey
Recipe 1 – Black Pepper and Milk:
– Black pepper powder 1/2 teaspoon
– Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon (optional)
– Milk 1/2 – 1 cup
– Heat milk warm
– Add black pepper (and turmeric), mix well and drink it
– 3 times a day
Recipe 2 – Black Pepper and Honey:
– Black pepper 1/2 teaspoon
– Honey 1 tablespoon
– Take it 3 times a day
Please note, in the above five remedies, the first one (using almonds) is to use for dry coughs. The other four remedies all are using hot spices – turmeric, onion, ginger, garlic or black pepper. As you may know that, hot spices have warming and drying properties, they are effective to open chest, dry up fluids and remove mucous in the respiratory system, thus they are good for treating wet coughs. Adding honey, milk, lemon and ghee to the hot spices is to moderate (balance) their warming and drying effects – avoid the side effects of “too hot” and “too dry”. Because honey, milk, and ghee have cooling and moisturizing properties, and lemon has cooling and calming properties. So for treating a cough that is not “dry” or “wet”, using a hot spice mixed with honey or milk can be effective. You may adjust the amount of honey, lemon and spices according to the wet/dry condition of the cough. If too “wet”, reduce honey, lemon and milk, if too “dry”, add more.
It is recommended to try the above remedies for 3 days. If no effect, then stop it. If you suffer from a cough for more than two weeks, you should visit your doctor as it may be caused by a severe disease. The above remedies should be only used for a common cough.
For more information about natural remedies for cough, go to Natural Remedies Center: http://www.naturalremediescenter.com/treat/cough/
