11 Best Teas For A Cold- Feel Better Naturally!

Are you looking for a natural home remedy to relieve common cold and flu symptoms, soothe a sore throat, lessen congestion, and help you feel better quickly?

Check out these 11 Best Teas For A Cold!

The ingredients in a warm cup of tea offer many benefits and are a tasty way to add antioxidants, vitamin C, and antimicrobial and antiviral properties that may help support the immune system.

And that’s just what you need when you’re feeling under the weather!

5 Tea Recipes For Cold & Flu Relief

Grab these FREE printable tea recipes that are perfect for when you’re feeling under the weather!

11 Best Teas For A Cold

Ready to find the best type of tea to help relieve your cold and flu symptoms? Here are 11 delicious teas to consider next time you have a sick day!

Honey, Lemon & Ginger Tea

This tea is best known for its ability to reduce nausea and ease an upset stomach. And if you’re suffering from a cold, tea made with fresh ginger, raw honey, and lemon can help clear your stuffy nose and sinuses by breaking up mucus and reducing swelling.

You can also add some cayenne pepper, maple syrup (instead of honey), a cinnamon stick, or even a shot of whiskey if you’re interested in a hot toddy.

Hot toddies aren’t usually on my list of health drinks, and I couldn’t say if it offers any health benefits, but my grandpa swears by them 😉

You can find a great honey, lemon & ginger tea recipe here.

Hibiscus Tea

Hibiscus tea is the best drink to sip when you’re feeling run down. It contains vitamin C and antioxidants that can boost your immune system and fight infections, making it ideal for fighting a cold.

Hibiscus has also been found to help with digestion, cholesterol levels, inflammation, and a variety of other things!

This delicious drink is a great choice whether you prefer a hot cup of tea or a cold one.

Interested in trying hibiscus tea? Give this recipe a try!

Rooibos Tea

Rooibos tea has immune-boosting properties that may help stimulate the production of white blood cells to increase their activity, so they can fight infection better.

It also contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that have been shown to help protect your body against colds.

Many people think Rooibos tea is best when served warm with milk and honey.

Elderberry Tea

Elderberry has been used for hundreds of years as an herbal medicine for overall health and to help alleviate the symptoms of a cold or flu. It is a great source of vitamin C and antioxidants, which can help boost your immune system to fight off the cold virus.

Delicious elderberry tea can soothe your sore throat, reduce your cough, open up congested sinuses, and relieve nasal congestion.

Need an easy elderberry tea recipe? I’ve got one right here for you!

Echinacea Tea

Echinacea tea is best known for its ability to reduce the severity and duration of cold symptoms.

This tea is popular during flu season and offers great benefits with respiratory tract infections, coughs, runny nose, sore throats, fevers, headaches, fatigue, stomach aches, toothaches, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, chills, body aches, and pain in joints.

This tea is great by itself or combined in herbal blends including herbs such as ginger, elderberry, or peppermint.

Pine Needle Tea

Pine needle tea is a great choice for immune support and its ability to break up congestion in the sinuses and lungs.

It also contains vitamin C that your body can use to fight off illness.

Researchers have discovered that steeping pine needles in hot water released shikimic acid, one of the main ingredients in the drug Tamiflu.

Ready to learn more about pine needle tea? Find all the info you need and an easy recipe here!

Elderflower Tea

Elderflower tea is best known for its ability to support your immune system, especially when you are feeling under the weather. Elderflowers contain vitamins A and C, which are best known for their ability to boost the immune system and fight infection.

Elderflower tea has been found to assist with sinus irritation, cold and flu symptoms, sore throats, bronchitis, allergy symptoms, and more!

This light, crisp flavored herbal tea is a wonderful way to help support the immune system while also promoting general health and wellness.

Get an easy elderflower tea recipe right here!

CBD Tea

CBD tea can help reduce inflammation, soothe aches and pains, ease tension headaches, relieve nausea or vomiting, decrease anxiety and depression, promote restful sleep.

In fact, in two separate studies in 2014 and 2015, it was found that CBD may help open bronchial passages and improve lung function.

In a different study researchers found that “Cannabidiol from the cannabis plant has potential to prevent and inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection“.

So CBD tea may be helpful for Covid symptoms as well.

An important thing to note– be sure to add some fat to your tea, like cream or milk because this will help the cannabinoids in CBD absorb into your body properly!

Peppermint Tea

A cup of peppermint tea can ease headaches, stomach aches, nausea or vomiting, mucus buildup in the nose and chest, sore throat, sinus congestion, coughing fits.

Peppermint contains menthol which can help reduce fever by cooling blood vessels near the skin’s surface.

Another interesting bit of info- Peppermint is best known for its ability to reduce the duration of cold symptoms. Researchers found that peppermint may improve lung function, open airways, and ease breathing during exercise in people with asthma.

Lemon Balm Tea

Lemon balm tea is best known for its ability to relax muscles, calm anxiety, reduce headaches, ease restlessness or insomnia, and improve digestion.

It also has antiviral properties that help fight off the cold virus. There have even been studies showing lemon balm can inhibit the growth of flu viruses in infected cells.

Lemon balm is also known for helping to improve memory, reduce fatigue and tension, and lessen brain fog.

Holy Basil Tea

Holy basil tea is a great choice to fight off bacterial infections and inflammations, fight stress and anxiety, prevent colds or the flu, relieve headaches, soothe muscle aches or cramps.

It also has antioxidant qualities that help fight off free radicals in the body.

Eating holy basil leaves is also known to promote heart health, detoxify your body, and prevent cancer.

FAQs About Tea For Colds

As you can see, there are many effective herbal teas for colds. But it’s best to avoid caffeine during times of illness because it only further dehydrates the body, which is already fighting to maintain fluid levels.

Still have a few questions? Here are a few commonly asked questions about the best tea for colds.

How do I best make the best herbal tea for colds?

Start by using high-quality tea and filtered water for best results. It’s different for every tea but be sure to steep between 5-15 minutes, depending on the potency you desire.

Where do I get high-quality herbal teas?

There are a few places you can try. For example, check your local health food or bulk food store, or a local tea shop in your area. If you don’t have anything like that in your area, or they can’t get what you’re looking for you can shop online at reputable places like Mountain Rose Herbs, Frontier Co-op, or Starwest Botanicals.

How often can I drink tea?

Well, that can vary depending on the tea you’re drinking. For most teas, it is safe to drink 1-3 cups a day until the cold symptoms pass. It may be safe to drink more, but you would want to consult with your health care provider to make sure it is appropriate for your situation.

What is the best way to store tea?

The best way to store tea is in an air-tight container. Keep it out of direct sunlight and preferably in a cool, dark place. The shelf life of tea can be shortened if stored improperly so make sure not to take any shortcuts when storing your herbs.

Last Thoughts About The 11 Best Teas For A Cold

As you can see, herbal teas for a cold are one of the best ways to naturally fight off a virus and feel better quickly.

All of the teas on this list are known for their antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties that work hand in hand with your immune system to help you feel better quickly!

But, as always, be sure to check with your health care provider if you have any health conditions or are on medication to make sure it is safe.