Herbal Remedies to Combat Cold and Cough
In recent days, Guangzhou has turned colder suddenly, causing many people to catch colds with symptoms such as headache, fever, sneezing, and coughing.
Here are several dietary remedies helpful in eliminating colds and coughs:
Bai He Li (Lily and Pear)
Use 15 grams of lily, 1 pear, and 15 grams of rock sugar. Steam together for 2 hours. It clears heat, moistens lungs, stops coughing, and promotes urination and defecation. Used for colds and coughs.
Chuan Bei Li (Sichuan贝 and Pear)
Use one large fresh pear, peel and core it, insert 3 grams of Fritillaria bulb, cover, steam in a bowl over water for 1–2 hours. Drink the soup and eat the pear daily. Used for colds and coughs. Fritillaria moistens the lungs, stops coughing, dissolves phlegm, and disperses nodules. Pharmacological studies show that total alkaloids and non-alkaloids in Fritillaria have significant antitussive and expectorant effects in experimental mice. Pears generate body fluids, moisten dryness, clear heat, and resolve phlegm, used for lung heat cough.
Pear, Fritillaria, and White Chrysanthemum Soup
One snow pear, remove the core and slice; 3 grams each of Fritillaria, Platycodon, and white chrysanthemum. Boil in water, filter out residue, add appropriate ice sugar, and drink. Used for cough associated with bronchitis. Platycodon has a bitter and pungent taste, neutral nature. Functions include promoting lung function, relieving sore throat, expelling phlegm, and draining abscesses. Research shows platycodon enhances immunity, has anti-inflammatory effects, and aids expectoration and cough suppression. White chrysanthemum has a sweet and bitter taste, slightly cold nature. Functions include dispelling wind-heat, clearing the liver, brightening eyesight, used for wind-heat common cold. Chrysanthemum preparations have been proven to have anti-inflammatory effects.
Apricot Kernel, Ginger, and Radish Soup
10 grams of apricot kernels, 3 slices of ginger, 60 grams of white radish. Boil in water and take orally. Used for colds and coughs. Apricot kernels are bitter, slightly warm, mildly toxic. Function: descend qi, stop coughing and wheezing, moisten intestines and relieve constipation. Used for cough and shortness of breath. Ginger releases exterior, dispels cold, removes dampness, promotes urination, and expels phlegm. White radish is sweet and pungent, neutral in nature, non-toxic. Descends qi, aids digestion, eliminates phlegm, moistens lungs, treats cough and asthma. Contains allyl isothiocyanate and amylase, which stimulate appetite and aid digestion. Lignin in radish enhances immune function.
Coriander and Ginger Decoction
9 grams of coriander, 3 slices of fresh ginger, small amount of brown sugar. Boil to extract juice and drink. Used for colds and coughs. Coriander has a pungent, warm nature, can induce sweating and aid digestion. Vitamin A precursor in coriander leaves prevents vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A enhances immunity and greatly increases resistance to colds.