Your Aunt Was Right: The Hot Toddy Is the Cure for the Common Cold (2024)

FAQs

Your Aunt Was Right: The Hot Toddy Is the Cure for the Common Cold? ›

Yes. The alcohol can help clear mucus by dilating blood vessels in the upper body. The steam from the hot water might also help to clear congestion. Whiskey might also cause drowsiness, helping you to get more rest.

A hot toddy contains several ingredients that may be able to reduce cold symptoms, such as lemon, honey, and hot water. Adding spices, such as ginger, to a hot toddy may also have benefits. There is, however, no evidence to suggest that alcohol can help with the symptoms.

Whiskey is an effective decongestant. The alcohol dilates the blood vessels. The steam from the hot beverages works with the decongestant benefits of the alcohol and makes it easier for the mucus membranes to deal with nasal congestion. Whiskey can also relieve aching muscles and soothe a sore throat.

Still, a hot, spicy drink like the toddy may help if you're sick. The spices stimulate saliva, helping a sore throat, and the lemon and honey will stimulate mucus, she writes, citing Ron Eccles, director of the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University.

Myth: Alcohol's decongestant properties can help treat cold symptoms. Alcohol is rumored to work as a decongestant, but actually, the reverse is true. Small amounts of alcohol can cause vasodilation — a widening of blood vessels — which can worsen a runny nose or congestion.

For boosted immunity and/or sickness relief, try making lemon-ginger-cinnamon tea or a hot toddy. To make the immune-boosting tea, simply squeeze half a lemon into a mug and add the lemon rind. Add one or two cinnamon sticks and five slices of peeled ginger root.

Drink Ginger Tea

This compound reduces inflammation in your mucus membranes, making this the best tea for sinus infection relief. Ginger also contains antihistamines and other compounds that can control allergic reactions and may speed healing. Other teas can help, too, including those with basil and peppermint.

From a hot toddy, lemon and honey coat the throat and cut through the unpleasant mucus lingering in the head; cinnamon offers sweet warmth to the beverage, and the bourbon takes a more aggressive approach in combatting congestion.

You need plenty of fluids, but steer clear of co*cktails, wine, and beer.

Best consumed in small doses and infrequently, Hot Toddies can only be served as as medicine to those 21 and over, should not replace a medical professional's advice, and are best followed by a tall glass of water, some herbal tea, and plenty of rest and TLC.

Which whiskey is best for hot toddy? ›

Irish Whiskey: Known for its smoothness and light sweetness, brands like Jameson and Bushmills blend well without overpowering the other ingredients. Bourbon: With its rich, vanilla, and caramel notes, bourbon like Maker's Mark or Woodford Reserve adds depth and complements the honey and lemon in the toddy.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the value of consuming Palm Toddy in moderation to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases are less likely to occur when a Palm Toddy is consumed. Neera contains potassium, which can decrease blood pressure and improve heart health.

It's best to avoid citrus fruits, sweets and sugary foods, spicy foods, fried and fatty foods, dairy products, alcohol, caffeinated drinks, and crunchy snacks during a cold or cough. Can we eat banana during cough? Yes, it's fine to eat bananas during a cough.

Symptoms of a cold tend to be mild. You may have a runny nose, cough, congestion, and sore throat. But you won't usually have the aches and fever that are common with COVID-19 and flu. Often, you'll feel better in a couple of days.

Hot toddies are reported to help reduce cold symptoms, although you really don't want to overdo it on the whiskey. Your body needs to heal, and the simple combination of warm water, honey and lemon combined can work wonders. Alcohol doesn't mix well with over-the-counter and prescription medications.

With the goal of consuming the alcohol, any evaporated alcohol is a small affront to the holiday season. But fear not, hot cider, hot toddy, and mulled wine lovers: Around 85 percent of your beloved alcohol will survive the heating process.

Brandy, with its warming properties, is often considered a traditional remedy for cold symptoms. When consumed in moderation, brandy can help relax the muscles, providing relief from the aches and pains associated with a cold. Yes, you should drink a lot of water.

“You should not drink alcohol when you have a cold,” says Dr. Robert Segal, Co-Founder of LabFinder. “Your immune system is already weakened when you are sick. Adding alcohol to that equation can only prolong the process of getting better.”