Sore Throat & Cough Syrup Recipe

This is an easy recipe to make a surprisingly tasty syrup with ingredients that are commonly found in your pantry. The syrup coats your throat while supporting your immune system to fight off infections. The three ingredients all have immune enhancing benefits. Garlic contains alliin, a compound shown to have antimicrobial benefits against bacteria, viruses, and fungus. In order for alliin to be released, garlic has to be crushed which is why the directions specify smashing the garlic. Research has shown that garlic can shorten the length of illness and decrease the severity of illness. Onions contain many immune supporting antioxidants such as zinc, vitamin C, and selenium. In addition, onions contain quercetin which is a potent anti-inflammatory and antihistamine. Another benefit of quercetin is that it is a zinc ionophore, so it helps to get zinc inside cells to implement its anti-viral properties. Honey has superpowers due to its various medicinal benefits. It is high in antioxidants and has antimicrobial properties against bacteria, fungus, and viruses. Research has shown that it can work as a cough suppressant and can be as effective as over the counter cough medications that contain dextromethorphan. I encourage you to try this tasty and effective syrup. This should be a go-to intervention for your family if symptoms are presenting with sore throat or a cough.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 1 cup of raw local honey

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place chopped onion and smashed garlic into a bowl

2. Pour in one cup of raw local honey and cover onion and garlic

3. Cover bowl

4. Leave for 8-12 hours

5. Strain liquid from the onions and garlic

6. Refrigerate liquid for up to 2 weeks

DOSAGE:

• 1 tablespoon 3-4x/day while symptoms persist for adults
• 1 teaspoon 3x/day while symptoms persist for children over the age of 12 months

** Do not give syrup to infants under the age of 12 months due to risk of botulism **

REFERENCES

1. Goldman RD. Honey for treatment of cough in children. Can Fam Physician. 2014;60(12):1107-1110.

2. Josling P. Preventing the common cold with a garlic supplement: a double-blind, placebo-controlled survey. Adv Ther. 2001 Jul-Aug;18(4):189-93. doi: 10.1007/BF02850113. PMID: 11697022.