This Is the Very Best Tea to Brew if You Have a Sore Throat, According to an ENT Doctor
No matter if your sore throat's from a viral infection (like the cold or flu), a bacterial infection (like strep throat), or allergies, a warm cup of tea can help soothe it all. Of course, it's also important to talk with your doctor for proper treatment, but in the meantime, sipping tea can offer relief.
- Brad DeSilva, MD, otolaryngologist at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
- Shawn Nasseri, MD, Harvard Medical School- and Mayo Clinic-trained ear, nose, and throat specialist
Here's a list of our favorite types of tea for a sore throat, plus when to see a doctor if the throat pain just won't budge.
What tea is the best for a sore throat?
"Warm teas cause the vessels of the throat and the muscles to open and relax more, thereby soothing the sore throat," Shawn Nasseri, MD, Harvard Medical School- and Mayo Clinic-trained ENT and allergy expert. Choosing a warm tea, he says, will be more soothing than reaching for a cold ice-pop because it will feel more comforting and help the throat muscles to relax more. "Icy drinks can sometimes cause throat spasms which definitely don't feel comforting," he says.
If you're on certain prescription medications, talk to your doctor before trying any herbal remedies or teas. Some herbs may negatively interact with the meds you're taking, and cause unwanted side effects. Your doctor can help figure out which blend is safest for you.
Here are the best teas to try for a sore throat:
Licorice root tea
While any warm tea can feel soothing on your sore throat, research points to one particular kind that's especially healing: licorice root. An old 2003 double-blinded randomized controlled study in BMJ found that tea made primarily from licorice root was more effective a minimizing pain than a placebo, which tasted similar.
The reason it's so good? "Licorice root contains glycyrrhizin, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may help soothe a sore throat," says Brad DeSilva, MD, an otolaryngologist at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Dr. Nasseri also says licorice has natural antiviral and antimicrobial properties, which could help with throat pain. "It soothes and coats a sore throat and can help to improve the symptoms of phlegm and mucus in the throat and lungs," he says.
But Dr. Nasseri emphasizes that you don't want to overdo it. "The Food and Drug Administration recommends no more than two to four ounces of licorice root per day as it can have a variety of side effects if overdosed," he says.
Chamomile tea
If you don't like the taste of licorice, chamomile tea is a great option. It's made from the chamomile flower and has a light, slightly fruity taste. While people often drink it to help them relax, go to sleep, or calm an upset stomach, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it can also be used to calm an itchy, sore throat.
An article in Molecular Medicine Reports suggests that chamomile can help with a sore throat and hoarseness by lubricating the throat. It also says that chamomile has anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce throat swelling that you may get from things like the common cold or flu.
We like Traditional Medicinals Chamomile and Lavender Tea or FullChea Chamomile Tea Bags.
Slippery Elm
The inner bark of the slippery elm tree is processed and made into tea specifically to help with sore throat and GI issues. The herbal remedy also be found in lozenge or capsule form. Medical experts think it works for sore throats because it stimulates mucus and saliva production, which may alleviate any soreness, dryness, and even ulcers on the esophagus, per the National Library of Medicine.
This tea has a mildly sweet, earthy taste that many people liken to maple flavor. Traditional Medicinals' Throat Coat blend with slippery elm or Organic Slippery Elm Loose Leaf Tea from Full Leaf Tea Co. are good choices.
Cardamom tea
This is one of Dr. Nasseri's favorites. While there's not much current research around cardamom for a sore throat, there are older findings to suggest the spice's antioxidants have an anti-inflammatory effect, which may help to relieve swelling and pain in your throat and sinuses. Cardamom has a warm, earthy flavor and is used in several tea blends, desserts, and other dishes. You can often find it in chai tea mixes, or blended with black tea (which, keep in mind, does contain caffeine).
Try Ahmad Tea's Cardamom Tea blend or QuikTea Cardamom Instant Chai Tea Latte.
Mint tea
Peppermint is a tried-and-true flavor for a multitude of ailments. The herb is best known for its indigestion and anti-nausea benefits, but it can also help with a few cold symptoms, too, including a sore throat. The menthol in peppermint can open up your sinuses and also works as a decongestant, which can help if you're dealing with something called post-nasal drip (i.e., mucus that drains at the back of your throat and leads to irritation), per UCHealth.
You can find all sorts of peppermint tea varieties, or opt for peppermint-infused cough drops, candies, or other mint-flavored foods. Even sniffing peppermint essential oil has been shown to help relieve the effects of sore throat and fatigue, particularly while recovering from viruses like COVID-19, per an October 2023 study in Integrative Medicine Research.
We recommend trying Twinnings Pure Peppermint tea bags or Taylors of Harrogate Organic Peppermint Herbal Tea.
Echinacea tea
Touted for its immune-supporting properties, echinacea is a flower that's been used in natural medicine for ages, to help people get over the common cold. While there isn't much research regarding whether echinacea can actually shorten or stop a cold, there may be some benefits to taking echinacea to prevent them, per the NIH.
It may not directly help your sore throat, but sipping echinacea tea when you feel a cold coming on could help tamp down your symptoms. Plus, a good cup of hot tea is always a soothing go-to. (Although you may want to add some honey to it because echinacea can be bitter.)
Pukka Elderberry & Echinacea tea or Traditional Medicinals Organic Echinacea Plus are good picks.
When to see a doctor about a sore throat
Most sore throats from a virus will go away within five days or so. But if in that time you develop a fever of 101 degrees or higher, have white patches on your throat, or difficulty breathing, this could be a sign you have an infection that needs to be treated with antibiotics. In that case, it's best to get in to see your doctor ASAP, per UCLA Health.
Other concerning symptoms that warrant a trip to the doctor include the following, per UCLA Health:
- Pain when swallowing
- Red or swollen tonsils
- Small, red spots on the roof of your mouth
- Blood in saliva or phlegm
- Other strep throat symptoms
While you are getting treated with medications, using natural remedies to ease symptoms—like hot tea—can be really helpful.
- “Herbal tea helps reduce the pain of acute pharyngitis.” BMJ : British Medical Journal vol. 327,7417 (2003): 0.
- Srivastava, Janmejai K et al. “Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future.” Molecular medicine reports vol. 3,6 (2010): 895-901. doi:10.3892/mmr.2010.377
- Conner, E M, and M B Grisham. “Inflammation, free radicals, and antioxidants.” Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) vol. 12,4 (1996): 274-7. doi:10.1016/s0899-9007(96)00000-8
- Kang, Hye-Young et al. “Effects of aromatherapy on sore throat, nasal symptoms and sleep quality in adults infected with COVID-19: A randomized controlled trial.” Integrative medicine research vol. 12,4 (2023): 101001. doi:10.1016/j.imr.2023.101001
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