Not all cough drops are made equal, but they can be a useful tool for relieving the discomfort of a persistent cough or sore throat. Yes, there are some drops that, when combined with honey or cooling mint, work wonders for sore throats, but they're also frequently loaded with sugar.
Some cough drops contain medications that might not be as beneficial as they should be. When taken in excess, the common medication found in cough drops, menthol, may cause an increase in heart rate.
Your best bet is to stick to natural remedies when you’re trying to fight a cold. A homemade recipe is the perfect alternative to store bought cough drops. It’s cheap, easy and you have complete control over what goes into them!
No more scary ingredients you can’t pronounce or unnecessary sugar you don’t need. Follow these simple instructions to make all-natural, organic cough drops of your very own.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 – Cups filtered water
2 – Cups of Organic Honey
5 – Teaspoon of herbs – use one teaspoon of each – slippery elm, chamomile, eucalyptus leaves, licorice root, and mullein.
Tools:
• candy thermometer
• candy mold
• medium saucepan
• fine mesh strainer
• waxed paper
• parchment paper
If you’d like, you can add flavorings like cinnamon or lemon rind to punch up the flavor. You can also add a bit of natural food color, like beet powder if you want to make them more fun.
Procedure:
Using a medium saucepan, take 2 1/2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Add in all 5 teaspoons of herbs and make sure to keep stirring the mixture. You don’t want your herbs to burn. Keep stirring until the herbs have boiled down. It will require a minimum of 15 minutes to extract the medicinal properties.
Take your herb water mixture and pour it through a fine, mesh strainer. Pour the remaining mixture back into the saucepan and add in the 2 cups of honey.
Bring the mixture to a boil and put in your candy thermometer. Keep boiling and stirring until the thermometer reaches 300 degrees.
Poor the mixture into silicon candy mold and let it cool. Once you can touch the cough drops without getting burned, form them into balls and let them cool off on parchment paper, this will take a few hours.
If you’re finding the balls are a little too sticky you can dust them with organic rice flour. Once they’re cooled, wrap them up individually in waxed paper and taa-da! You’ve made yourself a healthy, safe alternative to beat your cold!
Keep the drops in a tight sealed container and they should last you as long as you need them.
These drops are great for sore throats, coughs and congestion, and the whole process shouldn’t take longer than an hour.
They can also make thoughtful gifts for someone who isn’t feeling well, bring them into your office this time of year and you’ll be everyone’s new best friend!
Sources:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/552212-the-effect-cough-drops-have-on-the-heart-rate/
http://www.healthy.net/Health/Article/Treatment_of_Coughs_With_Herbal_Remedies/774