Ask Dr Xiang Jun: What to Eat When You Have Sore Throat

Sore throat is when you have pain, irritation and scratchiness in the throat. The discomfort is worsened especially during swallowing or talking.  

Depending on the area of the throat that is affected, sore throat can be divided into 3 types, namely: pharyngitis which presents as redness and swelling in the throat, tonsilitis which is the swelling and redness in the tonsils at the back of the mouth and laryngitis which is the swelling and redness of the voice box.

Sore throat usually is caused by infections or environmental factors such as dry air, allergies, smoke, chemicals or even other illnesses such as gastroesophageal reflux and tumours.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, sore throat can be due to colds and flus which can be divided into Wind-Cold and Wind-Heat syndromes or can be due to weakening of body resulting in Qi deficiency or Yin deficiency which can also show up symptoms of sore throat.

Read my other article on What is Pu Zua Dialect term for Heatiness.

For relief of sore throat, the root cause of the sore throat needs to be diagnosed and addressed. However there are also simple food and diet therapies that can bring ease to sore throat symptoms first.

Here are some of the foods according to Science and Traditional Chinese Medicine that may be able to help:


Watch my video on What to Eat When You Have Sore Throat on my Youtube or Instagram.


pear

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, pear has the quality of clearing heat, moistening and clearing phlegm from the Lungs.

We can cook and steam the pear and make it into a soup to help strengthen the Lungs, prevent colds and coughs, and speed up the healing of sore throat.



watermelon

Watermelon is packed full of fluid and vitamins. In Traditional Chinese Medicine this can help to nourish Yin which will aid in the healing of sore throat. According to Science, watermelon contains an antioxidant called lycopene which is a powerful compound for reducing respiratory inflammation and fending off infections.

oldenlandia water

The herb Oldenlandia is used to clear heat from the body and remove toxins. Its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial qualities make it especially helpful in treating illnesses such as sore throats, urinary tract infections, toxic sores and swellings on the skin.

However due to its highly cooling properties, it is advisable not to overconsume the water made from the herb which is said that leg cramps can be one of the presentations from being too cooling for the body.

Loquat fruit

Loquat fruit has the herbal properties of moistening the Lungs, directing Qi downwards, clearing Heat and Phlegm, harmonizing Stomach and soothing Skin. It is often made into cough syrups to ease sore throat and coughs associated with bronchitis.

TCM(Traditional Chin Med), TCM Wellness, Basics of TCM, TCM and ScienceXiang Jun LimDr (TCM) Xiang Juntcm, acupuncture, herbs, traditional chinese medicine, watermelon, pear, sore throat, oldenlandia, loquat