Cloves -- natural remedy for cough and sore throat

Winter is around the corner, and your risk of suffering from a cough and cold is also high! And with air pollution and dust everywhere, it is only worsening your risk. Instead of popping a pill for a cough and sore throat, you can use cloves to fight cough at home. A natural remedy, cloves, known as laung in Hindi, not only helps you to fight cough naturally but also improves your immunity. Here's how it helps and tips to use it. How does clove help? Cloves contain phenolic compounds such as eugenol and gallic acid, which are anti-inflammatory and antibacterial in nature. Packed with medicinal properties, cloves not only relieve a sore throat but also alleviate pain caused due to persistent coughing. It also has essential oil, which acts as a natural expectorant, clearing the respiratory passage. Moreover, it also helps you to get rid of itchy feeling in the throat, caused due to a dry cough. The antiviral and antioxidant properties of cloves help in cleansing toxins from the body and boosting the immunity. Here are more health benefits of cloves. How to use it? Take a clove with rock salt (saindava lavana) and chew it thoroughly to ease down the soreness of the throat. It also helps in relieving inflammation of the pharynx, a membrane-lined cavity which connects the nose and mouth to the oesophagus. If you suffer from a dry cough or a persistent cough, it is best to try this quick and effective home remedy. You can even burn a clove and chew it to get relief from a severe cough. Clove oil when mixed with honey gives an amazing effect of recurring cough. If you don't have clove oil at home, you can suck a clove dipped in honey to reap its anti-inflammatory and expectorant properties. Also read about top 10 home remedies for cough to get instant relief. References: Kumar, K., Yadav, A., Srivastava, S., Paswan, S., & sankar Dutta, A. (2012). Recent Trends in Indian Traditional Herbs Syzygium Aromaticum and its Health Benefits. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 1(1). Image Source: Shutterstock Read this in Marathi