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Herbs & Cultures

Herbal home remedies: tea, honey, tincture and salve

Tea for a starting cold

A fresh mint tea for the first day of a cold.

Used for

Time
20–30 minutes
Makes
Loose herb blend
Echinacea

Plenty of peppermint, with echinacea root, yarrow, lemon balm and sage. Drunk hot, the tea feels good with a blocked nose and a raw throat.

Ingredients

  • 1 part echinacea root
  • 2 parts peppermint leaf
  • ½ part yarrow leaf
  • ½ part lemon balm leaf
  • ½ part sage leaf
  • Honey to taste

Step by step

  1. Pour water just off the boil over the herbs, cover and steep for 15–25 minutes. Strain through a sieve lined with cheesecloth.
  2. Sweeten with a little honey if you like.
  3. Drink as soon as a cold comes on, as often as you like.

Registry

Herbs in this recipe

Read more about effects and safety on each herb’s page.

  • Caution

    North America · Herb · № 14

    Echinacea

    Echinacea purpurea

    Studied for colds and respiratory infections. It may slightly reduce the chance of catching a cold; effects on duration and other conditions are uncertain.

    Indigenous healing traditions of North America+5Folklore
  • Caution

    Europe · Herb · № 3

    Mint

    Mentha × piperita

    Peppermint oil has been studied in irritable bowel syndrome and may reduce abdominal pain. The tea is used for a full stomach and nausea. With heartburn peppermint can make complaints worse.

    Greco-Roman medicine+4Folklore
  • Caution

    Europe · Herb · № 56

    Yarrow

    Achillea millefolium

    Traditionally used to stop bleeding from minor wounds, for fevers and colds, and as a digestive bitter. Clinical evidence is limited.

    Greco-Roman medicine+6Folklore
  • Caution

    Europe · Herb · № 85

    Lemon balm

    Melissa officinalis

    Traditionally used for restlessness, sleep problems and a nervous stomach; externally for cold sores. Small studies suggest a mild calming effect, but evidence is limited.

    Monastic and folk knowledge+7Folklore
  • Caution

    Europe · Herb · № 45

    Sage

    Salvia officinalis

    A culinary herb. A few small studies suggest possible effects on memory and blood lipids, but evidence is limited.

    Monastic and folk knowledge+4Folklore

Cultures and traditions

Where the herbs come from

These traditions know the herbs in this recipe.