What is the best instant remedy for the onset of a cold? Try doing a gargle with salt water for your sore throat.
According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine it really works. “The researchers recruited about 400 healthy volunteers and followed them for 60 days during cold and flu season. Some of the subjects were told to gargle three times a day.
At the end of the study period, the group that gargled regularly had a 40 percent decrease in upper respiratory and tract infections compared with the control group.”
That’s pretty compelling evidence, so I decided to try this simple home remedy myself, and I was more than a little impressed at the results because of the near instant relief of my sore throat.
Steps to create the Salt Water Gargle For Sore Throat
1. Half Table Spoon of Sea Salt
2. 8 oz of luke warm water
3. Dissolve the sea salt into the warm water, take a sip of the sea salt solution and gargle it in your mouth for 10-30 seconds. Spit out.
4. Repeat 3 times daily until your throat is feeling better
The Science Behind Why Gargling With Sea Salt Works
According to the Mayo Clinic, the sea salt solution works because the content of the salt solution draws moisture out of the inflamed areas of the throat, primarily the tonsils.
From the above photo, it can be seen that the unhealthy throat has inflamed cells which cause pain around the tonsils.
Gargling salt water cleans this area from any bacteria, and draws the moisture out of the swollen tissues. This relieves the pain that we feel when swallowing. The salt also prevents these harmful bacteria from further growing, so you can see that the benefits really are good.
Why Sea Salt is Better Than Table Salt
The main ingredient that helps draw moisture out of the inflamed cells is sodium. While sea salt has less sodium than regular iodized table salt, the granules are larger, more coarse and are organically processed.
Iodized table salt tastes harsh, and could actually be harboring bacteria as it sits around in a salt shaker.
When in doubt, always go for salt the way nature intended it to be consumed, naturally from the sea.
This is a simple and easy Do It Yourself home remedy, that we recommend you try.
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