Do you have a cough that is dry and scratchy? Try this Gooey Herbal Syrup Recipe.
Gooey Herbal Syrup Ingredients
- 1/2 ounce of dried licorice root
- 1/2 ounce of dried slippery elm bark
- 1/2 ounce of flaxseed
- 1/4 cup of manuka honey
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 2 1/2 pints of (cold) water
- Fresh squeezed lemon and extra honey as needed
Gooey Herbal Syrup Instructions
- First, place the licorice and one pint of water in a pot and simmer it down until there is about 1/3 of a pint of liquid. Strain the herbs out and let cool. Compost or throw out the licorice throw remains; I gave mine to the house plants.
- In a large glass jar, add one and a half pints of cool water and the slippery elm and flaxseed. Also add in the cooled liquid from the licorice decoction. Shake the jar. Let it infuse for about a half hour.
- Strain all the plant matter out of the thick liquid using a strainer with a fine mesh and pestle. The pestle will help push the thick goo thru the strainer.
- Add the honey to the remaining thick liquid. I chose to use 1/4 manuka honey and 1/4 regular honey because the manuka honey was very expensive ($30 for 8 ounces), but I wanted the antimicrobial benefits of the manuka honey.
- Store the jar in the refrigerator for up to three months.
- Take one tablespoon a day up to four times a day.
- Recommend chasing down with a cup of hot tea or room temp water with fresh squeezed lemon and honey: Wait about a half hour to allow the cough syrup to sooth the epithelial cells of the respiratory tract. See Spicy Tea Infusion Recipe.
Gooey Syrup Research
- Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice root) and Adhatoda vasica had an antitussive activity in mice comparable to that of codeine sulphate. From: Jahan, Y., & Siddiqui, H. H. (2012). Study of antitussive potential of Glycyrrhiza glabra and Adhatoda vasica using a cough model induced by sulphur dioxide gas in mice. International journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and research, 3(6), 1668.
- Glycyrrhiza glabra induced cough efforts in guinea pigs more effectively than codeine. From: Saha, S., Nosál’ová, G., Ghosh, D., Flešková, D., Capek, P., & Ray, B. (2011). Structural features and in vivo antitussive activity of the water extracted polymer from Glycyrrhiza glabra. International journal of biological macromolecules, 48(4), 634-638.
- Throat coat, a tea including licorice, slippery elm, and marshmallow, reduced throat pain in patients. From: Brinckmann, J., Sigwart, H., & van Houten Taylor, L. (2003). Safety and efficacy of a traditional herbal medicine (Throat Coat®) in symptomatic temporary relief of pain in patients with acute pharyngitis: A multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. The Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 9(2), 285-298.
- Neck and cancer patients who received radiation had delayed onset of mucositis and reduced pain and oral symptoms from gargling a blend with manuka and kanuka. From: Maddocks-Jennings, W., Wilkinson, J. M., Cavanagh, H. M., & Shillington, D. (2009). Evaluating the effects of the essential oils Leptospermum scoparium (manuka) and Kunzea ericoides (kanuka) on radiotherapy induced mucositis: a randomized, placebo controlled feasibility study. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 13(2), 87-93.
By: Kathy Sadowski
10/14/18
