(no subject)

[redbird]

Yes, a mug of hot tea will alleviate my congestion--for about ten minutes longer than it takes me to drink the tea. I think it's time to switch to something herbal and caffeine-less.

Addendum: I'm drinking a tangerine-flavored tisane from Bigelow. I don't like rooibos or mint, and the only question currently open is whether Maya Gold hot chocolate would worth the trouble of heating the milk. (I'm not concerned about the small quantity of caffeine it contains.)

And an addendum to the addendum: I'm wondering if starting with that, using part heavy cream rather than just whole milk, and maybe shaving in some dark chocolate would come close to the intense hot chocolate at Suite 88. And whether that's a good idea, pre-dinner, given that I'm planning to cook and thus need to be somewhat alert.

Comments

[ailsaek.livejournal.com]

Ugh. Sympathies.

[spacefall.livejournal.com]

I'm addicted to rooibos tea at the moment. No caffeine and without that tannin-y taste, plus it's nice with or without milk.

Peppermint tea!

[dakiwiboid.livejournal.com]

Peppermint is a good decongestant, and helps clear any mucous from your digestive system.

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

Dairy products can increase mucous production, in people who are sensitive to the effect. (Chinese herbal medicine keeps track of various foods that are supposed to be warming or cooling, drying or mucous-producing...some are more generally applicable than others.) Even a slight increase in mucous-production, the kind of thing you would not ordinarily notice, may be problematic when you are already congested. I suggest hot lemonade. If you were here, I'd make a pot of that nice hibiscus-orange tea that's almost a true pink.

*hug* Feel better soon, my dear.

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

I've been interested in this idea for a while - can you point me to some evidence for dairy == mucuous? (whilst I eat my breakfast cereal without milk :-)

[papersky.livejournal.com]

That's just what I was going to say, drinking milk while congested sounds absolutely mad to me.

[redbird]

That's one where I've heard it numerous times, usually in an "everyone knows this" way, and also seen claims that it's not true, and would love a pointer or three to an actual study. Ideally one that, if it did find an effect, had some quantification--e.g., if a pint of milk is bad, is a half-ounce in a mug of tea also bad?

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

I know the plural of anecdote is not data, but I've heard hundreds of anecdotes over the years. Some people notice the increased mucous all the time, others only notice it when they are already congested. Some regard it as a reason to avoid milk, or as reason to avoid milk when congested. Some regard the benefits of milk as so important that they think it's worth putting up with some extra mucous. I don't parse any of that as "it's not true," though I know some people who would.