An unexpected home remedy to relieve sore throat!

Many of us resort to home remedies when we have a sore throat, and drinking tea with honey may be the most common way to get rid of this annoying problem.

According to Dr. Linda Yancey, an infectious disease specialist at Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, Texas, another effective way to treat a sore throat is to eat pickles.

It may seem a bit strange to use pickles as a treatment for sore throat, but it all has to do with the properties of the pickle brine.

Yancey explains that pickle solution can help reduce inflammation by drawing water out. 

Yancey did not specify the amount of pickles that should be eaten in order to feel the effect, adding: “It is more of a home remedy than a medical intervention, so there are no official recommendations,” explaining that it is something you have to experiment with to find the right amount for you personally.

However, it's important to be aware of how much salt you're consuming when using this method, as sour pickles are known to be high in sodium, with one medium-sized pickle containing 33% of the daily value for an adult, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Yancey stressed that eating pickles will not completely cure a sore throat, adding: “This is a simple and temporary intervention. It will lead to a slight decrease in symptoms for a period of 10 to 15 minutes.”

Although pickles are a temporary solution, they can still be part of getting rid of a sore throat, along with drinking sweet tea with honey and following your doctor's recommendations.

Yancey also recommends gargling with salt water if you don't have any pickles readily available. She said: “It should be noted that those on a salt-restricted diet should not use pickles or gargle with salt water because both contain a large amount of salt, in the same way that diabetics should avoid honey or sweet tea.”