9 Tea Tricks That Will Help You Feel Better

A cure to the common cold has yet to be discovered, but there are plenty of remedies that are said to help make it a bit more manageable — tea is one of them. The warmth and pleasant aroma of tea is sure to soothe away your sickness, but why stop at a simple cup?

Depending on which type of tea you're drinking, each is said to benefit a specific part of the body. That being said, there are additional herbs, spices, sweeteners, and other things to add to tea that can help it reach its full healing potential.

Sugar, spice, and all of the above; here are nine things to add to your tea when you're feeling sick.

Basil

Anxiety can leave you feeling frazzled, resulting in a tight and upset stomach. According to Dr. Axe of Food Is Medicine, basil helps to ease stomach muscles, relieve gas, and general abdominal pain. Soothe your senses, relax, and add a basil leaf to your green tea.

Cinnamon

If you wake up feeling like you're about to pop, you might be experiencing some serious bloating. Luckily, Authority Nutrition reports that a few dashes of cinnamon in your morning tea will detox the body and jumpstart metabolism, effectively curing bloating.

Cloves

Cloves are a contain an anti-inflammatory substance called Eugenol that aids in curing joint inflammation. If your body feels swollen or your joints feel sore, drop some cloves into your cup and watch the magic happen.

Garlic

A Study from Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island found that adding garlic to tea exemplifies all of its heart-protective properties. Garlic has many healing assets, but lowering blood pressure is arguably the most valuable. For the best taste results, be sure to add garlic to your tea during the brewing process, not after. Only one clove or so is needed.

Ginger

Feeling nauseous? The rhizomes in ginger give it rhizome in ginger, it's commonly used to treat stomach problems such as morning sickness and gas. Not sure how to make ginger tea? Take a look at some of our best recipes here.

Honey

You've probably heard that a spoonful of honey helps a sore throat, but why slurp it by itself? Drizzling your honey into a cup of tea allows you to double up on health benefits, along with making it taste sweeter. This is also a suitable tactic for those of you trying to ween off artificial sweeteners.

Lemon

This may be the simplest of our suggestions, but it is also one of the most beneficial. Squeezing lemon juice  from a full lemon into your tea will help your body avoid symptoms altogether because lemons are rich in vitamin C, a trusty immune-system booster.

Mint

No need to stock up on "cold-curing" meds, for all of your curing remedies are right in your spice garden. Mint contains menthol, a natural decongestant which aids the breakup of mucus. Preparing for cold season? Stock up on mint leaves.

Stevia

Stevia is a sweetener, but don't be so quick to judge it. This is the only "sweetener" we suggest because it's natural. It is also said to lower blood pressure, helping with heart inflammatory diseases.