Herbal tea helps reduce the pain of acute pharyngitis

Question Can herbal tea help reduce the symptoms of pain associated with acute pharyngitis?

Synopsis Demulcents have been used for many years to treat sore throat. They are not topical anaesthetics but are soothing and relieve irritation. This double blinded randomised controlled study evaluated the effectiveness of a demulcent mixture containing licorice root, elm inner bark, marshmallow root, and licorice root aqueous dry extract (a herbal tea called Throat Coat). Sixty outpatients with acute pharyngitis were randomly assigned to use the herbal tea, or a placebo tea that tasted and …