Throat Coat Tea is a name brand licorice root tea made by Traditional Medicinals. The company markets the tea for singers and people that suffer from chronic sore throats.
Name brand aside, Throat Coat Tea is made from organic licorice root, slippery elm bark and marshmallow root. This tea does not have the same taste as the popular candy, but is naturally sweet in flavor. Each cup of Throat Coat Tea contains 760mg of licorice root, 80mg of slippery elm bark, 60mg of marshmallow root and 60mg of licorice root extract.
Singers seem to find Throat Coat tea particularly useful, often using the tea before singing and at the onset of cold symptoms. Most people find that their sore throats caused by colds and sinus problems are relieved by using the tea.
Throat Coat Tea and Licorice Root Tea Benefits
Licorice root can have many other benefits besides the one marketed by Throat Coat Tea. The root of the licorice plant has been used for centuries from places as far spread as China and Greece for digestive difficulties.
Folk remedies have including using the root in Throat Coat Tea for coughs and other respiratory ailments, menstrual cramps, relief of seasonal allergies and as a method of increasing the libido.
The licorice root used in Throat Coat Tea is classified in Chinese medicine as a neutral herb and is used to tone the qi, stop coughs, clear heat, reduce pain and as an antidote for other herbs. Even Chinese medicine recognized the properties that made licorice beneficial to soothe throats.
The Science of Throat Coat tea and Licorice Root
Ongoing scientific research is being done on the licorice root used in Throat Coat tea. Current research is looking at the herb as a remedy for digestive problems including stomach ulcers and constipation, weight loss and its use in treating pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS).
No research to date has conclusively found any health benefits to using the herb for any of these health conditions. Anecdotal evidence and traditional folk use is the only current evidence of any health benefits to the user.
Some completed research has found a few benefits to using licorice root preparations like Throat Coat tea. A small 2008 study from the journal General Dentistry found that licorice root applied topically helped canker sores heal much faster. In an animal study in 2009, scientists found they could halt the progression of some digestive tract cancers in mice by using glycyrrhizic acid, the main component of licorice root. Further human studies are still ongoing with licorice root.
Side effects of Throat Coat Tea and Licorice Root
Licorice root can cause high blood pressure, and should be avoided in people that suffer from blood pressure problems.
People that suffer from hypokalemia (low potassium) and those with liver, kidney or heart problems should not use licorice root or Throat Coat Tea. Women that are pregnant or breastfeeding should consult with their midwife or doctor before using the product as well.
Licorice root is an ancient remedy that has been used for a wide variety of health problems for centuries. New preparations like Throat Coat Tea can help people today, and research continues on the benefits of licorice root in general.
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