As we head into the dog days of summer, a quick chill-me-up can be just the ticket. From bug bites to refreshing teas to cool baths, these herbs will help to take the temperature down for you.
Lemongrass
Lemongrass teases the senses with the bright citrus flavor and warming aroma that make it beloved in the herbal kitchen and apothecary.
In Jamaica, lemongrass goes by the nickname “fever grass” because it is taken to cool the body and treat the common cold. Its fragrant constituents are diaphoretic, meaning they encourage sweating. Refreshing and restorative, lemongrass leaves are uplifting for those dealing with emotional or physical burnout and exhaustion. Added to a hot bath, they bring an energizing scent and energy of pure joyfulness.
The juicy leaf stalks also can be crushed or minced to add a fragrant lemony flavor to Asian-inspired dishes.
Lemongrass is a traditional medicinal for an array of common household ailments. It is an aromatic carminative, capable of alleviating gassiness and bloating. A cup of lemongrass tea or a nibble of leaves can be a soothing remedy for an upset stomach. A reliable antispasmodic, lemongrass tea or tincture may also alleviate menstrual cramps.
Dried lemongrass can be used to make a refreshing cold tea.
Photograph by Geoff Kidd, Science Source
Peppermint
Peppermint is a cooling aromatic herb. When unwinding after a meal, turn to a cup of peppermint tea.
Peppermint has a tempering and grounding energy. Combined with yarrow and elderflower, it is part of a traditional herbal trio given in a warm tea to help cool a fever. Here, peppermint serves as a diaphoretic, dispersing heat and eliciting a relieving sweat. Inhaling the tea’s minty steam can help break up phlegm in the lungs and open the sinus passages.
The herb can prevent nausea from ingesting heavy, fatty foods and contains compounds that relax the smooth muscle of the digestive tract, alleviating bloating and allowing air to pass. Peppermint can also relax a churning stomach. In severe cases, enteric-coated capsules of peppermint essential oil are taken as an antispasmodic for painful irritable bowel conditions.
Mint disburses heat; it can also prevent nausea.
Photograph by Veena Nair, Moment, Getty Images
Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle enjoys a long-established reputation in TCM for the treatment of fevers, cold and flu, pneumonia, and bronchitis. Research from Asia points to the antiviral, anti-bacterial, and cholesterol balancing value of honeysuckle.
Honeysuckle’s trumpetlike flowers have a cooling, anti-inflammatory effect. Honeysuckle blossom–infused honey taken by the spoonful for coughs and sore throats is a delightful way to enjoy this feel-good medicine. Honeysuckle infusion can be used as a healing wash for skin irritations, infections, and rashes.
A towel soaked in this chilled liquid can be nurturing to a headache or soothing when applied to tender, sunburned skin. A mist of this antiviral floral infusion pacifies painful herpes blisters and shingles rashes.
Honeysuckle flowers have a cooling, anti-inflammatory effect.
Photograph by johncopland, Getty Images
Chamomile
Chamomile has the remarkable ability to simultaneously quiet, cool, and repair, whether in an ointment or a cold tea. The calming aspect takes the edge off irate nerve endings when they signal itches and ouches.
Applied topically, chamomile diminishes the symptoms of red, itchy skin associated with conditions such as eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, and rosacea. In a pinch, a wet chamomile tea bag can be used as a compress and directly applied to a sore spot or rash. Simply dunk the tea bag in warm water for a few minutes to activate its potential and be rewarded by convenient medicine at your fingertips.
Alternatively, keep a jar of chamomile salve within easy reach, on the porch or in the medicine cabinet. Apply for instant relief from mosquito bites; minutes later, the bothersome irritation is forgotten as chamomile flexes its anti-itch action.
Camomile can cool and repair the body in teas and ointments.
Photograph by Robert Gutowski, Camera Press, Redux
Portions of this article have previously appeared in Herbal Remedies, by Mimi Prunella Hernandez. Copyright © 2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Available wherever books and magazines are sold.
