“Strep Sauce” Sore Throat Remedy

A little tickle in the back of your throat. A little cough. No big deal, right? Wrong. This is how Strep Throat begins and it has a tendency to sneak up from behind and knock us down before we realize we’ve been hit.

You know how it goes. Your kid comes home from school with a scratchy throat so you send him to bed with a little cough syrup. Next morning he has a fever and a raw throat and has to stay home. We’ve all been there, and we all know how miserable Strep can be. So how can we help our families without having to resort to expensive doctors’ visits and antibiotics?

One of my favorite remedies that I have used with my family for several years now, is a little thing we call Strep Sauce. The name was inspired when one ailing family member took a spoonful of this concoction and exclaimed “I thought you were making me cough syrup? This tastes like duck sauce!” Ironically, his description was pretty accurate, and we’ve found that this remedy can actually be used on stir fry in place of actual duck sauce!

So what is “Strep Sauce”? It’s a simple mixture 4 tablespoons honey, 4 cloves fresh minced garlic, and ¼-½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper that can be whipped up in five minutes to soothe the throat of your grizzly-voiced darling. Simply combine the ingredients and let it sit for several minutes for the flavors to mingle. The most effective way to use “Strep Sauce” is to slowly swallow about a teaspoonful so that it coats the throat, taking it every half hour or so until it’s gone. Make sure not to drink any water for 10-15 minutes or it will wash the sauce out of the throat, which sort of defeats the purpose.

Make sure to warn your loved one that this sauce can be a little spicy on a sore throat, but as cayenne pepper is a counterirritant, it will help to reduce the irritation and inflammation of the throat in short order.

While only about half of my family likes Chinese food, they all appreciate “Strep Sauce” for the relief and speed of recovery that it usually affords them.

Author: Dr. Chris Knutson, ND

Dr. Chris Knutson, ND, entered the natural health field after being cured of chronic Lyme Disease by an Australian Naturopath. He holds degrees as a Doctor of Naturopathy, Master Herbalist and Certified Nutritional Counselor. He currently works as a Nutrition and Wellness Coordinator with Fresh and Natural Foods.