11 Foods and Drinks to Help Soothe COVID-19 Symptoms

Like chicken soup, warm tea can help break down mucus and get it flushed — or coughed out — from the body, taking bits of virus with it, Dr. Ascher says.

Instead of sugar, add honey to your tea, he suggests. “Honey before bed may improve your sleep when you have COVID, and it also has antimicrobial properties that help improve the immune response,” he says.

A study of patients admitted for acute heart attack with sleep issues in Iran consumed a mixture of honey and milk consumed twice a day for three days. Researchers observed they had significantly improved sleep compared with a control group that didn’t receive this mixture.

Regarding its antimicrobial activity, previous research has noted that honey — and particularly a kind called manuka honey — has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. A research review theorized that being able to tamp down acute inflammation, like the kind seen with COVID-19, could lead to an enhanced immune response, but studies are needed to prove this effect (and if the honey and milk combo would have an effect on people with COVID-19).

What to Avoid When Recovering From COVID-19

Eating whole, healthy foods is preferable to relying on herbal remedies, vitamins, and supplements that have been touted for their ability to treat COVID-19, says David Cutler, MD, family medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. Same goes for so-called treatments like ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, and azithromycin, which have not been found in large-scale studies to help with COVID-19 and instead can be seriously dangerous to your health, as the World Health Organization notes.

And again, know that no one food will make COVID-19 go away, nor will a single dietary approach. Pay attention to your symptoms, and if you have signs like trouble breathing, persistent chest pressure or pain, or new confusion, call 911, the CDC urges.