Delhi Air Pollution: 5 home remedies for chest congestion, cough, and cold

Delhi's air quality remained in the ‘poor’ category for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, with the AQI in some areas slipping into the ‘very poor’ category at over 300, states report. Twenty stations reported AQI in the ‘poor’ category, while 13 recorded AQI in the ‘moderate’ range and the 24-hour average AQI for Delhi was recorded at 233, placing it in the ‘poor’ category, data showed. A similar air quality forecast has been issued for the coming days, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi. Hence, it is important for the residents to take extra care of their immune system and respiratory health. Keeping the same in view, experts often keep sharing simple and easy home remedies that can help people fight the side effects of air pollution which includes weak immunity, chest congestion, cough, cold, and nausea. Take a look at these expert-approved home remedies.

Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar suggests taking equal parts of dry ginger, jaggery, and ghee. Mix them all and roll into small balls and eat two laddoo a day for better results.

She also suggests consuming sugarcane. It helps to cleanse and detoxify the liver. Being rich in micronutrients, it also boosts the immune system. It also helps beat lethargy and low moods caused by the smog. One can either chew sugarcane or drink its fresh juice and the ideal time to have sugarcane is as a mid-meal, before noon.

Rujuta also suggests having a glass of milk with kesar and turmeric, while it is still boiling. Once it boils, add a teaspoon of tulsi seeds or sabja seeds. The volatile oils from kesar prevent skin and hair damage, while sabja or tulsi seeds are known for beating infections, allergies, and bloating. Turmeric milk is a potent and well-known recovery and anti-inflammatory combination.

According to Dimple Jangda, a nutrition and wellness expert, cumin and jaggery water is a healthy solution too. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds to a glass of water, and also add 1 tsp of melted jaggery to it along with a few peppercorns. Boil it well and consume it twice a day. She explains, cumin is carminative in nature, which boosts digestion and jaggery helps balance body heat and peppercorns help in reducing any kind of bacterial infection in the bronchial region.

It helps in improving immunity and beats cold and cough, suggests Dimple. Carrot juice is highly beneficial for boosting the immune system. It is rich in immune-supportive nutrients like vitamins A, C, E, and K, potassium, and iron. The beta-carotene (which converts to vitamin A) in carrot juice strengthens immune cells’ response to infections and helps protect cells from oxidative stress, which can weaken the immune system.

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is meant for general knowledge only and should not be taken as medical advice. Always talk to your doctor before starting any new routine.